The Founder of Fo Guang Shan Venerable Master Hsing Yun

  Venerable Master Hsing Yun is the founder of the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Order and its international headquarters in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. He was born in Chiangdu, Chiangsu Province, China, in 1927. At the age of twelve, he became a novice monk under Venerable Master Chih K'ai at Ch'I-hsia Shan, a mountain monastery in Nanjing. He was fully ordained in 1941 and went on formal monastic training at Ch'I-hsia Vinaya School as well as Chiao-shan Buddhist College. He had vowed to revitalize Humanistic Buddhism from an early age. In 1949, Mainland China was enmeshed in civil war. At that time Venerable Master Hsing Yun left his homeland for Taiwan. For nearly a half century the strength of his vow has enabled him to usher in a new era for Humanistic Buddhism. His vision and untiring efforts have influenced Buddhist studies and practices in Taiwan and throughout all five continents.

  Recognized for his bold and innovative methods of propagating the Buddhist teachings to meet contemporary needs, Venerable Master Hsing Yun has established more than one hundred and seventy branch temples worldwide. In addition, he has founded four public universities, sixteen Buddhist colleges, twenty libraries, two publishing houses, nine art galleries, a free mobile health clinic, and a television station as the means for bringing Buddhism to everyone.

  Since retiring as Abbot of Fo Guang Shan, Venerable Master Hsing Yun has traveled throughout the world to propagate the Dharma. He discerns the great need for Buddhism of people from diverse backgrounds in today's challenging environment. To meet this need and to provide the faithful opportunities to join force in propagating Humanistic Buddhism, he founded Buddha's Light International Association (BLIA), ROC in 1990. In 1992, BLIA World Headquarters was inaugurated in the USA. Since then, over two hundred international chapters have been established.

  Through modern and systematic methods, Venerable Master Hsing Yun has propagated the seeds of Humanistic Buddhism throughout the world. He is the foremost architect for building a pure land on Earth.