Woodenfish

The Woodenfish Program, known formally as the Humanistic Buddhism Monastic Life Program, or HBMLP, is a program set up by the Taiwan based Fo Guang Shan Buddhist order for college students. Held in the summer of each year, students have an opportunity to live the life of a monastic in a Buddhist monastery; namely, living in the Fo Guang Shan order's main monastery in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The program offers free room and board, and is funded by a grant from the order.

The namesake comes from the wooden fish instrument, the most common religious musical instrument used in Chinese, Korean and Japanese Buddhism. The program is sponsored by Buddha's Light International Association.

Objective

The primary objective of this program is to promote the understanding of Chinese Buddhism by exposing the participants to the daily practice of Humanistic Buddhism within a traditional Buddhist monastery. The Woodenfish Program provides students interested in the study of religion, Buddhism and/or Chinese culture and language first-hand experience in the lifestyle, training, and functions of contemporary Chinese Buddhist monastics. Classes taught on various levels by the knowledgeable monastics and staff, inform students on Buddhist history, doctrine and philosophy, as well as classes offered regarding the liturgical instruments, monastic etiquette, meditation practice and other functions and rituals. All instruction is given in English or is translated from Mandarin. Other key elements of the program include:

* Offering participants a chance to view and experience Buddhism as it is practiced in modern-day Taiwan.
* Introducing participants to the concepts and practices of Humanistic Buddhism.
* Communal activities within the monastery, such as vegetable gardening, kitchen duty, etc.
* Daily participation in many of the routine activities within a Buddhist monastery.
* A five to seven day silent meditation retreat.
* Cultivating spirituality through meditation.
* A cultural tour of .

The program director may change the activities slightly to better accommodate the needs of the participants and/or better fulfill the program objectives.

Program Background

Through Venerable Master Hsing Yun, the founder of Fo Guang Shan, and the efforts of Venerable Dr. Yifa, the Woodenfish Program provides an opportunity for a group of undergraduate and graduate students to come each summer to the Fo Guang Shan monastery in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, the world headquarters of the Fo Guang Shan system of temples, colleges, associations, and charitable and cultural programs. Fo Guang Shan is a Linji Ch'an monastery, which is similar in many ways to a Japanese Rinzai monastery.

Participants hail from some of the best universities from across the globe. They are diverse in backgrounds but, there is a concentration of Asian studies, Buddhist studies, comparative religion and counseling/psychology majors. The participants may be in their undergraduate training or completion the dissertation for their Ph.D.

University of the West

The University of the West is a university in Rosemead, California. The first Buddhist-funded university in the United States, it was founded in 1991 by Venerable Master Hsing Yun, founder of the Taiwan-based Buddhist order Fo Guang Shan and Hsi Lai Temple. It moved from the Hsi Lai Temple complex in to its current location in 1996.

History

UWest is a private, non profit school accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Although founded by a Buddhist organization, UWest is not a Buddhist college, which is a term typically used for monasteries or schools that train people for the monastic order.

UWest students are not required to subscribe to the Buddhist faith or practice Buddhism in any form. Indeed, UWest's undergraduate and graduate programs in Business Administration garner higher enrollment numbers than its undergraduate and graduate programs in Religious Studies. UWest's Religious Studies and Buddhist Studies Departments are world renowned and attract monastics and students of Buddhism from across the world.

President

Dr. Allen M. Huang was installed as President of University of the West on June 28, 2007. Dr. Huang left the position of Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs at University of Northern Colorado to take UWest's helm. Dr. Huang spent 29 years at UNC in many different capacities. His areas of specialization include leadership and management in higher education, development and management of grants and contracts, as well as issues and trends in special education. Dr. Huang is also editor of "New Waves: Educational Research and Development" and associate editor of "Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disorders." For more than 20 years, Dr. Huang has served on the National Council for Accreditation on Teacher Education and the U.S. Department of Education Grant Competition.

Dr. Huang graduated from Colorado State University with a post-doctoral degree in computer technology and education; and from the University of Alabama with an Ed.D. in special education.

Dr. Huang is the fifth UWest president. The first president of UWest was Venerable Master Hsing Yun, who founded the school in 1990. Venerable Hsing Yun was followed by presidents Nai-Chen Chen, Dr. Lewis Lancaster, Roger Schmidt and finally Dr. Allen Huang, who was installed as president on 8 July 2007.

Mission

The mission of University of the West is to

*Educate students in a context informed by Buddhist wisdom and values.
*Facilitate cultural understanding and appreciation between East and West.

Academic programs

UWest currently offers degrees in the following majors:

*Bachelor's in Business Administration - with concentrations in Marketing; Accounting; Computer Information Systems; and International Business.

*Master's in Business Administration - with concentrations in Computer Information Systems; International Business; Finance; and Non Profit Organization Management.

*Executive MBA .

*Bachelor's in Religious Studies - with majors in Comparative Religious Studies and Buddhist Studies.

*Master's in Religious Studies - with concentrations in Comparative Religious Studies and Buddhist Studies.

*Doctor of Philosophy in Religious Studies with emphasis in Comparative Religious Studies and Buddhist Studies.

*Master of Divintiy

*Bachelor's in English.



*Bachelor's in Psychology.

*Master's in Psychology with concentrations in Buddhist psychology and multicultural counseling.

*UWest also has ongoing English as a Second Language program.

Enrollment

UWest enrollment stood at just over 252 students at the start of the Spring 2008 semester. The campus has seen a significant growth in population since accreditation in 2006. The student body is still primarily international in character. Aside from U.S. students, the student body is made up of students from China, Taiwan, Tibet, India, Sri Lanka, France, Germany, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Korea, Nepal and other countries.

Research centers

*The Center for the Study of Minority and Small Business
*The Institute for Advanced Research of Chinese Buddhism

Accreditation

UWest was accredited in February, 2006, by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges . The process took six years to complete. According to WASC's new accreditation procedures and 2001 issued Handbook, degrees issued by University of the West since July 2002 will be fully recognized.

Financial Aid

UWest is authorized by the U.S. Department of Education to disburse Federal Financial Aid. Other financial aid options include the Stafford Loan, Plus Loan, Pell Grants, Perkins Loan Program, etc. UWest also offers institutional financial aid, such as scholarships, tuition waivers and tuitionships to students who qualify.

Fo Guang Shan Universities

*Fo Guang University
*Nanhua University
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Pu-Men High School

Pu-Men High School is a private Buddhist high school located in the town of Dashu township , Kaohsiung County . The school is affiliated with the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist order founded by Venerable Master Hsing Yun.

In 1977, the name was changed to "Fo Guang Shan Private Pumen Senior High School", and the school was given to Fo Guang Shan. The school converted officially to ''Kaohsiung County Private-Operated Pu-Men Senior High School'' on August 1977.

Six Requirements of Living

*1. Love our families, school and country.
*2. Respect teachers and be friendly to classmates.
*3. Obey public regulation, be courteous and humble.
*4. Cherish public property and use it with care.
*5. Be clean and neat in appearance.
*6. Behave politely, gently and with dignity.

Six Rules of Living

*1. No smoking
*2. No gambling
*3. No fighting
*4. No stealing
*5. No disobedience to teachers’ and parents’ instructions.
*6. No associations with youths who can be of bad influence.

Founding Principles

*1.Pu-Men, the Universal Door, is open to save all beings and to disseminate the spirit of the Guan Yin, the Bodhisattva of Compassion.
*2.Pu-Men believe in the importance of a Confucian education.
*3.Pu-Men is founded on Buddhism’s spirit of saving the world with an ideal education, great mercy, equality for all and unselfishness.
*4.Pu-Men strives to cultivate talents and virtues in youths by emphasizing intellectualism, morality, physical well being and an appreciation of the aesthetics, to benefit all societies and all nations.

Attending SD without BCT

Attending the Senior Department without doing the Basic Competence Test is only for the students of Pu-Men's own junior high students, unlike the general way of going to senior high school in Taiwan, students can have a unique and special way to use if he/she really wants to study the senior high and enjoy the life here. Most importantly, the final decision belongs to the student, forcing and compelling are not allowed.

Nan Tien Temple

Nan Tien Temple is a temple complex located in the industrial suburb of , on the southern outskirts of the Australian city of Wollongong, approximately 80 km south of Sydney, Australia. Nan Tien is a Chinese term, which means "southern paradise".

It is one of the branch temples of Fo Guang Shan, founded in 1965 by Venerable Master Hsing Yun, which has over 120 branches worldwide. This is the largest Buddhist temple in the southern hemisphere.

History

Fo Guang Shan Buddhism is rooted in the Mahayana tradition which emphasises that Buddhahood is within everyone's potential reach. Fo Guang Shan followers strive to bring Buddhism into daily life and describe their philosophy as "Humanistic Buddhism."

It was funded by and constructed under the auspices of the Mahayana Buddhist sect known as Fo Guang Shan, and completed in 1995. The sect itself was founded in Taiwan in 1965 by Venerable Master Hsing Yun, and has 120 branches throughout the world. The site of the Australian branch's temple was reputedly chosen by Hsing Yun due to its proximity to Mount Kembla, which is said to have an auspicious resemblance to a recumbent lion. It overlooks both Mount Keira and Mount Kembla. The land was donated by the Australian government.

Temple complex

The Nan Tien complex was built using traditional techniques and materials by Chinese craftsmen, but with numerous modern features. Occupying a semi-rural hillside site several square kilometres in size, and set amidst landscaped gardens.

In addition to various meeting rooms, a museum, cultural, conference and accommodation facilities and a restaurant, the Nan Tien temple complex includes two massive prayer halls within which are located multiple monumental and Bodhisattva statues, as well as a 7 level pagoda intended to house the cremated remains of 7000 people. The front hall houses the Thousand Handed Avalokitesvara and the main hall in the back houses the Five Dhyani Buddhas, Amogasiddhi, Ratnasambhava, Vairocana, Amitabha and Akshobhya. Both halls have thousands of tiny statues of Buddha on the walls. The complex also has amenities for monks, nuns and visitors, and a large garden with a pagoda.

The architecture of the complex is notable because it incorporates the features of several styles of Buddhism. The pagoda is distinctly Chinese, with flying eaves and an angular profile. The main temples incorporates features of Tibetan monastic architecture, with multi-storey painted temple buildings set atop high stone platforms . The courtyards feature Japanese-style gardens, while the statues and shrines often incorporate bright, South-East Asian colour schemes, in contrast to the more sombre and austere styles favoured in China. The halls are carpeted, and pilgrims and visitors are required to remove shoes before entering, a practice more common in India, Korea and Japan than China.

Tourism

The temple is one of Wollongong's major tourist attractions, and conducts regular weekend retreats for visitors interested in Buddhism in general, and Chinese culture in particular. Retreats can involve classes in tai chi, Chinese cooking and calligraphy and meditation.

Accommodation for retreat participants and members of the general public is available at the Pilgrim Lodge, a 100-room motel-style facility located in the temple grounds adjacent to its large lotus pond.

It is regarded as an "orthodox" Buddhist temple by local Chinese Buddhists, in contrast with some other shrines which worship Buddhist, Taoist, and mystical heroes in the same building. It frequently hosts festivals.

Hsin Ting

Venerable Hsin Ting was the sixth abbot and director of Fo Guang Shan from 1997 to 2005. He served as acting abbot for three years after the sudden death of his predecessor, the Venerable Hsin Ping, in 1995. According to Fo Guang Shan's order of precedence, Hsin Ting is the third highest monastic in the order after the late Hsin Ping. Hsin Ting is speculated to succeed Venerable Master Hsing Yun, Fo Guang Shan's founder, in later years. Along with Hsin Ping, he is a forty-ninth of the Linji Chan school.

Hsin Ting was born in central Taiwan in Yunlin county. He was born into a family of farmers and grew up in the country. In 1968, he became a monastic under Master Hsing Yun and took full ordination the following year in Keelung. Hsin Ting graduated from the Eastern Buddhist College and the India Research Institute of the Chinese Cultural University. He further received an Honorary Doctorate Degree from the Fo Guang Shan-affiliated University of the West in Rosemead, California in 1998.

Hsin Ting is known to be the carrier of the torch for Master Hsing Yun's ideal of Humanistic Buddhism. He has held a variety of posts, such as the secretary of Fo Guang Shan's Religious Affairs Committee, the Managing Director of the Ilan Buddhist Society, abbot of Long Hua Temple in Malaysia, abbot of Hsi Lai Temple in California, abbot of Taipei's Pu Men Temple, and of Kaohsiung's Pu Hsien Temple, President of the American Buddhist Youth Association, and Vice President of Buddha's Light International Association of R.O.C.

Upon the sudden death of Master Hsing Yun's eldest disciple and abbot, Venerable Hsin Ping, Hsin Ting was immediately promoted to the said position, and served the rest of Hsin Ping's term until 1997, when he was unanimously and officially elected abbot in 1997 as Fo Guang Shan's sixth abbot.

A multi-talented monastic, he is said to be well versed in speaking the Dharma, instruction in Chan meditation, construction projects, Buddhist chant, and the composition of music and lyrics.

He ended his term as abbot in 2005, when Venerable Hsin Pei was elected to the position of Abbot. Along with Master Hsing Yun, he is currently giving dharma lectures and presiding over Buddhist ceremonies around the world.

Hsin Ping

Hsin Ping was the fourth and fifth abbot of Fo Guang Shan, the to Venerable Master Hsing Yun, a renowned Buddhist master and founder of Fo Guang Shan. Hsin Ping was a forty-ninth of the Linji Ch'an school through Hsing Yun.

Venerable Hsin Ping entered the Buddhist sangha in 1963. Hsin Ping went on to receive the precepts under Master Tao Yuan of Hai Hui Temple in Keelung in 1963, and went on to attend Shou Shan Buddhist College and the Chinese Buddhist Research Institute at Fo Guang Shan. For lengths of time during the earliest days of Fo Guang Shan, Hsin Ping was stationed in the construction quarters. In 1973, he became first in line of Fo Guang Shan’s order of precedence.

Admired for his melodious voice in chanting and his kind, easygoing character, Hsin Ping was known to have been one of the best loved of the leading monastics. Shown for being sincere and compassionate towards monastics and lay practitioners, he, along with the support of monastics, built temples worldwide so they could strengthen the order as well as to propagate Buddhism. He had also made affinities with people through Buddhist music.

In April 1995, Hsin Ping died suddenly after suffering from illness. The Venerable Hsin Ting served the rest of Hsin Ping's term until 1997, when he was elected head abbot.

Hsin Pei

Hsin Pei is the seventh and current abbot and director of Fo Guang Shan, a Buddhist monastery and worldwide charity and religious organization, founded by Venerable Master Hsing Yun. Hsin Pei succeeded Venerable Hsin Ting in 2005. According to Fo Guang Shan's order of precedence, Hsin Pei is the second highest monastic in the order, and is second in line to the position of Head Teacher. He is a forty-ninth of the Linji Chan school.

Venerable Hsin Pei was born in Penghu in a rural Buddhist family. At a very young age, Hsin Pei already exhibited the qualities of kindness, compassion and tranquility. In 1990, he was fully ordained as a monk under the watchful guidance of then Fo Guang Shan abbot Master Hsing Yun and was given the Dharma name Hui Han .

Prior to his election as abbot, Hsin Pei was in charge of discipline action at Bei Hai Buddhist College as well as administration at the Male Buddhist University. He was also the assistant director of the Chán Center and well-versed in the tradition of every precept ceremony and the rules and regulations of the monastery. He has many times assumed the post of presiding in precept ceremonies and short-term monastic retreats.

Hsin Pei is often described in the order as modest in conduct, showing self disciplinary skills and adherence to the precepts. Because of his young age, he is often seen as a role model to younger generation of Buddhists, guiding and helping younger monastics and laity.

He also excels in the chanting of Buddhist music and often has led the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Monastic Choir to perform on the world stage and has won many high praises. In recent years, Hsin Pei has reached new heights with his performances in the "Sounds of the Ganges River", an album of Buddhist chanting recorded by the Fo Guang Shan monastic choir.

Hsi Lai Temple

Hsi Lai Temple is a traditional mountain monastery in the United States. It is located on the foothill region of , California, USA, a suburb of . The name "Hsi Lai" means ''Coming West'' in the sense of the "Great Buddhadharma Coming West."

The temple is affiliated with one of Taiwan's largest religious organizations, the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist order. It is one of the first branch temples the order has built, and is often called the "torch of Dharma" by order members. Hsi Lai was the site of the founding of Buddha's Light International Association, which was established in 1991. The temple, like its mother temple in Taiwan, practices Humanistic Buddhism, which incorporates all of the eight traditional schools of Chinese Buddhism - especially the Linji and Pure Land schools - to provide guidance deemed most useful to modern life.

History

In 1976, Master Hsing Yun, the founder of the order, represented a Buddhist group from Taiwan to participate in celebration. Master Hsing Yun was asked by American friends to build a monastery in the United States. Therefore, Fo Guang Shan asked the Venerable Tzu Chuang and Yi Heng to plan and organize the construction of the temple in the Greater Los Angeles area. It was officially registered under the name of ''International Buddhist Progress Society.'' Until the temple was complete, Ven. Tzu Chuang bought an old church building, which was to be Hsi Lai's temporary headquarters. The original temple, located in the city of was called the ''Bai Ta'' Temple.

The planning and construction of the temple in the 1980s was met with suspicion and resistance from local communities, many of whom knew little about Buddhism or had negative attitudes toward it . Some main reasons for resistance against the building of the temple was the promise of weekly services, heavy traffic, noise, and concern about environmental damage.

Originally, the organization had planned to build the temple in the , Los Angeles area, but were blocked from acquiring land. They also tried to acquire Pyrenees Castle in , but also met opposition from the community. The building of the temple at its current location survived six public hearings and 165 explanatory sessions . Finally in 1985, the temple was finally granted a building permit. The groundbreaking ceremony was held the following year, and was completed on November 26th, 1988.

The temple was finished at a cost of $10 million. Such negative feelings about the building of Hsi Lai have diminished as the general level of awareness has been raised and as the temple and its residents have proven to be good neighbors.

Immediately after its opening, Hsi Lai was the venue of many important events. The 16th General Conference of the World Fellowship of Buddhists and the 7th conference of the World Fellowship of Buddhist Youth were held from November 19th to the 26th, an international Triple Platform Full Ordination Ceremony for monastics was held for over a month, and a Liberation Rite of Water and Land, the first of its kind in North America, was held prior to the temple's opening.

University of the West

In 1990, in conjunction to the completion of Hsi Lai Temple, Master Hsing Yun founded ''Hsi Lai University'', one of sixteen Buddhist colleges and universities operated by Fo Guang Shan. The university was relocated in Rosemead, California in 1996. It is one of the first Buddhist colleges in the United States.

Degrees are currently offered for Bachelor of Arts and in Buddhist studies, comparative religious studies, and a Master of Business Administration.

In 2004, the university changed its name to the ''University of the West'' and appointed Dr. Lewis Lancaster, a religion professor at UC Berkeley and longtime member of Fo Guang Shan, as president. Dr. Roger Schmidt became Lancaster's successor in 2006, who was then replaced by Dr. Allen M. Huang a year later.

Sites

*The Bodhisattva Hall : The first shrine before entering the temple. It is a large hall that honors five Bodhisattvas, Samantabhadra , Ksitigarbha , Maitreya , Avalokitesvara '''', and Manjushri . Outside the shrine, on each side, honors the Bodhisattvas and .
*The Arhat Garden : Located on the left of the temple, it contains 18 statues of the earliest known disciples of the Buddha.
*The Avalokitesvara Garden : Located on the right of the temple, it is also known as the "Salvation Garden". It contains the acolytes of Avalokitesvara and statues of the Four Heavenly Kings.
*Founder's Statue : A bronze statue of Venerable Master Hsing Yun. The statue is behind the Bodhisattva hall, facing the main shrine.
*Main Shrine : The heart of the temple's activities. It contains the statues of the historical Sakyamuni Buddha , Amitabha Buddha, and Bhaisajyaguru Buddha. Thousands of niches containing an image of the Buddha can be seen on the walls. Outside, a large bell and drum can be seen on either side. Traditionally in many Chinese Ch'an temples, these bells are played daily to ready monastics for daily practice. Hsi Lai does not use these instruments regularly because of their loud volume when played as there are residential areas at the foot of the temple. The bell and drum are only used to mark special occurrences.
*Requiem Pagoda : Located at the summit of Hsi Lai, it honors those who have died. In the past, it was also a small mausoleum, but since there was no more room for urns to be interred, the urns were moved to a new Buddhist mausoleum built by Hsi Lai in 1999, located at the summit of Rose Hills Memorial Park in . The Requiem Pagoda is now for people who entered their loved one's names in the pagoda, and can only be accessed by request.
*Meditation Hall : Located on the back of the main shrine, and next to the monastic dorm rooms, meditation classes are held here.
*Dining Hall : Vegetarian buffets are served here every day for lunch only, and sometimes dinner on special days. Each person can make a voluntary donation for their lunch.
*Translation and Publishing Center : The ''Fo Guang Shan International Translation Center'' and ''Buddha's Light Publishing'' are located on the very top of the temple complex cross facing to the Requiem Pagoda. Buddha's Light Publishing was established to publish Buddhist books translated by the Fo Guang Shan International Translation Committee as well as other valuable Buddhist works.

Attraction and services offered

Hsi Lai is a popular venue for tourists interested in learning more about Chinese culture and Buddhism, and has even been coined the "Forbidden City of America." Over the years since its foundation, Hsi Lai has been a popular site for school field trips, business trips, organizational meetings, personal leisure, and a center for interreligious dialog.

In addition to workshops on Buddhism, the temple also holds workshops on a wide range of topics including taxation, legal issues, education, immigration, marriage, and family discipline.

Dharma services

Regular Dharma services are held on Sunday and weekday mornings, usually chanting various sutras such as the Diamond Sutra or the Amitabha Sutra. Meditation sessions, retreats and Buddhism classes, are held on some days of the week, which are offered in both English and Chinese. Monks and nuns who reside at the temple speak a variety of languages besides Mandarin, primarily English and Cantonese, are available to perform weddings or funerals services.

Many larger services held annually mostly revolve around filial piety, along with the Buddhist, Taoist and Confucian philosophy of love and respect for one's parents and ancestors. In the spring, they hold a large service in commemoration of , a traditional Chinese festival where many pay respects to deceased relatives by cleaning their graves. In the summer, they hold a large service in commemoration of . During this time, they also hold a ceremony known as ''Sangha Day'', where devotees gather to honor the monastics by offering food to them, as well as offer a public cultural performance, performing classical and traditional Chinese music or elegant solo dances.

Annually, retreats and services are held for taking refuge in the , receiving the , and a short-term monastic retreat where disciples are able to temporarily experience life as a monastic.

Larger Dharma functions held

*Water Repentance Service : A one day repentance service for filial piety. Held during the Qingming Festival.
* Repentance Service : A week long repentance service held during .
*Amitabha 7-day Retreat : Seven days of mindful recitation of the Amitabha Sutra and Amitabha's name.
*Yogacara Flaming Mouth : A ceremony inviting and feeding sentient spirits. Held in the afternoon after Sangha Day, and at the end of the Emperor Liang Repentance service.
*Great Compassion Repentance Service : Monthly service held in the evening on the second Friday. A popular service at Hsi Lai, it involves the recitation of the Great Compassion Mantra, elaborate bowing, offering, and circumbulations.
*Grand Offering to Celestial Beings : A ceremony inviting heavenly deities. Held two days before lunar new year.
*Bathing Buddha Ceremony : Celebration of the Buddha's Birthday held in and outside Hsi Lai, and is hosted by other temples in Southern California.
*Thousand Buddha Repentance Service : A short ceremony paying homage to Buddhas and bodhisattvas; held during the Chinese New Year celebrations.
*Liberation Rite of Water and Land : The largest ritual in traditional Chinese Buddhism, which involves inviting beings from higher realms to help beings in the lower realms escape from their suffering. Hsi Lai has only held this ceremony twice, once in 1988 to celebrate the temple's opening, and in 2000 to celebrate the millennium.

1996 campaign finance controversy

A campaign finance controversy centered on Hsi Lai Temple erupted during the . Vice President Al Gore attended a luncheon at the temple. The U.S. alleged that Maria Hsia solicited $55,000 in donations for the Democratic National Committee the following day, which were later reimbursed with temple money. Non-profit groups are not allowed to make political contributions. Hsia was eventually convicted by a jury in March 2000 of laundering the contributions and sentenced to 90 days home detention, a fine, and community service. The Democratic National Committee returned the money donated by the temple's monks and nuns. Twelve nuns and employees of the temple, including then-abbess Venerable Yi Kung, refused to answer questions by pleading the when they were subpoenaed to testify before Congress in 1997.

Claims of the largest monastery in the Western Hemisphere

Since 1988, members of Hsi Lai and others have claimed that their temple is the largest temple in the Western Hemisphere. However, the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas situated in Talmage, Northern California has over 80 acres of built-up land on of property as compared to Hsi Lai Temples' 15 acres, but rather than a temple complex as is Hsi Lai Temple, the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas is more of an entire community with several large buildings clustered together. Therefore, both organizations lay claim to being the largest Buddhist monastery in the West.

Past Abbots and Abbesses of Hsi Lai

*1978-1989: Ven. Tzu Chuang
*1989-1993: Ven. Hsin Ting
*1993-1994: Ven. Tzu Chuang
*1994-1995: Ven. Yi Kung
*1995-2000: Ven. Tzu Jung
*2000-2003: Ven. Hui Chuan
*2003: Ven. Yi Heng
*2003-2005: Ven. Hui Chuan
*2005-Present: Ven. Hui Chi

Fo Guang Shan Temple, Auckland

The Fo Guang Shan temple is a large temple and community centre of the Fo Guang Shan movement in the East Tamaki/Flatbush suburb of Auckland, New Zealand. It is the largest Buddhist temple in the country, taking seven years of development and having cost NZ$ 20 million to build. It has been designed in the architectural style of the Tang Dynasty, and apart from its architecture also features a large Buddha statue and a two tonne bell.

Opened in late 2007, the new temple is to promote Humanistic Buddhism, but is also intended to benefit non-Buddhists, "through education and teaching people how to lead good lives." Even before its official opening, the temple has been providing community courses such as Chinese calligraphy, Chinese language, yoga and martial arts, as well as providing a venue for crime prevention talks and meetings.

Fo Guang Shan

Fo Guang Shan is an international Chinese Mahayana Buddhist monastic order that has gained a worldwide presence, and has chapters around the world. The headquarters of Fo Guang Shan, located in Kaohsiung, is the largest Buddhist monastery in Taiwan. The organisation itself is also one of the largest charity organizations in Taiwan. The order also calls itself the International Buddhist Progress Society.

Founded in 1967 by Venerable Master Hsing Yun, a renowned Chinese Buddhist monk and scholar, the order promotes Humanistic Buddhism, a modern Chinese Buddhist philosophy developed through the 20th Century, and made popular by this and other modern Chinese Buddhist orders. Humanistic Buddhism aims to make Buddhism relevant in the world and in people's lives and hearts. Like most modern Chinese Buddhist organizations, the ordination lineage is from the Rinzai Zen school. However, Fo Guang Shan declares clearly that it is an "amalgam of all Eight Schools of Chinese Buddhism" , including but not limited to Pureland. In this sense, it is a monastic order, and not a doctrinal school of thought per se.

History

In 1967, Master Hsing Yun purchased more than 30 hectares in Dashu Township, Kaohsiung County as the site for the construction of a monastery. The groundbreaking ceremony was held on May 16th.


During the time that was spent clearing the mountains, the endless toiling away, wave upon wave of physical strain, the planning that carried on into all hours of the day, the barrage of floods and other natural disasters, and the belligerent mobs that surrounded the mountain were all quite beyond description. On windy and sunny days, the workers clothes would be soaked in sweat, dried up, and then soaked up again. They would be discussing throughout the day and go to bed late at night, and then as soon as the sun came out, they would work again. However, in the momentum of an incomparable courage, and by the blood and sweat of the laborers, the vast wilderness was transformed into the scenic Fo Guang Shan that exists today.

From 1967 and on, Fo Guang Shan embarked on many construction projects, including university buildings, shrines, and a cemetery. In 1975, Fo Guang Shan's 36-meter tall statue of Amitabha Buddha was consecrated. In 1981, 15 years after its establishment, the Great Hero Hall was built. During these times, many other FGS temples outside the order's mother monastery were also built.

Currently, a giant tower is being built for a tooth sharira of the Buddha, which was a gift presented by Tibetan lamas in 1998. The tower commemorates the life of the historical Gautama Buddha. No recent developments have been made since the announcement to build the tower.

Temple closing

In May 1997, Hsing Yun announced that he would close the mountain gate of Fo Guang Shan to the general public. His reason in closing the monastery was to give monastics the cloistered atmosphere they need for their Buddhist practice. In practice, many Chinese monasteries have also closed their mountain gates to give a cloistered atmosphere to the temple residents. At the end of 2000, ROC President Chen Shui-bian and government officials from Kaohsiung visited Fo Guang Shan bringing with them the wish from their constituents that Fo Guang Shan re-open its mountain gate.

After due consideration, Fo Guang Shan decided to re-open the monastery to some extent, thereby providing the public with a Pure Land environment in which to practice Buddhism.

Innovations

Fo Guang Shan today has been extraordinarily successful; in the past several decades, temples and organizations have been established on five continents in 173 countries, and now encompasses more than 3,500 monastics. Fo Guang Shan emphasizes education and service, maintaining public universities, Buddhist colleges, libraries, publishing houses, translation centres, Buddhist art galleries, teahouses, and mobile medical clinics worldwide.

The order has also established a children's home, retirement home, high school and television station.

Social and medical programs

The social and medical programs of Fo Guang Shan include a free medical clinic with mobile units that serve remote villages, an annual winter relief program organized to distribute warm clothing and food supplies to the needy, a children's and seniors' home, wildlife conservation areas to protect living creatures, and a cemetery for the care of the deceased.

Educational programs

The educational programs of Fo Guang Shan include four Buddhist colleges, three regular college, and various community colleges. The Chinese Buddhist research institute is further subdivided into four separate departments; a women's and men's college, and an international and English Buddhist studies department. Tuition fees and lodging are provided by Fo Guang Shan, free of charge.

With the many colleges and universities, Fo Guang Shan also operates Pu-Men High School in Taipei, Jiun Tou Elementary and Junior High School, Humanities Primary and Junior High School, which provides regular curriculum for students. Fo Guang Shan also has nursery schools, kindergartens, and Sunday schools for children.

Religious Affairs Committee

In 1972, Master Hsing Yun established a nine member council, known as the Fo Guang Shan Religious Affairs Committee. These nine members govern the monastery and the order. The members are elected prior to the resignation, death, or the ending of a term of an abbot. Once elected by members of Fo Guang Shan, the votes are openly counted. The nine members then nominate their next abbot.

Abbots

Unlike a traditional Buddhist monastery abbot, where the incumbent selects his successor, Fo Guang Shan uses the modern ideals of democracy to choose the abbot.

The abbot of Fo Guang Shan is the overall head of the order, and is the chairperson of the RAC, serving a term of six years, with one reappointment by popular vote and under exceptional circumstances, a second reappointment by two thirds of the popular vote. The abbot is elected by all members of Fo Guang Shan through public vote. The abbot-elect then begins to use their "inner name", in place of his/her own dharma name, with the first character being ''Hsin'' . In fact, all monastics of Fo Guang Shan have such a name, and several Elders also use their publicly. At the beginning of the year, the abbot-elect is inaugurated as the new director of Fo Guang Shan through a dharma transmission ceremony, receiving the robe and bowl.

Master Hsing Yun is the only abbot to have served as the abbot for more than two terms, and was not elected by the RAC. In the case of Venerable Hsin Ping , he was also not officially elected, as he was Master Hsing Yun's designated heir apparent. After Hsin Ping died, the vice director of Fo Guang Shan, Hsin Ting , was immediately elevated to serve the remaining years of Hsin Ping's term. Abbots have been elected according to FGS's constitution since then.

Like Master Hsing Yun, on retiring, former abbots do not leave the order forever, Rather, by the end of their term of service, former abbots will go on making Dharma talks throughout the world at any time they can, and eventually become head teachers of the Order in their later years.

Order of precedence

The Fo Guang Shan order of precedence is a sequential hierarchy of nominal importance of monks, nuns, and laity. One's position in an order of precedence is not necessarily an indication of functional importance, but rather an indication of ceremonial or historical relevance. In particular, length of monastic ordination, a notion relevant to Buddhism as a whole.
#Founder and Head Teacher
#Abbot
#Former Abbots
##Most Venerable Hsin Ping
##Most Venerable Hsin Ting
#Members of the FGS-RAC
#Most senior monastics

##Ven. Tzu Chuang
##Ven. Tzu Hui
##Ven. Tzu Jung
##Ven. Tzu Chia
##Ven. Tzu Wu
##Ven. Yi Yen
##Ven. Yi Kung
##Ven. Yi Hua
##Ven. Yi Fa
##Ven. Yi Chun
##Ven. Yi Heng
##Ven. Yi Hong
##Ven. Yi Chao
##Ven. Yi Lai
##Ven. Hui Long
##Ven. Hui Kai
##Ven. Hui Chuan
##Ven. Hui Ri
##Ven. Hui Kuan
##''List goes on to younger executive monastics''
#Abbots and Abbesses of their respective temples
#Members of the Board of Directors of World Headquarters
#Presidents of their respected chapter
# members

Dharma propagation

Dharma programs of Fo Guang Shan include lectures given in prisons and factories; programs on television and radio, large-scale public lectures in Taiwan and overseas, and the five precepts initiation given twice a year at the monastery.

All branches of Fo Guang Shan organize pilgrimages to bring devotees to the monastery from different parts of Taiwan and overseas. Once pilgrims arrive, they are free to make use of all of the different activities that are open to the general public.

Criticism

Over the years, Fo Guang Shan has endured much criticism, primarily during their efforts to build more branch temples and establish new BLIA chapters, because some visitors felt that they were expected to give donations for this purpose. Also, some critics dispute whether some money that had been given to members of the order constituted gifts given personally to them, or donations to the organization, which requires that all donations to the order be accounted for.

Critics have also said repeatedly that branch temples of Fo Guang Shan have been noted to be huge and extravagant , which contradicts the Buddhist thought of not being attached to material things. The order responds by stating that modern people require modern facilities, and without these new facilities, few people would be drawn to the practice of Buddhism. The quarters of the monks and nuns themselves, are in fact very simple and unpretentious. It should also be noted that these criticisms are commonly raised with regard to many successfully modernizing Buddhist institutions.

Objectives of Fo Guang Shan

* To propagate Buddhist teachings through cultural activities
* To foster talent through education
* To benefit society through charitable programs
* To purify human hearts and minds through Buddhist practice

Fo Guang Shan Mottoes

Official Motto

"May the Buddha's Light shine upon the ten directions. May the Dharma stream continuously flow towards the five great continents."

The Four Verses of Fo Guang Shan and BLIA

*May palms in every world be joined in kindness, compassion, joy and generosity.
*May all beings find security in friendship, peace and loving care.
*May calm and mindful practice give rise of to deep patience and equanimity.
*May we give rise to spacious hearts and humble thoughts of gratitude.

BLIA Guidelines

* Offer others confidence
* Offer others joy
* Offer others hope
* Offer others convenience

Abbots and Directors of Fo Guang Shan

*Venerable Master Hsing Yun
*Most Venerable Hsin Ping
*Most Venerable Hsin Ting
*Most Venerable Hsin Pei

List of Fo Guang Shan affiliates

Branch Temples

Asia

*Pu Men Temple
*Pu Hsien Temple
*Hoeh Beng Temple
*Leong Hua Temple
*Ching Ling Tong
*Fo Hsiang Jin Sha Temple
*Dong Zen Temple
*Cheng Lin Thong
*Motosu Temple
*IBPS Manila
*Chu Un Temple
* Fo Guang Shan Singapore

North America

*Hsi Lai Temple
*Hsi Fang Temple
*American Buddhist Cultural Associaition
*Guam Buddhist Association
*Lian Hua Temple
*Guang Ming Temple
*San Bao Temple
*Chung Mei Temple
*Light of Buddha Temple
*Greater Boston Buddhist Cultural Center
*International Buddhist Progress Society Edmonton
*Fo Guang Shan Temple of Toronto
*BLIA Vancouver
*NJ Buddhist Culture Center
*IBPS New York
*BLIA Dallas
*International Buddhist Progress Society
*BLIA North Carolina

South America

*Zu Lai Temple,
*Templo Fo Guang Shan, Chile
*Templo Fo Guang Shan (Argentina, Buenos Aires

Europe

*Paris Vihara
*London Fo Guang Shan
*Manchester Fo Guang Shan
*Geneva Fo Guang Shan
*Amsterdam He Hwa Temple
*Berlin Fo Guang Shan
*Frankfurt Fo-Guang Shan
*Stockholm Fo Guang Shan
*Antwerp Fo Guang Shan

Australia

*Nan Tien Temple
*Chung Tian Temple
*Fo Guang Shan, Western Australia

Africa

*Nan Hua Temple

New Zealand

*Fo Guang Shan Temple, International Buddhist Trust , Auckland
*Fo Guang Shan Temple, International Buddhist Association , Christchurch

Branch Schools

*University of the West
*Nan Hua University
*Fo Guang University
*Tsung Lin University
*Shou Shan Buddhist College
*The Fo Guang Shan Nan Hua Temple African Buddhist Seminary
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*Jiun Tou Elementary and Junior High School
*Humanities Primary and Junior High School

Publications and Media

*Merit Times
*Buddha's Light Publishing
*Universal Gate Magazine
*Beautiful Life TV

Chung Tian Temple

Chung Tian Temple is a Zen Buddhist temple located at 1034 Underwood Road, Priestdale, Queensland. The temple is part of the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist monastic order. Construction of the temple began in January 1991, however, the temple was not opened until June 1993.

Chung Tian Temple was founded by Venerable Master Hsing Yun, who is also the founder of the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist order.

Buddha's Light International Association

The Buddha's Light International Association , commonly known as BLIA, is a Buddhist monastic and lay organization. BLIA was established by Venerable Master Hsing Yun in 1992. The organization is associated with the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Order, the largest Buddhist organization in Taiwan.

BLIA is an organization of monastic and Buddhists in which Humanistic Buddhism is practiced in everyday life. It is essentially an embodiment of cultivation that entails the participation in Dharma services and activities that are beneficial to society at large. In addition, BLIA maintains friendly ties with devotees of other sects and religions. With its religious characteristics and the essence of education and cultural activities, BLIA's motivation toward strengthening the faith of people can be greatly enhanced.

In 2003, BLIA was granted the association status by The Economic and Social Council of the United Nations and Department of Public Information under UN.

Wu Po-hsiung, current chairman of the Kuomintang, is an active member and served as the BLIA HQ's second president.

The world headquarters is located on the Hsi Lai Temple grounds in Hacienda Heights, California.

BLIA Website

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Buddha's Light International Association - Philippines

Buddha's Light International Association - Philippines

Abbreviation: BLIA Philippines

Chinese: 國際佛光會菲律賓協會

This is the Philippine branch of Buddha's Light International Association and is composed of the following chapters: