Venerable Master Hsing Yun (星雲大師) was born in 1927, in Jiangdu, Jiangsu Province, China, and is the 48th Patriarch of the Linji School. He arrived in Taiwan in 1949 and become the guiding teacher for the Buddhist Chanting Association of Yilan in 1953, thus establishing the basis for his propagation of the Dharma. In 1967, he founded the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Order with the objectives of promoting undertakings that include culture, education, and charity.

 

Over the past five decades, the strength of his vow to revitalize Chinese Humanistic Buddhism and create a Pure Land here on earth has greatly influenced Buddhist studies and practices. Recognized for his bold and innovative methods of propagating the ancient teachings to meet contemporary needs, Master Hsing Yun successively founded 16 Buddhist Colleges and established over hundreds of Fo Guang Shan (佛光山)branch temples around the world, including San Francisco branch temple San Bao Temple (三寶寺).

 

In 1991, the Buddha’s Light International Association (BLIA 國際佛光會) was established and Venerable Master Hsing Yun was elected president of the World Headquarters, as well as the Honorary President of the World Fellowship of Buddhists.