Master sheng yen biography sampler images
Master Sheng Yen was born in in a humble village in Jiang-su province. He grew up in impoverished conditions and also endured the flooding of the Yang-tze River and the disasters of war. In , China was enmeshed in political conflict, and he had to disrobe and become a soldier.
Master sheng yen biography sampler images: Shifu was born in
Consequently, he followed the government's army and moved to Taiwan in In , he became a monk again under Master Dong-chu, which led to him spending six years in retreat at Mei-nung in southern Taiwan. At that time, Master Sheng Yen felt that academic research would help elevate the whole image of Buddhism, so in , he went to Japan to study at Rissho University.
Despite lacking funds, Master Sheng Yen persevered and received his Ph. Master Sheng Yen is not only highly regarded as Buddhist scholar, but also for his level of practice and practical way of teaching the Dharma. He has received transmissions from both the Lin-chi and Tsao-tung branches of the Chan School. In the past decades, he has traveled to Eastern and Western countries to teach the doctrines of Chan and has become a world-renowned Chan master.
In , he founded Dharma Drum Mountain to fulfill his goal to "uplift the character of humankind and build a pure land on earth. These programs are held in high esteem by local social and political groups.