Chinanews.com, Shanghai, February 6th (Reporter Fan Yubin) In the early morning of the 6th, Taiwan's Fo Guang Shan announced that Master Hsing Yun, the founder of the mountain, passed away on the 5th at the Fo Guang Shan's Chuandeng Building in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Master Hsing Yun, commonly known as Li Guoshen, was born in Jiangdu, Jiangsu Province in August 1927. He became a monk at Qixia Temple in Nanjing at the age of 12. He graduated from Jiaoshan Buddhist Academy in 1947, moved to Taiwan in 1949, and founded Fo Guang Shan in Kaohsiung in 1967.
He devoted his whole life to promoting humanistic Buddhism and actively promoting cross-strait Buddhist exchanges.
During his lifetime, Master Hsing Yun had been committed to promoting cross-strait exchanges, enthusiastically advocating social welfare and developing education.
He once said: "My consistent wish is cross-strait peace. I want to make greater contributions to the motherland."
In his later years, he unveiled the Xingyun Culture and Education Museum in Shanghai, and revived the Zuting Dajue Temple in Yixing, Jiangsu. He donated to build the Chinese Academy Museum, Yangzhou Jianzhen Library, and Nanjing University Foguang Building. Education, promote cross-strait peace.
Master Hsing Yun has always had the wish to promote Chinese culture.
He said in 2015, "Fifty years ago, I had an idea: to organize the wonderful poems, lyrics and mottos in Chinese culture since ancient times, and to provide Chinese people who are wandering, those who encounter setbacks, psychological Depressed, inspiring and invigorating."
Master Hsing Yun came to Taiwan from Shanghai when he was 23 years old. He once said that the suffering he experienced since childhood made him deeply aware of the horror of war.
Compatriots on both sides of the strait cannot confront each other, and cannot go to war. The two sides of the strait are one family and must jointly carry forward the fine traditional culture.
In Minhang District, Shanghai, since its inauguration on April 18, 2015, the Xingyun Culture and Education Museum has been committed to promoting culture, art, education, and charity.
"Don't regard Buddhism as a religion. Buddhism is an important part of Chinese culture." Master Xingyun once said at the unveiling ceremony of the Xingyun Culture and Education Museum, "Now Shanghai has a place that can provide parent-child activities, reading, and meetings. There is no need to burn incense here. There is no worship, the belief in Buddhism is to believe in yourself, everyone should not lose confidence in himself, but believe that he can contribute to the country, make contributions to the culture, and with an excellent culture, the country will be strong."
Master Hsing Yun came to Shanghai many times in his later years to participate in various cultural exchange activities.
On May 2, 2014, "Master Xingyun's One-Stroke Calligraphy Exhibition - 2014 Mainland China Tour Exhibition" (Shanghai Station) opened at the China Art Museum.
This is the first time for the exhibition to come to Shanghai. The 88-year-old Master Hsing Yun attended the opening ceremony in person and donated his calligraphy works to the China Art Museum.
At that time, there were crowds of people from Shanghai who came here admiringly. Master Hsing Yun wrote four works including "Benevolence and Virtue" on the spot.
"I was born in poverty, and my handwriting is not good. Please don't look at my handwriting, but look at my heart. I have a sincere heart, a compassionate heart, and a Chinese heart." Talking about Yiyizi, Xingyun The master once said, "Exhibiting a stroke of calligraphy is a trivial matter, but I hope to make a little contribution to national sentiment, cross-strait exchanges, and people's sympathy."
In July 2016, Master Xingyun, who was 90 years old at the time, was invited to the Shanghai Library to give a special lecture on "Treasures in Books". Donate "Century Years of Buddha" to the Shanghai Library.
Master Hsing Yun has always been in love with both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
At the beginning of 2020, after the outbreak of the new crown epidemic, there was a shortage of anti-epidemic materials in the mainland. Master Man Lian, the director of the Xingyun Cultural and Education Center, received instructions from Master Xingyun to "save people first" and urgently purchased masks from overseas to ship to Shanghai.
Master Hsing Yun's commitment to culture and education has been repeatedly recognized by all walks of life. Since 1978, he has been awarded honorary doctorates by many universities in the world, and many universities in Shanghai have also hired the honorary title of "Honorary Professor".
In May 2014, Master Hsing Yun visited Tongji University and was hired as an honorary professor of the school.
After the appointment ceremony, Master Hsing Yun gave a speech on "The Story of Zen" to more than 500 Tongji teachers and students.
A student asked Master Hsing Yun if he had any dreams.
The master replied: "Yes, my current dream is to hope that the two sides of the strait will be peaceful, the nation will be united, and there will be no division."
In June 2014, Master Xingyun was hired as an honorary professor of Shanghai Normal University, delivered a speech to teachers and students, and unveiled the "Shanghai Normal University Buddhist Research Center"; in January 2015, Master Xingyun was hired as an honorary professor of Shanghai Jiaotong University Donate "Human Buddhism Series".
Master Hsing Yun emphasized, "Education is a century-old cause of cultivating people, and cross-strait exchanges through education are a good thing." (End)