Chinanews.com reported on February 6 that Master Hsing Yun, the founding patriarch of Fo Guang Shan in Taiwan and the founder of the International Buddha Light Association, passed away peacefully on the 5th at the age of 96.
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.
Graphic Master Xingyun Image source: Taiwan United Daily News
Greatest Wish: Looking forward to cross-strait peace
During his lifetime, Master Hsing Yun was committed to promoting cross-strait exchanges. He once said in an interview with the media: "My consistent wish is cross-strait peace. I want to make greater contributions to the motherland."
Regarding cross-strait relations, Xingyun once said that he opposed "Taiwan independence" because he was born in a troubled world and felt sorry for the suffering of the people. Therefore, he advocated peace between the two sides of the strait, because the consequences of war are unimaginable.
Master Hsing Yun hopes that people from Taiwan's local faction will not discriminate too much against people from other provinces.
He thought, "Aren't our ancestors Chinese who crossed the sea and came to Taiwan? We are a family on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. Can we deny the fact that we have the same origin?"
Master Hsing Yun also said, "China is so big and there are so many people, how can we cooperate? United as one fist, powerful, that is the Chinese dream." Being strong is the Chinese dream."
In his later years, Master Hsing Yun devoted himself to promoting cross-strait exchanges. In recent years, he revived Dajue Temple in Yixing, mainland China. He donated to build the Chinese Academy Museum, Yangzhou Jianzhen Library, and Nanjing University Foguang Building.
Encourage
patriotism and society, hope to promote Chinese culture
Master Hsing Yun is deeply attached to China, and has always been devoted to promoting Chinese traditional culture, enthusiastically advocating social welfare and developing education.
He once encouraged young people to "not only be good people, but also be sages, sages, and supermen" and "love the country and society."
He said that in the past, Chinese people were regarded as the "sick men of East Asia". Only in recent decades have Chinese people truly stood up. We should be proud of being Chinese and be useful to the country and society.
Master Hsing Yun once talked about "Happy Life and the Revival of Chinese Culture" with the writer Han Shaogong, pointing out that Chinese culture has been constantly improving.
"I have often been to the mainland over the years, and I have seen many changes. Now is the time for the Chinese to show their ability and wisdom, so we must have firm confidence."
He has always expressed his wish to promote Chinese culture. In 2015, he said, "Fifty years ago, I had an idea: to organize the wonderful poems, lyrics and mottos in Chinese culture since ancient times, and to provide a better way for those who are wandering. Chinese people, those who encounter setbacks and psychological distress, inspire and lift the spirit."
The picture shows Master Hsing Yun Source: Taiwan United Daily News
Be indifferent to life and death without leaving even a piece of paper
Master Hsing Yun is open-minded about life and death. He made a will in advance at the age of 85, and announced to the public for the first time at the age of 88 that his personal property has been donated to the public welfare trust education fund. The assets belonging to Fo Guang Shan are not his. He does not even leave a piece of paper , He did not accumulate family wealth in his life.
Master Hsing Yun wrote a will in his early years and published it in an article published in 2015. In the article, he expressed gratitude that although he encountered various trials in the great era in his life, he felt very happy in life and enjoyed suffering, poverty, struggle, and emptiness .
In the article, he talked about his last ceremony, saying that he had no relics, and all kinds of red tape were completely exempted, and said that as long as he always practiced humanistic Buddhism, it would be the best memory for him.
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