Master Sheng Yen is a living gem of the contemporary Buddhist
world. He is credited internationally, for sparking a revival
of Chinese Buddhism. Since becoming a monk at age 13, Master Sheng
Yen always felt that "the Buddhadharma is so wonderful, it's
a pity so few people know of it and so many misunderstand it".
Hence he vowed to study the Dharma diligently so that he could
help more people benefit from it.
"When I listen to Master Sheng Yen's teachings, my immediate
and very profound feeling is that I am listening to words of wisdom
from someone who is very experienced and a great practitioner".
- His Holiness, The Dalai Lama
"Chan Master Sheng Yen is a great teacher and I have great
confidence in his scholarship and wisdom. I feel privileged to
be his friend, and admire what he has been doing for the Buddhadharma
in the East as well as in the West".
-Thich Nhat Hanh
Master Sheng-yen has received Dharma transmission in the two
major branches of Chan Buddhism, the Lin-Chi (Japanese Rinzai),
and the Tsao-Tung (Japanese Soto)lineages.
An International Religious Leader
Master Sheng Yen has a broad, expansive international outlook.
Due to his international perspective and his bearing and tolerance
as a religious leader, he has been invited to numerous international
religious conferences and meetings. For example, he has attended
the Eleventh International Religious Leaders Peace Conference
in 1997, a dialogue with the Dalai Lama in New York titled In
the Spirit of Manjushri: The Wisdom Teachings of Buddhism in 1998,
the UN-affiliated Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and
Spiritual Leaders in 2000, and the 2002 meeting of the World Economic
Forum in New York. In these and other events, Master Sheng Yen's
international perspective and keen insights have caught the attention
of the international media, highlighting his stature as an international
religious figure.
