TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Master Hsing Yun (星雲), the 48th Patriarch of the Linji School (臨濟宗) and the founder of Fo Guang Shan, was celebrated in a funerary ceremony which began at 9 a.m. on Monday (Feb. 13).
As per the late master’s wishes, a simple ceremony befitting a common monk was arranged. Bright sunshine and clear skies facilitated matters as huge throngs of devotees waited outdoors to see their spiritual master on his final earthly voyage.
The day started with an hour-long ceremony held in the Cloud Dwelling Building attended by political dignitaries including President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and Premier Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁), per UDN.
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen presents an official citation to Master Hsing Yun. (CNA photo)
Tsai presented the late master with a “Presidential Citation Award,” and in an accompanying letter read aloud, praised Hsing Yun for his promotion of Buddhism through the establishment of 300 monasteries and five universities around the world, as well as communion and cooperation with all of the world’s major religions.
Other prominent politicians in attendance included Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) who presented Hsing Yung with the “Honorary Citizen Award.” KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) then bestowed the late master with the “Highest Recognition of Outstanding Contribution Award,” per UDN.
In a short video presentation, Master Hsing Yun appeared on screen describing himself first as a “a little star, a floating crowd.” Later he recounted a chance encounter with a Chinese dictionary where he saw the words (星雲) which means “nebula,” a cosmological occurrence that is vast in size, bigger than many galaxies. He later thought he wanted to be just as vast as a nebula with similar far-reaching accomplishments, as he soon adopted the name.
Tens of thousands of devotees prostrate at Master Hsing Yun funeral. (CNA photo)
Later, Fo Guang Shan Abbot Hsin Bau (心保) expressed thanks and appreciation for the outpouring of support offered by the public since Hsing Yun’s passing on Feb. 5. He thanked everyone for attending the ceremony and noted that the best way to remember their beloved master is to practice Humanistic Buddhism in their daily lives. He noted Hsing Yun wished to be a monk again in his next life, and he believed the late master would soon “sail the compassionate ship” and return.
Hsing Yun’s body then left the Cloud Dwelling Building, undertaking a final procession around the grounds of Fo Guang Shan Monastery. His body traveled in a seated position inside a stupa-type casket which was carried by a group of monks as it exited the building, and then was placed in the back of a flatbed truck as it toured the monastery’s premises where devotees prostrated themselves.
Hsing Yun established Fo Guang Shan Monastery in 1967 in Dashu District, Kaohsiung, turning a bamboo hillside into a monastery for 1,000 monks to study Pure Land or Humanistic Buddhism. In the early days, Hsing Yun and other monks carried cement and building materials to build the main halls and the dormitories, per UDN.
Fo Guang Shan is now an immense facility stretching across 30 hectares. Hsing Yun’s teachings have inspired more than 2,000 people to become monks across five continents and millions of devotees around the world.
Master Hsing Yun proselytized the way of the dharma. (CNA photo)
Hsing Yun has been described as one of the “Four Heavenly Kings” of Buddhism, one of the last remaining teachers along with Tzu Chi’s Master Cheng Yen, who proselytized Humanistic Buddhism, which emphasized charitable works and compassion for all sentient beings.
His commitment to helping others led him to found numerous monasteries along with charitable groups, hospitals, and clinics. He also founded the Buddha's Light International Association (BLIA) for lay practitioners of Buddhism.
After a procession around the grounds of Fo Guang Shan to tens of thousands of monastic and lay devotees from all five continents who lined the road to pay their final respects, genuflecting to show their devotion as his body passed by, he finally made his way to a cremation ceremony which began exactly at 2:22 p.m.
Held in a large tented space, Hsing Yun’s body was transferred to a cylindrical casket and wheeled before an altar of flowers and a large picture of Sakyamuni Buddha, the original teacher of Buddhism. Elder monks from Fo Guang Shan came to a podium in pairs of three to make incense offerings.
Master Hsing Yun founded 300 Buddhist monasteries around the world. (CNA photo)
The audience was then asked to kneel as the final steps of the funerary ceremony were carried out. Eight monks came forward to lift Hsing Yun’s casket onto a cremation platform, and elders from Fo Guang Shan Monastery placed a purple satin Dharani Shroud printed with the Dharani Sutra, which is thought to absolve people of past sins.
A few final words were read by Fo Guang Shan Abbot Hsin Bau, and Hsing Yun’s body then entered the crematorium where the torch was lit while the audience sang “The Song of Farewell,” which was one of the late master’s favorite songs. As for his final resting spot in his current incarnation, Master Hsing Yun’s ashes will ultimately be placed in Fo Guang Shan’s Longevity Garden.
