The Bodhi Mirror

INTRODUCING THE EMINENT 
DHARMA MASTER

BHIKSU MIU KING

     Dharma Master Miu King was born in September 1928, in the Black Dragon River Province of Manchuria, at a place called Two Dragon Mountain. After he graduated from the middle school there, he satisfied a strong sense of affinity for Buddhism by taking up studies at the Buddhist Academy at Kuan Yin Monastery, which was located within the municipality of Chi Lin.

               
      After a year and a half at his studies, he decided to leave the home-life to cultivate the Way. His head was shaved by his teacher, the Elder Master Hsing Ju, on the anniversary of Sakyamuni Buddha’s enlightenment; he was eighteen at the time. In 1947 he received precepts from the Venerable Master Tan Hsu at Ch’ang Ch’un’s Po Jo Monastery in Manchuria.

      In the sixth month of 1948 he left Manchuria and began traveling to broaden his experience and to expand his understanding of Buddhism at other centers of study. At Shantung he entered the Buddhist Academy affiliated with Deep Mountain Monastery.  Because the civil war on the mainland made cultivation and study difficult, in 1949 he traveled to Hong Kong, arriving there in the fifth month, and entered the Hua Nan Academy for Buddhist Studies where he studied until he graduated in 1952.

He left the Buddhist Academy in 1953 to take up residence at Tung Lin Nien Fo T'ang in Hong Kong, and remained there, leaving only to visit Japan in the autumn of 1967 and to spend a year in study and cultivation in Singapore in 1968. He returned in December, and became the Abbot of Tung Lin in January 1969, a post which he currently holds in addition to being president of the Association for the aged there.

Dharma Master Miu King, who is currently travelling in the United States, represented Hong Kong Buddhists in bringing congratulations to the Sino-American Buddhist Association upon the opening of the International Institute for the translation of Buddhist Texts. Since his arrival in the States he has spent several weeks living at San Francisco's Gold Mountain Monastery and joining in the meditation and Sutra study there.

Upon leaving San Francisco for the East Coast, he addressed the assembly at Gold Mountain with the following words:

"At the inception of Buddhism in this country I hope that all of you sitting beneath the Dharma-seat of the Venerable Master Hua will push on and study hard.

"Now in China Buddhism is declining, and there are very few Dharma Masters. In spite of the decline, your teacher stands out as one with deep cultivation--as I am sure all of you have seen since you have deep conditions with him.

"During these several days--although I have not been here long--I have come to know that all of you are vigorous and apply effort in your work. Your goal, I have seen, is not just one of self-benefit, but benefit for Buddhism in its entirety, and in your work you have established the Proper Dharma. I am happy to see this, and I recognize that it is the vastness of the Noble Hua's vows, which has enabled you to achieve this level of accomplishment.

"I hope that your Bodhi-heart will soon be perfected."

BUDDHIST POETRY

The following poems, the first of a series, were written by Professor Hsieh Ping-ying on the occasion of her seclusion at Gold Mountain Dhyana Monastery (See VBS issue #38.)

Translated by Bhiksuni Heng Yin

Deciding to Enter Seclusion

Entering seclusion, don't hesitate.

Pack your bags and go into the Bodhimandala.

With three full bows, make a full salute

What need to talk it over to deliberate?

      Entering Seclusion for the First Time

      With Upasika Hsu I Chan, a Knowing Friend

      My knowing friend and I have come to Gold Mountain,

      Resolved to worship the Buddha,

      Intent on entering seclusion.

      All worldly emotions have been severed;

      How the white clouds billow! Free to come and go.

(To be continued)