THE BODHI STAND

Introducing the Eminent
Dharma Protector
UPASAKA FU LEUNG-CHUE

      Upasaka Fu Leung-chue was born on July 23, 1907, in Ts'ao Yang county, Hupei province, China. He graduated from Hupei Normal School and the Culture College of Nan Ching. He also graduated from Central Army Academy and has held the rank of Major General, serving in the Hupei district for many years.

 Upasaka Fu has been active in Taiwanese Government for decades, serving as a county representative, holding the position of Chief of Military Politics, and participating on various official committees.

      From childhood Upasaka Fu was influenced by his teachers and parents to study the Buddhist teachings. Due to the lofty example set by his teachers and elders, he came to have firm belief in Buddhism at an early age. Eventually he became a disciple of the Elder Great Master Hsu Yun. Later in his life he began to cultivate the Ch'an and Pure Land schools and has continued to do so for more than forty years.

      When the Venerable Master Hua went to Taiwan in response to requests that he lecture the sutras and speak Dharma, Upasaka and Upasika Fu had the opportunity to meet the Master and to learn of the activities of the Sino-American Buddhist Association.

      This summer Upasaka Fu and his wife visited Gold Mountain Monastery to pay their respects to the Venerable Master and join the assembly in study and practice. Upasaka Fu and his wife visited the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas and spent several days there enjoying the peace of the pure Way-place. They were especially delighted by the flavor of Ch'an inherent in the Venerable Master's Wonderful Dharma, and expressed the hope that in the future they could join the Venerable Master's assembly and constantly sit at the Master's feet to study the mysterious and wonderful aspects of Ch'an. The Fus were interested in plans for the development of the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas and stressed the necessity for each and every Buddhist to accept responsibility for the world-wide propagation of the Dharma. They pointed out that the successful development of the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas as a world center for Buddhism will be a decisive step toward that goal. They encouraged those of the four assemblies to work together in harmony under the guidance of Good Knowing Advisors.

GOLD MOUNTAIN INSTILLING VIRTUE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

      On September 8th, 1976, classes began at Instilling Virtue Elementary School located at 3636 Washington Street, San Francisco. The school is concerned with the general well being and happiness of the children and also with the society in which they live. Besides giving the children a solid academic foundation and cultural background, it is dedicated to lessening greed, hatred, and stupidity and developing morality, concentration, and wisdom. Recognizing that the future of the world lies in the hands of children, the school's basic goals are instilling within the children an appreciation of the importance of world peace and harmony: that we must learn to be giving and compassionate and seek to benefit rather than to harm society. The school stresses the equality of all beings.

Below is an essay by an eleven-year-old student.

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Why should you be nice to animals?

      One day an old lion was being hunted in India. He was hit by a hunter's bullet and then he fell down. Luckily, a kind man was near by and he went to the lion’s, aid. He took out the bullet, brought the Lion into his house, bathed his wound, and put a bandage on it.

      Just as, soon as he put the bandage, on the lion the hunter knocked on the door of the kind man’s house and said, "Give me back the lion I shot."

"No, because, you should not shoot any animal."

      The hunter understood and from that day on the hunter did not kill any animals.

The end.

-By Aileen Sullivan, age 11