THE BODHI MIRROR

Introducing the Eminent 
Dharma Master Wu-Ming

Dharma Master Wu-ming, a native of Shang-shui, Honan Province, was born in 1911. His Dharma name is Jen-en. His lay name is Lee Lin-ch'uan (a.k.a. Chun-ying). During his childhood he was extremely clever. At seven years of age he entered primary school and he lead his classmates to join him in carving a Buddha image which he then bowed to and worshipped. This was an early indication of his good roots.

He left the home life when he was fourteen years old at Kuan-yin Tower in Hopei Province, bowing to the Elder Neng-ching as his Master. Afterwards he studied at Chi-le Buddhist College. He received the Complete Precepts at Kuei-yuan Ch'an Monastery, Han-yang county, Hupei Province, when he was twenty years old. The next year he made a pilgrimage to P'u-t'o Mountain in Nan-hai Province. He then became guest prefect and secretary of Liu-yun Ch'an Monastery in Shanghai, and held the position of superintendent there for more than ten years.

      After 1941 Dharma Master Wu-ming became Abbot of Fa-yun Monastery, Chieh-yin Monastery, and Yun-chu Monastery respectively. After World War II, he was elected supervisor of the Chiang-ning Buddhist Association and the Shanghai Buddhist Association concurrently.  Moreover at Chieh-yin Monastery he established the "Jen-en Clinic" and the "Ming-jen Merciful Deeds Association" so he could offer continual help to the sick and poor.
 
In 1949 Dharma Master Wu-ming went to Taiwan and there became superintendent of Shih-pu Monastery and Ling-yun Monastery. He assisted Dharma Masters Tao-yuan and Pai-sheng in transmitting the Complete Precepts more than ten times. In 1959 he obtained a plot of land and with donations gathered for the purpose, erected Hu-kuo Tapei Temple. In 1960 he established another temple, named Hai-ming, and became its first Abbot. He then traveled to the United States where he lectured on the Dharma at various universities, including Harvard, and at many Buddhist Associations. After his return to Taiwan, he founded Hai-ming Buddhist College, an institute concerned with the education of novice monks. Dharma Master Wu-ming has also authored several books. 

      In August 1976, Dharma Master Wu-ming headed a delegation of Taiwan Buddhists on a propagation pilgrimage to the United States. 
The delegation of distinguished and high-ranking bhiksus and bhiksunis were greeted by members of the Sino-American Buddhist Association with chants and songs at the San Francisco International Airport and then escorted to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas where members of the delegation joined the Venerable Master Hsuan-hua in administering the Complete Precepts of the Thousand Buddhas at the historic first precept platform held at the new Buddhist City. Dharma Master Wu-ming presided as one of the Seven Certifiers during the transmission. Dharma Master Wu-ming also offered instruction and gave Dharma talks on several occasions during his stay at the Sino-American Buddhist Association’s centers, both at Talmage and in San Francisco, and gave his promise to return again to aid in the work of establishing Buddhism in the West.