The universe may one day perish, yet my vows are eternal

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Lighting lamp to make vows

Important Events in Master Sheng Yen’s Life

Date
1930	born in Jiangsu Province, China
1943	takes the monastic vows at Guangjiao Monastery, Nantong, Jiangsu
1949	joins the Nationalist Army and moves to Taiwan from Shanghai by ship when the Nationalists are losing the Chinese Civil War
1959	ends his 10-year service in the army, and is re-ordained under Ven. Master Dongchu
1961	begins his self-confinement practice and a six-year solitary retreat at Chaoyuan Monastery in Meinong, Kaohsiung County, deepening Dharma study and practice
1969	studies at Rissho University in Tokyo, Japan, for six years, where he obtains a D.Litt.
1975	invited to the United States to propagate the Dharma
1976	acts as vice president of the Buddhist Association of the United States and abbot of Dajue Monastery
1977	returns to Taiwan, after Ven. Master Dongchu’s passing, to take over the reins of Chung-Hwa Institute of Buddhist Culture and Nung Chan Monastery by Ven. Master Dongchu’s will
1978	serves as the director of the Institute of Buddhist Studies of the Chinese Academy
1979	establishes a monastery in New York named Chan Meditation Center
1985	establishes the Chung-Hwa Institute of Buddhist Studies in Beitou, Taipei
1989	founds Dharma Drum Mountain (DDM), taking “uplifting the character of humanity and building a pure land on earth” as its vision
1990	hosts the first Chung-Hwa International Conference on Buddhism, acting as the general convener
1992	proposes Protecting the Spiritual Environment as the core DDM vision
1993	‧ holds the bodhisattva precepts transmission ceremony in Taiwan for the first time; receives a Leadership Award for Social Peace Movement ‧ wins the Sun Yat-sen Art and Literary Award for his book, An Intellectual Autobiography of Master Sheng Yen
1994	‧proposes Protecting the Social Environment and promotes the joint funerals, birthday celebrations for the elderly, and weddings in Buddhist spirit ‧wins the Golden Tripod Awards for Publications for his book, An Intellectual Autobiography of Master Sheng Yen
1997	‧ sets up the Dharma Drum Retreat Center in Pine Bush, New York ‧ attends the 11th International Meeting “Peoples and Religions” in Padua, Italy, and meets with Pope John Paul II at the Vatican
1998	‧ selected by CommonWealth Magazine as one of the 50 most influential people in Taiwan in 400 years ‧ has a dialogue with the Dalai Lama, titled “In the Spirit of Manjushri: The Wisdom Teachings of Buddhism”
1999	‧ proposes the Fivefold Spiritual Renaissance Campaign: A lifestyle for the 21st century ‧ establishes the Dharma Drum Foundation for Humanities and Social Science Research Grants
2000	‧attends and makes a keynote speech at the Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders held at the UN headquarters in New York, representing Chinese Buddhism 　　　 ‧receives the “Lifetime Cultural Contribution Award” from the Council for Cultural Affairs of Executive Yuan
2001	‧ presides over the founding and school beginning ceremony for the Buddhist Seminary of Dharma Drum Sangha University at the DDM World Center for Buddhist Education ‧ invited to make a speech at the Symposium on Religion, World Peace, and Protecting the Spiritual Environment held in Taipei ‧invited to attend and make a speech at the Consulting Committee of the Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders held in New York
2002	‧ attends the World Economic Forum annual meeting in New York as a Buddhist leader ‧ attends the World Council of Religious Leaders (WCRL) in Bangkok ‧ donates and escorts the Akshobhya Buddha head statue, stolen in 1997, back to the Four Gate Pagoda of Shentong Monastery in Shandong Province, China ‧ receives the Sun Yat-sen Academic Award for his book, Tiantai Keys to the Mind: A Vernacular Translation of and Commentary on Ouyi’s Jiaoguan gangzong
2003	‧directs the Dharma Drum Foundation for Humanities and Social Science Research Grants to establish the Dharma Drum Lecture Series in Humanities in cooperation with Beijing University ‧ travels to Israel and Palestine with representative religious/spiritual leaders from WCRL for religious peace movement ‧ attends the 1st preparatory meeting for the World Youth Peace Summit held in Kyoto, Japan, at the invitation of WCRL ‧ wins the Bodhi Prize of the 2nd Presidential Cultural Award
2004	‧ directs the Dharma Drum Foundation for Humanities and Social Science Research Grants to establish the Dharma Drum Lecture Series in Humanities in cooperation with National Taiwan University and Tsinghua University in Beijing ‧ presides over the ground-breaking ceremony for Dharma Drum Humanities and Social Sciences College ‧ attends the World Youth Peace Summit Asia-Pacific hosted by WCRL in Bangkok, Thailand ‧ attends WCRL held in Jordan ￭ hosts the World Youth Peace Summit Taipei Conference
2005	‧attends Leaders’ Meeting on Faith and Development organized by the World Bank in Dublin, Ireland. ‧ directs the Dharma Drum Foundation for Humanities and Social Science Research Grants to establish the Dharma Drum Lecture Series in Humanities in cooperation with National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan and Nanjing University ‧delivers speeches at Beijing University, Tsinghua University, Nanjing University, and Sun Yat-sen University, on an academic tour to China ‧ receives honorary doctorate degree from Mahachulalongkorn-rajavidyalaya Buddhist University, Thailand ￭ inauguration ceremony for the DDM World Center for Buddhist Education, which he founded, takes place
2006	‧ hands over the position of Abbot President, at the Inaugural Ceremony of the 2nd Abbot President, to successor Ven. Guo Dong at the Grand Buddha Hall of the DDM World Center for Buddhist Education ‧ leads a delegation of 15 DDM youth leaders to attend the UN Global Youth Leadership Summit at the UN headquarters in New York
2007	‧ establishes Dharma Drum Buddhist College, the first religious educational institute in Taiwan to be accredited by the Ministry of Education ‧ the Sheng Yen Professorship in Chinese Buddhism is formally signed and established at Columbia University, New York ￭ initiates the Six Ethics of the Mind campaign ‧ the Taipei County Jinshan Eco-friendly Memorial Garden, which DDM established at the DDM complex in collaboration with the Taipei County Government, finally starts operation after years of promoting eco-friendly burial sites ‧ promotes activities for suicide prevention, establishing the “International Caring for Life Awards”
2008	‧ receives the “K. T. Li Award for Outstanding Design of Economical/Social Systems” from the Society for Design and Process Science ‧ receives the Cultural Contribution Award, an honorary arts and literature medal, from the Chinese Writers’ and Artists’ Association

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