Venerable Master Hsuan Hua

   
 
The Venerable Master Hua was also known as An Tse and To Lun.  The name Hsuan Hua was bestowed upon himafter he received the transmission of the Wei Yang Lineage of the Chan School from Venerable Elder Master Hsu Yun. He left the home-life at the age of nineteen.  After the death of his mother, he lived in a tiny thatched hut by her graveside for three years, as an act of filial respect. During that time, he practiced meditation and studied the Buddha's teachings.  Among his many practices were eatingonly one meal a day (at noon) and never lying down to sleep.
The Venerable Master Hua has said:  It is my vow to translate the Sutras.  After I left the home-life, I reflected, `the doctrines of Buddhism are so sublime and inconceivable: why haven't they become widely popular?  It's because the Buddhist Sutras have not been translated into the languages of every country in the world.  If we can translate the Buddhist Sutras into the languages of every country and deliver the message of the Buddhadharma into the heart of every person, that will be a lasting achievement.  Therefore, although I myself am not literate in foreign languages, as long as I am alive, I am willing to devote all my effort to promoting this endeavor.  
In 1948 the Master arrived in Hong Kong, where he founded the Buddhist Lecture Hall and other monasteries.  In 1962 he brought the Proper Dharma to America and the West, where he lectured extensively on the major works of the Mahayana Buddhist canon and established the Dharma Realm Buddhist Association (DRBA), the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas (CTTB), the International Translation Institute (ITI), various monasteries, Dharma Realm Buddhist University (DRBU), Developing Virtue Secondary School, Instilling Goodness Elementary School, and other educational centers.  The Master passed into stillness on June 7, 1995, in Los Angeles, U.S.A., causing many people throughout the world to mourn the sudden setting of the sun of wisdom.  Despite his manifestation of stillness, his lofty example will always be remembered.  Throughout his life he worked selflessly and vigorously to benefit the people of the world.  His wisdom and compassion inspired many people to correct their faults and lead wholesome lives.  

 
In translating the Sutras, we must accord with the Six Ideals: no fighting, no greed, no seeking, no selfishness, no pursuing personal advantage, and no lying.  We should not ask for a reward, or for anything at all.  We simply want to translate the Buddhist Sutras, that is all.  We want to give up our lives to work for Buddhism.  Propagating the Buddhadharma is a very important task, but translating the Sutras is even more important to the propagation of Buddhism.  Therefore, I now invite people who share the same aspirations and outlook to come and stand together with us, so that, with the benefit of everyone's wisdom, we can unite our efforts to translate the Sutras.
 

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