Venerable Master Hsing Yun is a Buddhist monk, educator, prolific writer, and the founder of the Fo Guang Shan International Buddhist Order in Taiwan (1965) with the primary goal of promoting Humanistic Buddhism through education, culture, charity, and propagation of the Dharma (Buddhist Teachings). He was born in Jiangsu, China in 1927. At the age of twelve, he entered a monastery near Nanjing and received his full ordination in 1941. He became the 48th patriarch of the Linji school of Chan Buddhism.

Venerable Master Hsing Yun spent over eighty years as a Buddhist monk in promoting Humanistic Buddhism- an approach based on the teachings of the Buddha to cater to what people need, integrated into all aspects of daily life, and established more than 300 temples in major cities worldwide.

Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s development goals of Humanistic Buddhism have led to the formation of arts and culture institutions, galleries, performing arts groups, the Three Acts of Goodness movement, and all other forms of presenting arts and culture showing truth, goodness, and beauty that flame up the light of people’s hearts with the richness of cultural exhibitions and performances. He founded educational institutions including the Fo Guang Shan International University Consortium. His enthusiasm and compassionate endeavors have positively changed many places, compassionately helped numerous people, and richly contributed to the development of education, culture, and arts.