^{Celebrating Fifty Years of Dharma Teaching}

^{By Great Master Chin Kung AM}

By Graeme Lyall AM

For fifty years, Master Chin Kung has devoted his life to spreading the Dharma ‘for the benefit of the many’. He is following Sakyamuni Buddha’s injunction dating from over two thousand five hundred years ago for his disciples ‘to go forth and spread the Dharma’. Throughout his fifty years of devotion to the Dharma he has demonstrated generosity through endowing several institutions for the promotion of world peace, religious harmony and, more importantly, making the Pure Land teachings available to the world in a down to earth and comprehensible manner.

It was in 1995, during my term as Chairman of the Buddhist Council of New South Wales, that I was given a large quantity of English language Dharma books, by Venerable Sik Chee Ming, President of the Chinese Buddhist Society of Australia for free distribution. Venerable Chee Ming’s congregation was ethnically Chinese, so he had no use for English language books. I was impressed with the high quality of these books which were published by the Corporate Body of the Buddha Educational Foundation in Taiwan. I contacted the Corporate Body requesting more books and received regular shipments for the duration of my term as Chairman of the Buddhist Council. Many of these books were written by Venerable Master Chin Kung and one which impressed me by its wisdom was “Buddhism as an Education”. It was, to me, a new and fresh approach to the Dharma, discarding the ceremonial and ritualism of institutionalized Buddhism in favor of education and practice. I instantly felt an affinity with this great teacher although I had never met him.

A regular visitor to the Buddhist Council’s office was a gentleman named James Chiang who was a very devout Buddhist gentleman. I told him of my gratitude to the Corporate Body for publishing such valuable Dharma materials and, especially, to the author of  “Buddhism as an Education”. He told me that the author, Master Chin Kung, regularly visited the Amitabha Buddhist Association of Queensland and that he would invite me to meet him the next time he was in Brisbane. Not long after this, I received an invitation to Queensland to meet the Master. This was a most memorable experience for me. Although the Master spoke no English and I spoke no Mandarin, I was able to communicate with the Master through James Chiang. We instantly were aware of an affinity (In Yuen) and I have had the honour of being a close friend and student of the Master ever since. I am full of admiration and great respect to this great teacher. He is a humble gentleman who demonstrates embarrassment when people pay respect to him by fully prostrating in front of him. I am sure that he feels that people may more correctly show their respect for him by studying the Sutras and by practicing the Pure Land teachings.

Master Chin Kung has devoted himself to promoting inter-religious harmony. In Singapore, he was instrumental in establishing the Inter- Religious Organisation which brought together the nine recognized religions in Singapore to cooperate in friendship and mutual respect. In Brisbane, he contributed a huge donation to Griffith University to establish the very successful Multi-Faith Centre and endowing the professorship. I well remember the Chancellor of Griffith University expressing surprise at holding in her hand such a large cheque, the donation from Master Chin Kung. He also funded the establishment of  a Peace and Conflict Resolution Centre at the University of Queensland. He has also made substantial donations to the University of Southern Queensland. I well remember visiting Toowoomba Hospital with Master Chin Kung where he established scholarships in medical research.

As Chairman of the University Buddhist Educational Foundation in Sydney, I am indebted to our Venerable Master for being the major donor to our Foundation. The University Buddhist Education Foundation was established by a Sydney solicitor, Mrs.Mohini Gunasekera, to fund a lecturer in Buddhist Studies at the University of Sydney and later to establish the first Chair of Buddhist Studies in Australia. We were very fortunate in having Dr,Mark Allon, a brilliant Buddhist scholar who obtained his Ph.D at Oxford University as our funded lecturer. As well as lecturing Buddhism and Pali language, Dr.Allon is engaged in a translation project, Early Buddhist Manuscript Project, under the supervision of  Professor Saloman of the University of Washington. This project involves the translation, from the Ghandhari language, of ancient manuscripts discovered in Afghanistan. These manuscripts are referred to as the “Buddhist Dead Sea Scrolls”. We are very fortunate to have such a learned scholar funded by our Foundation made possible through the generosity of Master Chin Kung.

We are still awaiting the University authorities to appoint a professor, so that or dream of a Chair of Buddhist Studies will be realized.

Master Chin Kung has always stressed the importance of traditional Chinese values which stressed filial piety and ancient moral values taught by the saints and sages. He extends his filial piety, not only to his parents and ancestors but his birth County of  Lujiang in Anhui Province in China. In his home village in Lujiang he has established a college to train teachers and the villagers in the traditional Chinese moral education as contained in the Confucian classic, ‘Di Zi Gui’. This college has had a profound influence on the local community. I have had the privilege of visiting Lujiang on two occasions and I have been overwhelmed with the progress and positive effect of these teachings on this village. The villagers have cultivated mutual respect and traditional Chinese moral values and the village, although having some of the poorest people in China, are happy and respectful to each other. This proves that happiness does not depend on material possessions but on harmonious relationships. This was an experimental project but its resounding success has resulted in its being adopted in other parts of China. This brainchild of Master Chin Kung has exceeded all expectations.

Although Venerable Master Chin Kung has been responsible for many worthwhile projects which have benefited countless people, his main function is that of a great Buddhist teacher. He has made the profound Pure Land teachings comprehensible to the common people. He has stressed that constant practice by the chanting of the Buddha’s name with sincerity will lead to the realization of Amitabha’s Pure Land. In establishing the Pure Land Learning College he has guaranteed that his Pure Land method will survive for many years. Many monks and nuns are being trained to correctly pass on these teachings for many years to come. So that they are equipped to pass on these teachings correctly, Master insists that they must study and practice for a minimum of nine years before teaching independently.

In January, 2003, Master Chin Kung became an Australian Citizen, making him one of the most valuable acquisitions to the spiritual life of our growing Buddhist population. In 2005, he was awarded Membership of the Order of Australia (AM) for his many contributions to Buddhism and education in Australia. This was a well deserved award which is the highest honour that Australia can confer on any of its citizens.

Master Chin Kung has written many books but one has had a profound effect on many people, “Changing Destiny”, which is based on Liao Fan’s Four Lessons. I am a Buddhist chaplain in New South Wales prisons and I have distributed this book to many prisoners. They have often remarked that this book has had a positive effect on them. The following is part of a letter that I received from a prisoner that I had been visiting, as a chaplain, in a New South Wales Gaol:

 “When I first met you at Parklea Correctional Centre, I was in segregation (solitary confinement) and lived in the unknown. Not knowing the outcome of my future, every week you made sure that you took time out to visit me. I never forgot that and it had a profound effect on me. I saw in you a man who had given so much of yourself to those of all walks of life, including someone like me. I enjoyed our talks and learned aspects of myself that set me on a new course. Part of that new course came to me by a book you gave me, “Changing Destiny” by Master Chin Kung, which you had signed by Master Chin Kung with one word “Love”. I was then transferred to Goulburn Correctional Centre.

I decided on two things that would change in my life. I would change in my life to never return to prison. That one word from Master Chin Kung “Love”. I wanted to repay my mother for all my time lost to her with “Love”. I owe her so much and her karma is owed so much for everything she has sacrificed for me. I want her to spend her later years being proud of me.”

When I first met this prisoner, I was told by the officers that he was ‘extremely dangerous’ and that I would have to speak to him through the bars. I found him to be a kind gentle person who took his studies of Buddhism very seriously. He has completely turned his life of crime around and is now a very devout Buddhist. This change has largely been brought about by the wisdom teaching of Master Chin Kung.  I am very proud of this prisoner in being able to transform his life and attitude so completely.

I could continue with many more contributions of our great Master Chin Kung but I will leave that to the many students who have benefited from his explanations of the Buddha’s teachings. I congratulate our Venerable Master Chin Kung on reaching this milestone of Fifty Years of Teaching the Dharma. May he continue for many more years.

Namo Amitabha