Eminent Sangha
Venerable Yuan Zong
Biography
Venerable Yuan Zong was born in 1937, at Taiwan, Kaohsiung Country. He received ordination as a novice at the age of 16 and received higher ordination when he was 22. He was appointed as the Director-general for the 17th council of the Chinese Buddhist Association 9Taiwan) and is currently the incumbent Director-general of the 18th Council of the association. He is also the founding Abbot for Rih Yue Temple in Taiwan.
Ven. Yuan Zong also holds several important positions in the Taiwanese Buddhist circle. He held roles of Vinaya Master of Ci Ming Buddhist College Deputy Chief of Chinese Buddhist Missionary Association, Executive of Taiwanese Provincial Branch of the Chinese Buddhist Association, Council Member of Chinese Buddhist Association and Director-general of Kaohsiung Buddhist Association. He is frequently invited to deliver Dharma talk in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Japan, Korea, United States of America, and Canada.
Venerable Yuan Zong is actively involved in the propagations of Buddhism and has been involved in social welfare cultural and charitable events throughout his monkhood. Over the years, Ven. Yuan Zong been overseeing and presiding Taiwan's annual Three Precepts Platform Full Ordination Ceremony, assuming the roles of monastic preceptors. He has since performed full ordination ceremony for tens of thousands of monks and is greatly revered as one of the eminent monks.
Accompanying Artefact
Artefact Description
Bodhisattva Manjushri holds a Vajra sword (of discriminating insight) in his primary right hand and a volume of the Prajna Paramita (Perfection of Wisdom) Sutra in his left. Bodhisattva Manjushri sits atop a celestial lion, which highlights his princely and fearless nature. His youthfulness indicates that wisdom arises from him naturally and effortlessly.
Historical Background
In Mahayana Buddhism, Manjusri is the bodhisattva of wisdom and is one of the most important iconic figures in Mahayana art and literature.
He represents the wisdom of prajna, which is not confined by knowledge or concepts. Images of Manjusri, as with images of other bodhisattvas, are used for meditation, contemplation, and supplication by Mahayana Buddhists.
In Theravada Buddhism, neither Manjusri nor other bodhisattva beings are recognized or represented. Manjusri in Sanskrit means "He Who Is Noble and Gentle."
Manjusri first appears in Buddhist literature in Mahayana sutras, in particular, the Lotus Sutra, the Flower Ornament Sutra, and the Vimalakirti Sutra as well as the Prajna Paramamita Sutra. (The Prajna Paramitata is actually a large collection of sutras that includes the Heart Sutra and Diamond Sutra) He was popular in India by no later than the 4th century, and by the 5th or 6th century he had become one of the major figures of Mahayana iconography.