Tzu Jung

TAIWAN, Yilan

Originally named Wu Suh-Jen and the Dharma name Hsin Yu, Tzu Jung is a nun and educator from Yilan, Taiwan. She joined the Buddhist youth choir organized by Master Hsing Yun at Lei Yin Temple (present day Fo Guang Shan Lan Yang Temple) in Yilan at the age of 18. She renounced when she was 33 under Master Hsing Yun, and was ordained in the same year. In 1974, Tzu Jung went to Kyoto, Japan to study at Bukkyo University majoring in social welfare. After her graduation, she returned to Taiwan and became a leader in Dharma propagation efforts at Fo Guang Shan Monastery in Kaohsiung. In 1998, she was presented an honorary Ph.D. degree from the University of the West in California, USA, and in 1999, she was honored with a badge from the Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in recognition of her contributions.
Among her numerous positions, Tzu Jung has acted as director of Ci Ai Kindergarten in Yilan, the Fo Guang Shan Da Ci Children’s Home in Kaohsiung, and the Taipei City Buddhist Association; president of Fo Guang Shan Charity Council, Fo Guang Shan Education Council, and the Fo Guang Shan Domestic and Overseas Executive Council; principal of the Taipei Women’s Buddhist College; and publisher of the Universal Gate magazine and Universal Gate Buddhist Journal. In addition, she has served as abbess of Fo Guang Shan Pu Men Temple in Taipei, Fo Guang Shan Jin Guang Ming Temple in Taipei, Fo Guang Shan Taipei Vihara, Fo Guang Shan Nan Tien Temple in Wollongong, Australia, and Fo Guang Shan Hsi Lai Temple in California, USA.
Tzu Jung became the secretary-general of the Buddha’s Light International Association (BLIA) Chung-Hwa Headquarters in 1991, and secretary-general of the BLIA World Headquarters the following year. Since 1992, she has led the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Choir every year in performing Buddhist music and dance at the National Concert Hall and National Theater in Taipei. Under her leadership, the choir has given performances in Europe, Australia, Asia, the United States, and Canada, bringing Buddhist music to the international stage.
Instructed by Master Hsing Yun, Tzu Jung assisted in the construction of Jin Guang Ming Temple in New Taipei City. The building, designed by Tzu Jung, incorporated culture, art, and Buddhism. The temple as a whole features a traditional Chinese palatial style. The main temple gate, the administrative building, and the Great Hero Hall are located along the central axis, with the educational buildings situated along the sides, forming an enclosure. The main temple gate has a hip-and-gable roof, while the Great Hero Hall has a hip roof. The Great Hero Hall houses an 8.5 m high jade Buddha statue, with the Golden Light Sutra engraved on the wall behind the Buddha. The side walls feature statues of the Ten Great Disciples, reliefs of the Eight Great Events from the Life of the Buddha, and close to 10,000 Buddha reliefs. An auditorium located on the top floor of the Great Hero Hall has a capacity of over 2,000 people. In 2003, the Fo Guang Shan Buddha’s Light Open University was established at Jin Guang Ming Temple and Tzu Jung assumed presidency. Apart from the various education and cultivation programs, she also established the Holiday Buddhist College and Online Buddhist College.
When the Fo Guang Shan Buddha Memorial Center was inaugurated in 2011, Tzu Jung became its president. Presently, she continues her service as secretary-general of the BLIA World Headquarters, in addition to acting as vice president of the BLIA Chung-Hwa Headquarters, president of education at Fo Guang Shan Motosuji Temple, and president of Fo Guang Shan Humanistic Culture and Education Foundation. Written works by Tzu Jung include My Perspective on Americans and Thesis on the Revolutionary and Creative Masters in Buddhist History, as well as numerous articles in the Buddha’s Light Newsletter and the Buddha Memorial Center Newsletter.