At the age of twenty-seven, Venerable Master Hsing Yun used an electric light bulb for the first time. Since the temple could only afford one light bulb that hung before the Buddha statue in the Main Shrine, he would drag the bulb to the door of his living quarters every night so that he could read and write. It was in this matter, with the aid of the Buddha's light and crouched before a sewing machine, that he wrote "National Master Yulin" and A "Biography of Sakyamuni Buddha." The former has been adapted into a movie as well as a popular drama series.
When the later was published, Venerable Master towed more than 2,000 copies of the book by handcart to the post office. He experienced indescribable joy at being able to spread the Dharma through writing. The earnings from these publications have contributed towards the funding for purchasing land and building temples.
