Retiring Confer the Dharma Lineage ; the Dharma Light Shines Continuously
Retiring to Confer the Dharma Lineage;
the Dharma Light Shines Continuously
Upholding the mind of compassion exemplified by the Buddha and adhering to the practice of benevolence demonstrated by Ch’an masters of the past, Fo Guang Shan is a Buddhist monastery that has an established tradition of preserving its Dharma lineage through the generations. According to the Fo Guang Shan Constitution, each Head Abbot of Fo Guang Shan Monastery serves for a term of four (originally six) years, and can be re-elected once. After Venerable Master's second term, he was re-elected a third time, making his total time as Head Abbot 18 years. In 1985, Venerable Master retired and conferred the Dharma lineage to his disciple, Venerable Hsin Ping. Venerable Hsin Ting
became Head Abbot in 1995, and Venerable Hsin Pei became Head Abbot in 2005. In this manner, the Dharma lineage is preserved and the Dharma light shines continuously. Fo Guang Shan's model of superseding has had considerable influence on the public and
private sectors of Taiwan.
