Our Dharma teacher is Venerable Shinhong Shih. When he left his family and renounced as a monk, he sincerely prayed for the blessings of the Buddhas and Boddhisattvas, and made the Four Great Vows. In particular, he devoted his life to fulfilling the vows of “Sentient beings are endless,

I vow to liberate them” and “the Dharma teachings are countless, I vow to learn them”. In the past thirty over years as a monk, he has tirelessly visited various countries to diligently learn the teachings of the Three Vehicles in Buddhism, delving into the Sutras, and has developed a deep understanding.

After Venerable Shinhong Shih returned to Taiwan, his home country, in 2002, he accepted the request of many Buddhist followers and devoted himself to the spreading of the Dharma to benefit sentient beings. In May 2002, he started giving talks about from important teaching in Buddhism, Shantideva’s “The Way of the Boddhisattva” at the Buddha Educational Foundation in Taipei. He used various skilful means and analogies to illustrate the profound Buddhadharma and helped his students to understand how to systematically learn the Buddhist sutras and texts, as well as develop the Right View in Buddhism. After that, he progressively guided his students to diligently practise the three non-contaminated learning paths of listening, contemplation and practice. Finally, he guided them to apply the pure Dharma in daily life.

Those who listened to the teachings developed great joy and started to come regularly to attend Shifu’s teachings and put them into practice.

In the process, they arose strong commitment to the complete Dharma and developed strong faith, vows, and practice. Since then, Buddhist organizations and devotees around the world such as from Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Australia and the United States, have repeatedly invited Venerable Shinhong Shih to travel to spread the proper Dharma and benefit sentient beings.

In end 2004, Venerable Shinhong Shih observed that the internal and external conditions were ripe to propagate the teachings of the Buddhas. Hence on 21 December in Taipei, he formally set up Samye Buddhist Association (SBA). He also designed and set up multi-purpose facilities in SBA such as a library, multimedia viewing room, etc. Further, Venerable Shinhong Shih understood that in view of technological advances, it is necessary in future to tap into the boundless Internet world to spread the Dharma faster to benefit more beings. Thus, all of SBA’s members currently devote their time and effort outside of work to set up and maintain SBA’s website. This will help Buddhists from around the world to access the precious teachings and practise diligently, regardless where they live.

To benefit limitless sentient beings in boundless space, and to establish a simple and pure place where the proper Dharma can reside, Venerable Shinhong Shih has been regularly conducting Dharma talks at SBA for years. He also leads the members in common practice sessions, Dharma discussions, and conducting other activities to contribute to the Dharma and other beings. This is in the hope of establishing a Buddhist organization which follows the proper path of Dharma practice and learning, like a lighthouse of Dharma in the darkness, to invoke the Great Compassionate Vows of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in attracting more Buddhists to learn the proper Dharma and practise diligently. Such a lighthouse of Dharma will not only benefit Buddhists in Taiwan, but through the Internet, also endlessly fulfill the wishes of Buddhists around the world to learn more about the Dharma.

Venerable Shinhong Shih uses his pure actions, speech and mind to completely accumulate the trainings of morality, concentration and wisdom and practise diligently the six perfections and other Buddhist practices. He is very wise and well-versed in many areas of knowledge and with boundless Bodhicitta, tirelessly teaches the Dharma as well as supporting the precious Dharma teachings and Triple Gems through donations. At the same time, he contributes funds to various monasteries’ medical and construction expenses around the world, as well as to schools for monks and nuns, and retreat centres. He joyfully encourages all sentient beings to accumulate merits on our path to Buddhahood. One example of his efforts to help sentient beings is his trip to Nepal, to provide free medical services for the needy monks and residents.

As Venerable Shinhong Shih teaches, “the bigger the capacity of our mind, the stronger our vows will be, the bigger the challenges that we have to overcome, but also the more merits that we will accumulate, and the greater extent that our true nature will manifest." Venerable Shinhong Shih often painstakingly reminds all of us to continuously make great vows and learn all the proper Dharmas of the various Buddhas; to bring forth our right awareness and right mindfulness daily to diligently transform the defiled thoughts and habits in our minds, and frequently arise the wishes of renunciation and Bodhicitta; and diligently practise meditation (shamatha and vipassana) and develop prajna paramita. Lastly, within this life, not only will we subdue our defilements and negative habits, and further realize the ultimate truth – the transcendental wisdom of interdependent arising and emptiness of nature -- finally and surely, progress towards achieving Buddhahood for ourselves as well as guiding others towards Buddhahood.