Sheng Yen Education Foundation (herein referred to as “the Foundation”) was established on January 18, 2006 with the approval of the Taiwanese Ministry of Education. The Foundation’s mission is to promote the ideals of “uplifting the character of humanity and building a pure land on earth,” as advocated by Master Sheng Yen, by purifying people’s minds and society through education. Therefore, the Foundation is dedicated to the promotion and propagation of Master Sheng Yen’s thought and ideas. As the Master’s thought and ideas focused on the realization of building a pure land on earth, throughout his life, the Master endeavored to incorporate the Buddhadharma into the daily life of modern people, in hopes of uplifting their life andcharacterthrough the Buddhadharma. We hope that religious and academic circles, as well as those individuals who are interested and aspiring in this course, can all join in the efforts to explore, research, and implement this vision.
The Foundation’s mission is to promote the following work:
1. The main task is to collect, compile, research, systemize, categorize, translate, edit and publish, produce, circulate, promote, disseminate, and give away Master Sheng Yen’s publications, audio and visual information, and other writings and items to relevant individuals and groups worldwide in the hope of universally uplifting the character of humanity and ubiquitously actualizing a pure land on Earth.
2. In addition, the Foundation will subsidize and support the promotion of Buddhist education, academic Buddhist research and studies, publications of Buddhist writings that share the same thought and ideas as Master Sheng Yen, and any educational efforts or endeavors that aim at purifying human minds and society.
The Foundation’s undertakings currently in progress:
Popular education—The main task is to promote and circulate the Pocket Guides for Buddhist Wisdom and Daily Dharma Series by Master Sheng Yen, which are booklets for free distribution, to facilitate the general public to be more familiar with and follow the wholesome and orthodox Buddhadharma as advocated by the Master. In addition, with the advances in the internet and technology, the Foundation will develop new approaches and forms in spreading the Buddhadharma, including audio and visual Dharma talks by the Master, to enable a more personalized learning experience reflecting the actual atmosphere at the time of teachings.
Deepened education—Catering to specific individuals or organizations, such as monasteries, Buddhist seminaries, schools, libraries, and Buddhist institutes, as well as scholars conducting relevant research, the Foundation will provide them with Master Sheng Yen’s works on a free of charge basis in order to facilitate more people to encounter and explore the Master’s thought and ideas, enhancing their further research and developments with greater depth. In addition, the Foundation will plan and organize academic seminars and forums on the Master’s thought and ideas and will also offer scholarships to master and doctoral students in support of their research and studies of the Master’s philosophy. It is also the hope that academic will join the efforts in exploring the idea of a pure land on Earth, developing it into a new trend in world Buddhism and facilitating its realization.
Compilation and translation—In order to promote Master Sheng Yen’s publications, including his audio and visual Dharma talks, the Foundation will continually carry out compilations, editing, and translation works to cater to and meet the needs of various areas in the hope of providing the orthodox Buddhadharma to people of different backgrounds.
Future Prospects:
As Master Sheng Yen once said: The realization of a pure land on Earth lies in the purification of human minds; the purification of human minds mainly depends on the propagation and education of thoughts and ideals. The establishment of thoughts and ideals, however, cannot happen overnight or even in a single lifetime. As this is the case with the education for human minds, the Foundation expects devote itself to a long lasting operation with a steadfast direction and without pre-determined goals. That is, the Foundation intends to keep the present undertakings in mind without worrying excessively about their success or outcomes. The important things are how to incorporate and infuse Master Sheng Yen’s thought and ideas into society for the present and in the future through a most beneficial and suitable manner, bringing peace and purifying energy to this unstable world, calming and soothing the insecure minds of people, and rendering the Buddhadharma relevant to modern life.