會議地點：越南胡志明市；時間：2009.12.18 - 2010.01.03；大會主題：傑出的女性修行者與典範=Eminent Buddhist Women
摘要
Bhiksuni Yan Zhi was educated in the Confucian classics, which was a rarity for women in her day, but was not bound by conservative thinking. At the age of 17, she joined the revolutionary United League of Sun Yat Sen to oppose the Qing Dynasty and fight for the cause of justice. Sometime before World War II, however, she traveled south across the ocean to Malaya and became transformed from a revolutionary to an advocate of the Buddha’s teachings. In 1931, she took refuge in the Three Jewels, became a vegetarian, and devoted herself to serving the Buddha’s teachings. After traveling far and wide, she received bhiksuni ordination and lent her strength to Buddhism. In 1955, Bhiksuni Yan Zhi bought a plot of undeveloped land in Petaling Jaya, where she constructed Bao Lin Fa Yuan as a permanent base for spreading Dharma. Previously, she had been a popular fortune teller, but after learning the Dharma, she realized the truth of impermanence and became increasingly devoted to the Buddha’s teachings. Although she lived in turbulent times, she diligently promoted a correct interpretation of the Buddha’s teachings and led charitable activities to relieve the sufferings of the poor, the elderly, and orphans. This paper describes her personal practice and the Dharma activities that made her an outstanding exemplar.
