Venerable Wei Chueh was born in Ying Shan, Sichuan Province
of China. In his youth he was educated in the Confucian classics
and delved deeply into the study of Buddhism.
In 1963, he was ordained under Master Lin
Yuan at the Shi Fan Da Jue ("Great Enlightenment")
Chan Monastery in Keelung, Taiwan. There he got up before
dawn each day to clean the monastery hall and courtyard. While
others were resting after lunch, he would remain in the Buddha
Hall and prostrate mindfully. In all his daily duties and
interactions, he was always devoted, caring, and diligent.
To further his practice, Venerable Wei Chueh
went into solitary seclusion for over ten years in the mountains
near Wan Li, a suburb of Taipei.
Over time, as the area became more accessible,
more and more people discovered the wisdom of this eloquent
Buddhist master. His followers asked him to emerge from his
mountain retreat to spread the Dharma teachings.
The Master responded by building the Lin
Quan Chan Monastery at the very place of his retreat, expanding
later to Chung Tai Chan Monastery in the town of Puli in central
Taiwan. (And we refer to the founding abbot as the Grand Master
to show our respect.)
The Grand Master, in adhering to the Buddha's
aim to teach the Dharma, to show the way to lasting joy, and
to promote peace, established meditation centers all over
Taiwan as well as internationally.
He is frequently invited to lecture at universities
and numerous organizations. He conducts seven-day meditation
retreats every year to help participants realize their intrinsic
perfect nature.
In order to preserve the teaching for future
generations, he emphasizes education for Buddhist monks and
nuns and established the Chung Tai Buddhist Institute to nurture
knowledgeable and qualified teachers of the Dharma. He also
founded the Pu Tai Schools (from elementary through high school)
which place value in respect, compassion, and moral integrity
in the education of youth.
Beginning from Lin Quan and now at Chung
Tai Chan Monastery, Grand Master Wei Chueh has provided vision,
inspiration and guidance to tens of thousands of followers,
monastic teachers and lay people alike. Because of his leadership,
the essence of Chan teachings has been deeply and widely planted
and will bring fruits of serenity and wisdom to the world.
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