Grand Master Wei Chueh

Grand Master Wei Chueh

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.

Chung Tai Chan Monastery

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