Awards

Honorary Doctorate from Geumgang University
Awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Literature from Geumgang University, Korea.

Honorary Doctorate from the University of Hong Kong
Conferred Honorary Doctor of Social Science from the University of Hong Kong.

Honorary Doctorate from National Sun-yat Sen University
Awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from National Sun-yat Sen University, Taiwan.

Honorary Doctorate from Whittier College
Awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) from Whittier College, California, USA.

Honorary Doctorate from Fu Jen Catholic University
Awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Laws by Fu Jen Catholic University, Taiwan.

Honorary Doctorate from Griffith University
Venerable Master was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Griffith University in Australia, by Principle Dr. Leneen Forde, while attending the 2006 Asia-Region Fellowship Meeting.

Award for Lifetime Achievement
Received the “Award for Lifetime Achievement,” presented by the President of the Chinese Writers’ & Artists’ Association.

Award for Outstanding Achievement
Received the “Award for Outstanding Achievement,” presented on behalf of President Bush of the United States by lifetime president of “United States Republican Party’s Asian Committee,” Anna Chan, and current president, Professor Ben Chang Chan.

Honorary Certificate from the City and County of San Francisco
On 17th of October 2004, the Mayor of San Francisco, Gavin Newsom, represented the City and County of San Francisco in commending Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s ongoing work in promoting world peace and mutual support through Buddhism, and also his lifelong commitment to bringing peace and stability to ravaged areas. Mayor Newsom expressed his deepest gratitude for Master’s dedication to the world.

Honorary Citizen and Key to the City of Las Vegas
Conferred “Honorary Citizen” and “Key to the City” by the Mayor of the City of Las Vegas, Mayor Oscar Goodman (Nevada, USA).

Certificate of Honorary Citizen and Key to the City of Stafford
A “Certificate of Honorary Citizen” and “Key to the City” were presented to Venerable Master by Mayor Leonard L. Scarcella of the City of Stafford, Texas, USA.

Honorary Doctorate from Mahamakut Buddhist University
Awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Religion—Buddhism by Mahamakut Buddhist University, Thailand.

Honorary Doctorate from Dongguk University
Awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Philosophy by Dongguk University, Korea.

Honorary Doctorate from Maha Chulalongkorn Buddhist University.
Awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Educational Administration by Maha Chulalongkorn Buddhist University, Thailand.

Ten Outstanding Educational Entrepreneurs of Private Schools
Venerable Master was selected to receive honors for the 2nd Annual Ten Outstanding Educational Entrepreneurs of Private Schools, ROC. Venerable Master’s work in establishing schools in the past seven years received recognition by this award. The seven member selection committee was convened by the former Executive Yuan Premier, Vincent Siew, with other members such as Executive Yuan Vice Premier, Tzeng, Ovid J.L., President of National Taipei University, Lee Chien-sing, and President of Yuan Ze University, Chan Shih-hung.

Medal for “Dharma Propagation to Benefit All Beings”.
In celebration of Constitution Day, the Office of the President invited Venerable Master to give a speech at the Office on “The Direction of Our Future Endeavors” which was attended by Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian and his senior officials. This was the first time a Buddhist leader has delivered a speech at the Office during its monthly gathering. Premier Yu Shyi-kun of the Executive Yuan presented a medal to Venerable Master on which the words “Dharma Propagation to Benefit All Beings” were inscribed.

Greatest Contribution to Buddhism Award
Venerable Master went to Bangkok Buddhist Culture and Education Center to participate in the Opening Ceremony of the 21st General Conference of the World Fellowship of Buddhists (WFB). The Prime Minister of Thailand, Chuan Leekpai, conferred the Greatest Contribution to Buddhism Award to Venerable Mater in recognition of his efforts towards Buddhism.

Hsing Yun’s Ch’an Talk—Portuguese Edition
“Hsing Yun’s Ch’an Talk” in Portuguese has been number one on the bestseller book chart. At Arizona State University, Boston Cambridge Education Learning Center and Western Michigan University, professors have chosen books such as “Hsing Yun’s Ch’an Talk” and “Humble Table, Wise Fare ─ Hospitality for the Heart” as textbooks for their courses, receiving high recognition.

National Public Wellfare Award
Venerable Master received the National Public Welfare Award from President Lee Teng-hui at the Office of the President.

“Fo Guang Day” in Houston
At the Ground Breaking Ceremony for IBPS Houston, the City Mayor announced June 20th as Fo Guang Day in Houston.

Honorary Citizen and Goodwill Ambassador of Houston
Venerable Master was conferred as an Honorary Citizen and also selected as a Goodwill Ambassador by the City of Houston, Texas, USA.

Vice President Presents a Signboard to Fo Guang Shan
Mr. and Mrs. Vice President Lien Chan (either side of Venerable Master), accompanied by Senior Advisers to the President, Wu Poh-hsiung and Hsu Li-teh, and National Policy Advisor to the President, Yu Chen Yueh-ying, came to the monastery to express their recognition of Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Orders’ contribution to society. The Vice President also presented a signboard with the inscription “Universal Blessings by the Compassionate Cloud.”

Selected as Man of the Year
Selected as the 1998 Man of the Year by the American Biographical Institute, USA.

Highest Recognition for Nan Hua from the Ministry of Education.
Although Nan Hua Management College was established for no more than three years, the Ministry of Education’s school administration and developmental plan report described thirteen positive evaluations and gave much recognition for the 1999 school year. Moreover, the Ministry gave the highest government subsidization to Nan Hua Management College compared to all other universities in the nation.

Hua Xia Medal
Representing the Chairman of Kuo Ming Tang (KMT) political party, the General Secretary of KMT, John Chang, presented a medal to Venerable Master. The Hua Xia Medal is the pride of the Chinese people and the glory of all Chinese. This is to commend those who have made great contributions to the nation and society. In addition, the recipients’ social concerns and tributes are recognized by the people. According to their past achievements, the award is divided into three classes; there are other medals and certificates of merit. Venerable Master was the first to directly received the Hua Xia First Class Medal.

Certificate of Merit from MOI
Venerable Master is the first person in Taiwan to receive both the first class medals from the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) and Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) at the same time. The medals were presented by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cheng Chien-ren, and Minister of the Interior, Yeh Jin-feng.

Social Construction Award
Venerable Master went to film the “Lotus Heart” television program at CTV. This program honorably received the Social Construction Award. During the program, Venerable Master and guests spoke about their views on current social issues and also answered audience questions on the discussion topic.

Certificate of Merit from the International Biographical Center.
Venerable Master was honored with a Certificate of Merit for distinguished service and entered into volume 25 of the Dictionary of International Biography by the International Biographical Center, Cambridge, England.

Certificate for Who’s Who of the Year
Chosen as 1995 Who’s Who of the Year for outstanding achievements in the Twentieth Century by the American Biographical Institute.

Buddha Ratna Award
Members of the All India Buddhist Conference conferred the Buddha Ratna Award upon Venerable Master. This award symbolizes the Buddhist Nobel Prize.

Austin Fo Guang Day
To celebrate the Groundbreaking Ceremony of I.B.P.S. Austin, on behalf of the Mayor of Austin, M.P. for Austin, Gus Garcia, declared for September 10th as Austin Fo Guang Day and presented a Golden Key of Austin to Venerable Master.

Certificate of Appreciation from Secretary of the State
Secretary of the State of California, March Fong Eu, presented a Certificate of Appreciation to Fo Guang Shan Order on behalf of the State of California, USA. She explained that Hsi Lai Temple has enriched the community’s multicultural aspect, and not only has the temple become a standard of Buddhist thought, it is also a first choice for westerners to learn about eastern culture.

Great Service in Social Education Award
The Secretary General of Buddha’s Light International Association, R.O.C., Venerable Tzu Jung, honorably accepted the Organization with Great Service In Social Education Award from the Ministry of Education.

Gentle Breeze and Outstanding Social Improvement Awards
As president of Fo Guang Shan Foundation for Culture and Education, Venerable Master has promoted spiritual purification for all people. The foundation honorably received the 2nd Annual Gentle Breeze Award and Outstanding Social Improvement Award with Venerable Tzu Hui accepting the awards on behalf of the foundation from President Lee Teng-hui.

Permanent Honorary President of the WFB
The 18th General Conference for the World Fellowship of Buddhists (WFB) and the 9th Annual Conference for the World Fellowship of Buddhist Youth (WFBY) were held in Taiwan for the first time. The opening ceremony took place in Sun Yat-sen Hall at Yang Ming Shan, Taipei. In the ceremony, Venerable Master gave a keynote speech on “Cooperation, Harmony and Joy.” President Lee Teng-hu especially sent a letter of congratulatory address and the Premier of the Executive Yuan, Hao Pei-tsun, personally delivered an address. There were more than 50′ delegates from nineteen different countries such as Thailand, India, Bangladesh an Australia. The Closing Ceremony took place in Tan Hsin Lou, Fo Guang Shui Venerable Master was elected as the Permanent Honorary President of WFB an Venerable Tzu Hui as the Vice President

Honorary Citizen of Austin and Houston
The mayors of both Austin, the capital of Texas, and Houston, conferred Honorary Citizen and Goodwill Ambassador Certificates upon Venerable Master.

South African Land Grant
The Chief Executive Official of Bronkhorstspruit City, Dr. Hendrik Belsazar Senekal, personally delivered the Memorandum of Agreement to Fo Guang Shan for 3 acres of land to be granted with a request for Venerable Master to construct a temple in South Africa. Dr. Senekal was so impressed and touched by the majestic buildings of Fo Guang Shan Monastery as well as its contribution to society, that he made an announcement during the signing ceremony to amend the grant to 6 acres of land.

Fo Guang Buddhist Dictionary – Golden Tripod Award
Venerable Master directed the compilation of the Fo Guang Buddhist Dictionary which received the Golden Tripod Award for general books in 1989. It is the first Buddhist dictionary in Buddhist history to receive the Golden Tripod Award.

Golden Bell Award
“Master Hsing Yun’s Dharma Lecture” program was aired on the Taiwan Television Enterprise Ltd (TTV). The television program received the Golden Bell Award for Social Construction in Broadcast Television from the Executive Yuan’s Government Information Office; R.O.C..

Honorary Citizen of Alhambra
The Mayor of the City of Alhambra, California, Mr. and Mrs. Palmage Burke, came to visit Fo Guang Shan Monastery and presented Venerable Master with a Certificate of Honorary Citizen and Key to the City.

Honorary Citizen of Kaohsiung
The Mayor of the City of Kaohsiung, Su Nan-cheng, presented a Key to the City to Venerable Master, recognizing him as an honorary citizen of Kaohsiung.

Honorary President of the WFBY
The Academic Conference of the World Fellowship of Buddhist Youth (WFBY) was first convened in Fo Guang Shan Monastery to promote international Buddhist cultural exchange. The contributions of this conference were deep and profound. Venerable Master was also graciously appointed as the Honorary President.

Meritorious Service in Social Education
Due to Venerable Master’s outstanding service in social education and spiritual purification, he was commended by the Ministry of Education, R.O.C.. This being the first time this award has honored someone in the Buddhist community.

Certificate of Appointment from the Institute of Indian Cultural Studies
Venerable Master was invited by the Institute of Indian Cultural Studies, Chinese Cultural University, to concurrently give special invitation lectures.

Certificate of Appointment from Tung Hai University
Venerable Master was invited by the Department of Philosophy in the College of Liberal Arts, Tung Hai University, to give special invitation lectures.

Certificate of Appointment from Chinese Culture University
The Chinese Culture University’s Board of Directors Chair, Chang Chi-Yun, and the President of the University, Pan Wei-he, invited Venerable Master to become one of the university’s professors.

Award of Excellence for Social Welfare by Religious Organizations and Individuals
Honored with the Award of Excellence for Social Welfare by Religious Organizations and Individuals, Venerable Master once said, “Religion is not separate from society, therefore we will do our best in benefiting our nation and its people.”

Certificate of Appointment from the Chinese Culture University
The Chinese Culture University’s Board of Directors Chair, Chang Chi-yun, and the President of the University, Pan Wei-he, invited Venerable Master to become the university’s 7th Annual Board of Directors Committee Member.

Pumen High School Honored as a School of Excellence
Pumen High School, founded by Venerable Master, was evaluated as a School of Excellence by National Kaohsiung Middle School Evaluating Committee.

Certificate of Appointment from the World Buddhist Sangha Council
The 3^rd International Congress of World Buddhist Sangha Council Preparatory Committee invited Venerable Master to be an executive member.

Guiding Master of the Lay Buddhist Association
The Director of the Lay Buddhist Association, R.O.C., Mr. Lee Jian, invited Venerable Master to be the Guiding Master for the Association.

Social Education Construction Award
The airing of “Nectar” television Dharma program on Chinese Television System(CTS) was the first precedent of Buddhist teachings for television. The Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Government Information Office of R.O.C. awarded the program with the Social Education Construction Award.

Honorary Doctorate from University of Oriental Studies
With outstanding achievements in Dharma propagation, Venerable Master was awarded the Honorary Ph.D. by the University of Oriental Studies in Los Angeles, USA. He is the first Chinese Buddhist monk to receive this honorary degree.

Chinese Buddhism Monthly
The Buddhist Association of the Republic of China invited Venerable Master to be on the Board of Directors and the composition editor for Chinese Buddhism Monthly.

Editor in Chief of Human Life Magazine
Human Life Magazine’s publisher, Ven. Tung Chu, invited Venerable Master to be the Editor in Chief of the magazine.

Certificate of Graduation from Jiao Shan Buddhist College, China.
Master: “Not only did I not graduate from elementary school, I never received a graduation certificate from the Buddhist College either. However, I have taught at universities and been awarded an Honorary Doctorate by an American university. I have personally awarded graduation certificates to thousands of students.This Certificate of Graduation was awarded to me by the Headmaster of Jiao Shan Buddhist College, Ven. Tung Chu, later in Taiwan, during which I was Editor in Chief of Human Life Magazine.“