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          Venerable Master Chin Kung, AM (b. 1927) is an eminent monk in the Pure Land school of Mahayana Buddhism.  He has learned Buddhism for sixty years and lectured on it for over fifty years.  He is advisor to over 100 Amitabha Buddhist Societies and Pure Land Learning Centers worldwide, and founder of the Pure Land Learning College Association, Inc. (PLLCA), Toowoomba, Australia.

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           Master Chin Kung pioneered the use of the Internet and satellite television in propagating the Buddha's teachings.  His recorded lectures are distributed in books and on DVDs, CDs, and other media.  He has sponsored the printing and distribution of the Buddhist Canon and Buddhist sutras, books, and images as well as books on moral education.  All these are freely distributed worldwide.  To this day, the Master still teaches tirelessly on a daily basis.  His lectures are broadcasted live via satellite television and the Internet to audiences around the world.

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          Born in Lujiang County, Anhui Province, China, the Master studied Buddhism and the classics under the guidance of Professor Fang Dongmei, a great philosopher of his time; Zhangjia Living Buddha, a renowned monk of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition; and Mr. Li Bingnan, a lay practitioner and master of Buddhism.  In 1959, Master Chin Kung became a monk at Linji Temple in Yuanshan, Taipei and was given the Dharma name Chin Kung, which means "pure emptiness."  He has served as instructor at the Tripitaka Institute at Shipu Temple, professor of the School of Philosophy at the Chinese Culture University, and president of the Chinese Buddhist College.

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          Master Chin Kung founded the Hwa Dzan Dharma Giving Association, the Hwa Dzan Buddhist Audio-Visual Library, and the Corporate Body of the Buddha Educational Foundation in Taiwan.

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          For his achievements in building interfaith harmony and fostering peace, Master Chin Kung has been awarded honorary doctorate degrees and professorships by the University of Queensland, Griffith University, and the University of Southern Queensland, Australia; and Syarif Hidayatullan State Islamic University, Indonesia.  He is the Honorary Founding Patron of the Australian Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Queensland.

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          In 2005, Master Chin Kung was appointed to the Member of the Order of Australia in the General Division by Queen Elizabeth II.  He was recognized for service to the Buddhist community in Queensland, particularly through the propagation of Buddhism and the fostering of interfaith activities between diverse ethnic groups, and to the community through support for educational and health institutions.

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          In 2006, Master Chin Kung and the PLLCA were invited by UNESCO to co-organize the event "Celebrating the 2550th Birth Anniversary of the Buddha" at UNESCO Headquarters, Paris.  The subject of the event was "Discover the Buddhist Contribution to Humanity" to enable more people to learn from the Buddha how to reconcile conflict and promote social stability and world peace through teaching.  The goal was to prove that through the moral teachings of sages and saints, it is possible to teach people to be good, and it is possible to teach people of different faiths to live together harmoniously.

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          In 2009, Master Chin Kung was appointed as an International Trustee of Religions for Peace, an international peace organization, which is active on every continent.  Its mission is to create multi-religious partnerships to confront issues such as stopping war, ending poverty, and protecting the earth.

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          Since the late 1990's, Master Chin Kung has both initiated and participated in interfaith forums and summits in many countries speaking on the importance of education.  He explains that it is imperative that all religious teachers sincerely "Learn to be a teacher and act as a role model for all" and encourages these teachers to practice the teachings of the sages and saints in their daily life, delve deeply into the teachings of their own religions, and also humbly learn from other religions.

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          Currently he is lecturing the Infinite Life Sutra hoping that the daily teachings can transform the current mindset of people today and help foster world peace.

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          Master Chin Kung's message of loving-kindness and compassion for all has been the central theme of his teaching.  Harboring thoughts of sincerity, respect, humility, and harmony and dedication to help all beings to gain long-lasting happiness and joy has been his meaning of life.

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          For more info on the teachings from Master Chin Kung, you can find a comprehensive list of his recorded lectures and speeches at the Collected Talks of Master Chin Kung website.

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          To learn more about the works of Master Chin Kung co-organized with UNESCO, you can find the past and future events at the Association of Master Chin Kung's Friends at UNESCO.

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