Namo Amituofo
Namo Amitabha Buddha
Venerable Master Renshan 仁山法师
Venerable Master Renshan is the abbot of Zhenning Pure Land Temple in China.
Master Renshan is a renowned Buddhist Dharma master from China, in the lineage of Chinese Pure Land Buddhism. He was born in Shangshui county, Henan Province, in 1980. In 1996, he became a monk at Jiangsu Wujin Buddhist Temple when he was only fifteen.
Causes of becoming a monk
Master Renshan was born into a Buddhist family. His ancestors were all devoted Buddhists for many past generations. When Master Renshan was a child, he once witnessed a funeral procession. He asked what had happened. "Someone died," was the reply he got. He became very curious about "death" and asked his mum, "What is death? Why do people die? Where do we go after death? Can we not die?" His mum replied briefly and said, "Everyone will die. Death is very normal." But this answer did not satisfy him. For a long time, this question had bothered him — how can we solve the problem of death?
The life story of Shakyamuni Buddha especially inspired him. When the Buddha first came out of the palace and saw an old man, a sick person, a dead body and a Brahmin ascetic, he was determined to solve all sufferings in life. At that time, Master Renshan felt that Buddhism was the subject he ought to study in order to gain liberation from reincarnation, the eternal cycle of birth and death.
His devoted Buddhist father knew what he was thinking and asked if he wanted to become a monk. His father highly praised the merits of becoming a monk and told him, "If you become a monk, I will also become a monk. If you don't want to become a monk, I will look after you until you turn 18, and I will become a monk myself."
Master Renshan carefully observed the conventional lives most people follow: finish school, get a job, make money, start a family, get married and finally, die. "Shall my life be just like this?" Master Renshan thought to himself — of course not! After three years of careful consideration, he decided to follow the Buddha's path, become a monk, and pursue the path of awakening.
His parents accompanied him to become a monk when he was only fifteen. His father also became a monk soon after, and a few years later, his mother joined happily to become a Buddhist nun.
Master Renshan studied with the Venerable Master Chin Kung (the world’s most renowned modern Pure Land Dharma master who attained rebirth in 2022). Master Chin Kung studied with lay Dharma teacher Lee Ping-nan. Lee Ping-nan studied with the 13th Patriarch Master Yinguang. So to study Pure Land Dharma with us is to study under the direct lineage of Chinese Pure Land Buddhism.
For many years, Master Renshan has dedicated himself wholeheartedly to promoting Buddhism to benefit all sentient beings. Since 2009 until now, he has been invited extensively to give Dharma talks in China, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Australia, India, Sri Lanka, Spain, Italy, and Portugal, for over 3200 lectures, which overseas Chinese have very well received.
Master Renshan advocates that Buddhism is inseparable from life. Buddhism is the way to happiness. The purpose of learning Buddhism is to help us live happier lives. Promoting Buddhism is to serve society and benefit all sentient beings.
Video of Venerable Master Renshan’s Zhenning Pure Land Temple in Qingtian, Zhejiang, China
Jiawen 嘉文
Jiawen (Dharma name) is a disciple of Venerable Master Renshan, a renowned Pure Land Dharma master in China (see biography above). She lived and studied in his Zhenning Pure Land temple in China for three years.
Originally born in China, Jiawen moved to Australia at the age of fifteen. After completing a law degree from Melbourne Law School, she embarked on a ten-year spiritual journey. She travelled to many countries to learn from different spiritual teachers. Throughout her journey, she also practised many different paths, such as Yoga, Sufism, Tantra, Shamanism, and Taoism, just to name a few. She eventually found her way to Pure Land Buddhism, and through her practice, she knows that this is the path she will stick with for the rest of her life while she is here on Earth. She also hopes to share the Pure Land Dharma with as many people as possible, and she is particularly passionate about introducing the Nianfo practice and Chinese Pure Land Buddhism to the Western audience. She currently resides in Melbourne, Australia.
Pure Land Buddhism is an initiative by Jiawen to share the Pure Land Dharma in English.
Education:
Juris Doctor, University of Melbourne
Master of Laws (LLM) in Chinese Business Law, Chinese University of Hong Kong (Dean’s List)
Bachelor of Commerce, University of Melbourne