True Buddha School

The True Buddha School (Chinese: 真佛宗; pinyin: Zhēn Fó Zōng; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Chin-hu̍t-chong) is a (Vajrayana oriented) Buddhist sect founded in the 1970s. While predominantly focused on Tantric Buddhist teachings and practices, it also includes practices and deities from Taoism. Its headquarters are in Redmond, Washington, USA, and the school has a large following in Taiwan and East Asia.[1] There are also many temples and chapters worldwide, except in China where the sect is reportedly on a list of banned religious organisations.[2]

Part of a series on
Vajrayana Buddhism
Vajra
Traditions
Historical traditions:

New branches:
History
Pursuit
Practices

Tantric techniques:

Fourfold division:

Twofold division:

Thought forms and visualisation:

Yoga:
Festivals
Tantric texts
Symbols and tools
Ordination and transmission

In 1975 Lu Sheng-yen established Ling Xian Zong (School of Efficacious Immortals) in Taiwan and he officially changed its name to True Buddha School in 1983.[3] Lu's followers call him "His Holiness Living Buddha Lian Sheng." Lu has written 294 books [as of May 2023].[4]

True Buddha School's funding relies heavily on donations, supplemented by the income from the publication from Lu's books. The money is distributed through the Sheng-Yen Lu Foundation[5] and the Lotus Light Charity Society, which has branches in Vancouver[6] and Singapore.[7]

The school's main temple, the Ling Shen Ching Tze Temple in Redmond.
The main shrine in the main temple.

Chapters

The school has chapters in North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and Latin America. The main temple, the Ling Shen Ching Tze Temple, is located in Redmond, Washington, USA.

The majority of the school's followers are in Asia, and in North America, Australia, and Europe the majority of the students are Asian immigrants or of Asian descent.[1]

Controversy

Lu and the Ling Shen Ching Tze Temple Seattle were sued unsuccessfully in civil court by a former Malaysian immigrant disciple over an allegation of sexual misconduct whilst living in the temple dormitories. The King County, Washington prosecutor declined to file charges for lack of evidence.[8]

Notes
  1. Ho, Jacqueline (2015-05-01). Insular Buddhist Communities and Attendance Patterns: The True Buddha School and the Calgary Pai Yuin Temple's Outreach to the Wider Community (PhD thesis). University of Calgary. doi:10.11575/PRISM/26564.
  2. Yang, Fenggang (2018). Atlas of religion in China: social and geographical contexts. J. E. E. Pettit. Leiden: Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-35885-0. OCLC 1028838788.
  3. "True Buddha School Introductory Handbook" (PDF).
  4. 真佛般若藏. tbboyeh.org. Retrieved 2021-03-12.
  5. "Sheng-Yen Lu Foundation". Retrieved 2023-05-16.
  6. "Lotus Light Charity Society Vancouver". Lotus Light Charity Society Vancouver. 2023-04-11. Retrieved 2023-05-30.
  7. "Lotus Light Charity Society (Singapore) – Non-Profit". Retrieved 2023-05-30.
  8. S.H.C. and F.M., Appellants, v. Sheng-Yen LU, an individual;  and Ling Shen Ching Tze Temple, Inc., a corporation, Respondents

References
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