CT Sunnyvale Temple Introduction

The Dharma Masters At The Zen Center of Sunnyvale

Master Jian Hu

Master Jian Hu's life encompasses both Eastern and Western cultures. He came to the United States as a teenager and went on to graduate from California Institute of Technology and University of California, San Diego with a doctorate in Computer Science. In pursuit of a more meaningful existence, he renounced all worldly attachments to study under the auspices of the Great Master Wei Chueh at the Chung Tai Monastery in Taiwan. There, for many years, he immersed himself deeply in the study and practice of Buddhism and made great advances on the Dharma path of wisdom and compassion.

In October of the year 2000, Master Jian Hu and four other monks came to California to establish the Buddha Gate Monastery in the picturesque town of Lafayette. Here, Master Jian Hu, as the first Abbot of the Monastery, by the example of his own selfless life and by giving spiritual lectures and meditation sessions, hopes to bring the ancient yet timeless wisdom of Buddhism to the public.

The mission of the Chung Tai Zen Center at Sunnyvale, CA is to teach the truths of Buddhism and lead all sentient beings to the attainment of liberation through the practice of Chan meditation. Master Jian Hu, educated in the forefront of western sciences yet with a deep affection for classical Chinese culture, is uniquely suited to bridging the gap between the East and the West. He speaks fluently both in English and in Chinese, giving both elementary and advanced lessons in the meditative practice taught by the Buddha himself. Under the Master's patient and compassionate guidance, students learn that enlightenment must be achieved by one's own efforts.The Master also conducts informal discussion groups where students can ask questions freely; he always finds time for personal consultation. His students deeply admire his wisdom as well as his patience and humor. Benefiting much from the Master's teachings, they return week after week. Through him they will discover their luminous Buddha nature. Through him they will travel with joy the direct road to enlightenment.

Master Jian Hu was previously Dean of the Buddhist Institute at Chung Tai Monastery in Taiwan. He has conducted numerous Chan Meditation retreats, and given many lectures at meditation centers and universities in Taiwan, including Hsinchu Science Park, the "Silicon Valley of Taiwan".

Master Jian Xie

The Zen Center of Sunnyvale welcome a new Vice Abbot, Jian Xie Shifu, in early February 2005. An experienced Dharma Master, he had served as the Liturgy Master, Managing Director, as well as Abbot at various Chung Tai Zen Centers in Taiwan.

Back in his school days, Jian Xie Shifu had a fondness of Confucianism for its philosophy on improving oneself and social order. He also liked Chuang Tzu, a sage advocating the joy and freedom of soaring above material things and being one with nature. Unexpectedly he came across “Notable Words of Shakyamuni Buddha,” and was deeply drawn to the encompassing wisdom and truth he found that are more profound and complete than Confucianism and Taoism.

Upon entering college, Jian Xie Shifu decided to seek a greater understanding of the Dharma. In the summer of freshman year, he participated in a seven day Buddha Recitation Retreat. On the last day, amid the continuous solemn chanting, he tasted for the first time the indescribable joy of the vast stillness and emptiness of body and mind. Nonetheless, he could not yet comprehend the true meaning of liberation. In pursuit, he attended a Chan Seven Retreat presided by Grand Master Wei Chueh at a Chung Tai monastery. After immersing in the Grand Master’s sweet dew of the Dharma, he experienced a deeper appreciation and firmer faith in the meaning of the original true mind in Chan (or Zen) Buddhism.

After completing the draft duties in 1998, he joined the monastic order under Grand Master Wei Chueh, one of the living legend in Chan Buddhism. He completely dwelt in the study of the Dharma and received full ordination later that year.

We are grateful to our Grand Master for sending Jian Xie Shifu to the U.S. as our new Vice Abbot to assist the propagation of the Dharma in the South Bay. He looks forward to working in cooperating with all disciples to radiate the essence of Zen Buddhism to all sentient beings in every corner in America. Incidentally, the word “Xie” means, “to assist or cooperate,” it is also part of the term “harmony.”

Master Jian Gong

Whenever visitors come to the Sunnyvale Zen Center's reception hall, Master Jian Gong is always there to greet them. His warm smile, his kind demeanor and his enthusiasm make everyone feel welcome. He is busy with many duties in and out of the office but is never too busy to answer visitors' questions and make them feel at home. Master Jian Gong is now the Executive Director of Dharma Affairs.

Master Jian Gong, while searching for the answer to the meaning of life and suffering, found in the teachings of the Buddha a clear and yet profound message. He was thus inspired to become a follower of the Great Master Wei Chueh in order to achieve enlightenment and to teach others the path so as to lead them to liberation. We deeply admire his generous and compassionate nature.

Master Jian Di

In September 2005, we welcomed the arrival of Ven. Jian Di from our parent Chung Tai Chan Monastery in Taiwan. After receiving a college degree in Physics and a graduate degree in Optical Engineering from renowned universities in Taiwan, Jian Di Shifu decided to follow the Venerable Master Wei Chueh, a contemporary legend in Zen Buddhism. He joined the monastic and became a fully ordained monk under the Grand Master in 1993. He had served as a lecturer, the Dean of Studies, as well as the Dean of Chung Tai Buddhist Institute for Monks at both the college and graduate divisions. Characteristically analytical, methodical, and disciplined, Jian Di Shifu delved thoroughly into the Buddhist Dharma and realized deeply its profound wisdom. He is especially effective in articulating the subtle meanings in the Dharma and he can explain eloquently the complexity of the Buddha’s teachings in simple, comprehensible terms. Presently at the Zen Center, Jian Di Shifu serves as a Dharma teacher of an advance level sutra class in Chinese, actively participates in sutra translation, and assists in the monthly Dharma ceremony and other Zen services. He is very dedicated to improving and expanding his English skills, studying and practicing diligently the intricate usage of the language. Not far from now, we will see another high caliber Chung Tai Dharma Master actively spreading Chinese Zen Buddhism in the West.

A learned student in science, Jian Di Shifu is keenly aware of how the timeless wisdom and rational practicality of Buddhism could benefit workers and residents in the high-tech Silicon Valley. For many of them, the gratification from material wealth cannot shield them from the problems of stress and anxiety. To some, true happiness may even have become an unreachable goal. “Our mind is our Buddha land. When our mind is clear, we are in effect living in the pure Buddha land,” summed up by Jian Di Shifu. He encourages everyone to take full advantage of the classes and programs offered by the Zen Center of Sunnyvale which is located in the heart of Silicon Valley. “By studying the Dharma and practicing meditation, we will increase our blessings and extend our merits and wisdom. By raising the quality of our spiritual life, we will find our inherent pure land in our mind. With that, we will be at ease and have infinite bliss.”

In this melting pot of the United States with all its technical advances, the four monks of the Zen Center of Sunnyvale wish to continue the perpetuation of Buddhism in this country. Like the compassionate Buddha, their mission is to lead all of us who come to study the Buddha's teachings to a more meaningful life, to the discovery of our Buddha Nature and to the achievement of perfect enlightenment.

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