本來面目 is a beautifully made documentary about the life of renowned buddhist monk Master Sheng Yen 圣严法师.
I’ve watched this documentary several times over the past couple of days. It’s likely I’ll watch it again from time to time in the future. The journey of Master Sheng Yen is both inspiring and encouraging.
This documentary also introduced me to Dharma Drum Mountain, leading me to discover the Dharma Drum Mountain Malaysia branch in PJ. I’ll certainly pay it a visit one day.
Taiwan is home to four prominent Buddhist masters, collectively referred to as the Four Great Mountains or the Four Heavenly Kings, each representing one of the cardinal regions in Taiwan:
- Dharma Drum Mountain 法鼓山 (North)
- Fo Guang Shan 佛光山 (South)
- Tzu Chi Foundation 慈濟基金會 (East)
- Chung Tai Shan 中台山 (West)
I’ll be learning more about them gradually.
Master Sheng Yen is considered a rather “modern” Buddhist teacher. In addition to being a renowned Buddhist figure, he is also a religious scholar and writer who holds a Doctorate in Buddhist literature from Rissho University.
I’ll begin by getting and reading one of Master’s early translation works: 戒律學綱要.