Venerable Master Shen-Kai was born in 1918, in Guizhou, China. From a very early age, he showed extraordinary qualities which revealed wisdom and compassion beyond his years. At a tender age of five, he was able to treat illnesses with herbal remedies. By the time he was seven, his advanced literary ability and insight were evident; standing on Lotus Mountain with his school teacher, gazing over the lands below, he spontaneously composed a piece of poetry which described ‘seeing through the illusion of worldly life’. The Venerable Master was enlightened at twelve. In the years that followed, he rapidly advanced through his formal education and graduated from Zhejiang University. By the age of 20, he was head of a county.

The Venerable Master was a tranquil and humble person who readily radiated a natural warmth that put people at ease. His sole concern was always for the peace and lasting happiness of sentient beings. He studied many religions and was so deeply inspired by Buddhism that he became a monk and devoted his life to creating bliss for humanity, rejuvenating Buddhism and benefiting society. He wrote more than a hundred books on

Buddhist practice and established Jen Chen Buddhism centres in many countries. Also, he accepted invitations from all over the world to give Dharma talks. For his talks, he would open the floor to the audience so they could ask whatever questions they had, and he would guide them according to their various conditions and levels of understanding. With the wisdom of an enlightened teacher, he would convey the profound Dharma with such simplicity and clarity that they instantly awakened to the very essence of it. Thus, he struck a powerful chord with people everywhere. People were filled with inner joy, illumination and an inspiration to unfold their own wisdom through practice of the Bodhisattva Way. To this day, Venerable Master Shen-Kai’s books and magazines on Humanity Vehicle Buddhism continue to be published and received globally.

Having been the first to promote Humanity Vehicle (pronounced ‘Jen Chen’ in Chinese) as expounded by Buddha, Venerable Master Shen-Kai is honoured as ‘The promoting teacher of World Jen Chen Buddhism’. And in gratitude of his dedication in bringing a bliss culture to humanity, the Venerable Master is also revered by many people across nations as the ‘Bodhisattva of Bliss’.

With true spirit of a Bodhisattva, the Venerable Master worked tirelessly in hope that all beings part from suffering, that the earth becomes a blissful pure land, that humanity achieves happiness and everyone attains enlightenment. His compassionate vows were magnanimous and far-reaching. Never seeking peace and happiness for himself alone, he vowed to return to our world lifetime upon lifetime to guide humanity to purify their mind. Venerable Master Shen-Kai hoped that many more Bodhisattvas-to-be will be inspired to join in the effort to bring about a bright and blissful world for all; the Pure Land where we will welcome the birth and supreme enlightenment of Maitreya, our next Buddha.