About Us

Venerable Master Wudao, with the lay name Lin Zhengdao, was born on December 1, 1951, in Taipei County, Taiwan. He grew up in Xizhi and Wudu. At a young age, he felt the impermanence of life and the importance of matters concerning birth and death.

In 1966, he was introduced to Buddhism by his elder brother, sparking an immense interest in the teachings of Buddhism. He then abandoned secular studies and devoted himself to the study of Buddhism. Initially, he took refuge in the Triple Gem under Ven. Xingyun at Shoushan Temple in Kaohsiung, where he received the Dharma name Huiming. He also listened to various venerable masters such as Xian Dun and Jingxin lecturing on sutras like the Agamas and the Dhammapada on Buddhist radio programs.

In 1969, he listened to Ven. Master Guangqin lecturing on various Mahayana sutras and Pure Land texts at Lianyou Nianfo Group in Longjiang Street, Taipei, including the Surangama Sutra, Avatamsaka Sutra, Commentary on the Amitabha Sutra, Explanations of the Amitabha Sutra, Essentials of the Lotus Sutra, Diamond Sutra, Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment, Sutra of the Past Vows of Earth Store Bodhisattva, Questions of Ananda on What the Buddha Said about Fortune and Misfortune, and Treatise on the Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana, as well as the Five Pure Land Sutras and the Treatise on the Middle Way.

In 1984, under the guidance of Ven. Guangqin, he received ordination and was given the Dharma name Wudao at the Buddha Education Foundation in Taipei City.

In 1985, he received the full ordination under Ven. Guangqin at Miaotong Temple in Liugui Township, Kaohsiung County. In 1986, he was invited by Han Guan, the director of the Jingmei Huazang Buddhist Library in Taipei City, to serve as the head of the household, handle Dharma affairs, personnel management, and printing of sutras.

Starting from 1990, encouraged by Ven. Guangqin and Director Han, he began lecturing on sutras at various Buddhist study groups and Pure Land associations, delivering teachings on the Infinite Life Sutra, Explanations of the Amitabha Sutra, Commentary on the Visualization Sutra of Amitabha Buddha, Essence of the Contemplation of Amitayus Sutra, The Eight Realizations of the Great Beings Sutra, Sutra on the Ten Wholesome Ways of Action, Earth Store Sutra, Treatise on Rebirth, and The Four Lessons for a Human Life, among others, in Mandarin and Taiwanese dialects, for over ten years.

In 1996, he was invited to lecture on the Infinite Life Sutra in Taiwanese dialect in Singapore by the Singapore Pure Land Association and Buddhist Laymen's Association.

After participating in the third Dharma Propagation Training Course organized by the Singapore Pure Land Association in 1997, he began propagating the Dharma overseas, learning from Ven. Master Guangqin's specialized propagation of the Pure Land school worldwide, urging practitioners worldwide to sincerely recite the Buddha's name and aspire for rebirth in the Western Pure Land.

In 1998, he served as the president of the Changhua Pure Land Association and the Seattle Pure Land Association in the United States.

In 1999, he founded and was elected as the first chairman of the registered association Hua Zang Pure Land Studies Association, recognized by the Ministry of the Interior in Taiwan.

In 2000, he was appointed honorary president of the New York Pure Land Association and the Michigan Pure Land Association in the United States, as well as a lecturer at the Spain Pure Land Association.

In 2001, at the request of Ven. Guangong, he served as the abbot of the Bao'en Nianfo Hall in Kuching, Malaysia.

In 2002, he was re-elected as the second-term chairman of the Hua Zang Pure Land Studies Association. In the same year, to pray for disaster relief and world peace, he followed Ven. Guangqin's instructions to print and catalogue the Qianlong Tripitaka, printing ten thousand sets and distributing them to relevant university libraries or national libraries worldwide.

On June 30, 2003, the Master's website, dedicated to Ven. Master Guangqin, was established, providing various cultural teachings and international visit reports. On October 1 of the same year, the Hua Zang Pure Land Studies Association website was established to promote Buddhist education and expand the association's multicultural propagation concepts, using Mandarin and Taiwanese dialects for easy reference by the public.

In 2004, on January 25th, accompanied by Venerable Master Empty Cloud, he attended the "Prayer for World Peace" conference organized by the United Nations in Japan. From November 13th to 21st, he hosted an exhibition titled "Variations of Hell" at the Komyoji Temple in Kyoto, Japan, featuring paintings by Master Jang I-ja.

In May 2005, he was invited by fellow practitioners from the United States and Canada to speak on the practices of the Seven Buddhas and continuous mindfulness of Buddha.

In October 2006, he participated in supporting the UNESCO event commemorating the 2550th anniversary of the Buddha's birth in Paris, France.

In November 2006, he took over as the chairman of the Taiwan Guanyin Buddhist Association, serving as the 6th, 7th, 9th, and 10th terms.

On May 30, 2007, he was appointed as the abbot of the Gongbei Temple in Xizhi City, Taipei County, Taiwan Province. He hoped to promote the spirit of traditional multicultural education advocating the integration of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism through the Gongbei Temple.

On April 1, 2008, he established the "Huazang Pure Land Buddhist Study Association Tokyo Office" in Tokyo.

On April 25, 2008, at the invitation of Master Man, the abbot of the actual Zen Temple in Lujiang, the Master initiated the "Protecting the Country and Eliminating Calamity Seven Times Recitation Dharma Assembly." The Master personally wrote the invitation letter and was given the title of "Recitation Master." Until March 25, 2010, he successfully completed 700 sessions of the Protecting the Country and Eliminating Calamity Dharma Assembly, praying for national prosperity, favorable weather, and world peace.

On March 11, 2008, with the approval of the Civil Affairs Bureau of Taipei City Government, the Huazang Pure Land Buddhist Propagation Foundation was established, and he was honored as the first chairman.

On January 30, 2010, the "Protecting the Country and Eliminating Calamity Seven Three-Times Recitation Dharma Assembly" was initiated at the Shuangxi Cottage Dharma Hall of the Lingyan Mountain Temple in Taipei. On December 30, 2011, the 700th session was successfully completed. It was restarted on January 1, 2012, and completed on November 30, 2013. Adhering to the compassionate command of Master Man to hold seven sessions of 700 recitations, the Shuangxi Cottage Dharma Hall of Lingyan Mountain Temple has been holding the Three-Times Recitation Dharma Assembly for the protection of the country and the elimination of calamity.

On November 2, 2012, he initiated the Seven-Seven Recitation Dharma Assembly, which lasted for 49 days until December 20. From the 21st to the 23rd, a three-day calamity-reciting Dharma assembly was held at the Shuangxi Cottage Dharma Hall of the Lingyan Mountain Temple, praying for the blessing of the Buddha, gathering the good thoughts and recitations of everyone, turning the fate, transforming calamities, making heaven and earth peaceful, the country prosperous, and the world peaceful. The Dharma assembly was co-led by the Zhonghua Huazang Pure Land Buddhist Study Association, Sanzhong Pure Land Buddhist Study Association, Shuangxi Cottage Dharma Hall of Lingyan Mountain Temple Sanzhong Pure Land Branch, Huazang Pure Land Buddhist Propagation Foundation, Pingzhen Pure Land Bodhi Nianfo Association, Huazang Yilan Nianfo Hall, and Tainan Huazang Lotus Society. The entire Dharma assembly was broadcast live on the Internet, and Buddhist disciples around the world practiced together through the Internet.

In September 2013, he was appointed as a lecturer by the Traditional Culture Foundation of Tainan City National Academy.

In January 2014, he took over as the chairman of the Third Council of the Chinese Traditional Culture Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism Education Association, revised the organization's articles, and renamed it the Chinese Traditional Culture Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism Education Association. He engaged in promoting Chinese traditional culture and Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism education.

On February 3, 2014, the Japanese Ministry of Justice officially recognized the religious group activities of Huazang in Japan.

In 2015, Venerable Empty Cloud accepted an invitation from the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, UK, to collaborate on establishing a Sinology Institute, promoting the teaching of Chinese characters and classical Chinese, aiming to use Chinese characters and classical Chinese as carriers of world culture, and then spread the essence of Chinese traditional culture left by ancient saints and sages: "Qunshu Zhiyao," "Guoxue Zhiyao," and "Siku Quanshu." To realize Venerable Empty Cloud's grand and long-term ideal, he was appointed to establish the "British Huazang Pure Land Buddhist Study Association" in London in October to unite Huazang Pure Land Buddhist Study Associations in various European countries, organize volunteer guardians, and jointly support the Sinology Institute.

On July 15, 2016, the Japanese government officially approved the establishment of the "General Association Japan Huazang Pure Land Buddhist Study Association," and it was formally registered with the Ministry of Justice on the same day.

In September 2016, he was appointed as an honorary consultant by the International Buddhist University of Longxi in Sri Lanka, and he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Literature degree by the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, UK.

On January 23, 2019, he became the abbot of Taihe Bore Temple in Tainan.

On March 28, 2019, he was appointed as a municipal consultant by the New Taipei City Government (term until December 24, 2022).

On January 17, 2023, he accepted an invitation from the North American Amitabha Village to serve as the chief consultant for Buddhism.

Past positions: Chairman of the Huazang Pure Land Buddhist Propagation Foundation, Chairman of the Zhonghua Huazang Pure Land Buddhist Study Association, President of the Changhua Pure Land Buddhist Study Association, Abbot of the Huazang Yilan Nianfo Hall, Abbot of the Shuangxi Cottage Dharma Hall of Lingyan Mountain Temple in Taipei, Honorary President of the Seattle Pure Land Buddhist Study Association, Honorary President of the New York Pure Land Buddhist Study Association, Advisor to the Spanish Pure Land Buddhist Study Association, Lecturer at the Australian Pure Land Buddhist Academy, Director and Abbot of the Gongbei Temple in Xizhi City, Taipei, Abbot of the Sanzhong Pure Land Branch of Lingyan Mountain Temple in Taipei, President of the Tainan Huazang Lotus Society, Chairman of the Chinese Buddhist Association of the Republic of China, Lecturer at the Tainan National Academy of Classical Learning, Chairman of the Chinese Traditional Culture Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism Education Association, Abbot of the Bamboo Forest Branch of Lingyan Mountain Temple in Taipei, President of the British Huazang Pure Land Buddhist Study Association, Chairman of the General Association Japan Huazang Pure Land Buddhist Study Association, Honorary Consultant of the International Buddhist University of Longxi in Sri Lanka, Abbot of Taihe Bore Temple in Tainan, and Chief Consultant of Buddhism for North American Amitabha Village.