Abbot 方丈 | Shaolin NA Association

Abbot Shi Yongxin, local name Liu Yingcheng, was born in 1965, his hometown in Yingshang, Anhui province. He got to Shaolin Temple in 1981 and respected Abbot Xingzheng, the twenty-ninth abbot of Shaolin Temple, as his master. Abbot Xingzheng passed away in 1987 and then Shi Yongxin took over the position of director of Shaolin Temple Management Committee, comprehensively presiding over the Shaolin Temple’ s affairs. Shi Yongxin got the honor to become the abbot of Shaolin Temple in 1999.

Abbot Shi Yongxin has been selected as president of the Buddhist Association of Henan Province ever since selected in July of 1998. Abbot Shi Yongxin has been selected as the president of the Buddhist Association of China ever since September of 2002. Abbot Shi Yongxin has been respectively selected as the deputy to the ninth, tenth, eleventh and twelfth National People’s Congress ever since March of 1998.

Abbot Shi Yongxin has been guiding Shaolin Sangha to stick to right mindfulness and right formation, going deep into collection of sutras and propagating dharma rain extensively since presiding over the Shaolin Temple’ s affairs; renovate the temple and reform the temple’ s order and rules; respectively built the Shaolin Kung Monk Corps, the Shaolin Philanthropic Foundation, Dew of Chan Journal, Shaolin Temple’ s official website and Shaolin Charity House; neaten and mine Shaolin culture, and establish science of Shaolin; greatly carry forward Buddhist dharma meanwhile pay attention to restoring traditional Buddhist culture, Shaolin Temple’ s Shaolin Pharmacy Bureau, Meditation Hall, and holding the Chan Qi dharma assembly, Shaolin Chan Inquiries, the Three Ordination Platforms Precept Transmission ceremony, the Buddhist Medicine forum, the Water Land Dharma Function, etc.; conduct different kinds of cultural exchange activities, promote Shaolin culture’ s “Go Out” policy and so on, greatly contributing to the development of Shaolin Temple and propagation of Shaolin culture.

Abbot Shi Yongxin strictly maintains the discipline and precepts, makes unremitting efforts and pays equal attention to Buddhist practice and theory. To cultivate monastic talents, abbot Yongxin successively sent hundreds of monastics to Buddhist colleges or universities at home and abroad for advanced study, making many Buddhist disciples of younger age a success through visiting temples across the country or learning from Elders practicing in remote mountains. To further restore Buddhist monasteries in Henan province, dharma master actively raised funds to build Shaolin Temple’ s affiliated temples including Chaohua Temple in Xinmi county, Donglin Temple in Xingyang county, Guanyin Temple in Shangqiu city, Shuiyu Temple in Dengfeng county, Ciyun Temple in Gongyi county, Kongxiang Temple in Sanmenxia city and so on. These affiliated temples have begun making shape and having a certain influence.

Abbot Shi Yongxin advocates “Chinese Religions Go Out” in international exchanges. Overseas cultural centers built in Berlin, London, Los Angeles, New York, Australia, and so on totaling of over 40 countries, let people all over the world get to know Shaolin. Abbot Shi Yongxin, with the Four Boundless minds, launches conversations among different religions and plays an active role in international communication to make people of different faith benefit from religions of China.

In the meantime, abbot Shi Yongxin, with his vow “love, compassion, joy and equanimity achieve the future”, set up Shaolin Charity House and successively adopted hundreds of orphans, making them have a warm and happy surrounding to grow up better, and aiding financially thousands of poverty students to make them finish school.

Abbot Shi Yongxin’ s Works

Abbot Yongxin is energetic, studying hard with curiousness. He’ s only sleeping 5-6 hours per day and always takes time off to read and also be diligent in writing no matter how busy he deals with temple affairs. Abbot Shi Yongxin’ s published works in recent years include Dew of Chan series, My Heart My Buddha, Shaolin Temple in My Heart (Chinese and English version), etc.; compiled dozens of books included Shaolin Temple (large album), Collection of Shaolin Kungfu (the second series), Medical Secret Records of Shaolin Kungfu, Encyclopedia of Shaolin Temple (three volumes), Chan Buddhism Grand Ceremony (200 volumes), Chinese Martial Arts Grand Ceremony (101 volumes), Medical Encyclopedia of Chinese Buddhism (101 volumes), Essays of International Seminar on Chan Culture, Science of Shaolin Anthology, Shaolin Kungfu, Chan Happiness, Heart Sutra of Bodhisattva and so on.