The Western True Buddha Assembly, Maha Twin Lotus Ponds, the Eighteen Mahapadmakumaras, the Holy Revered One Robed in White, the Holy Red Crown Vajra Master, the Secret Master of the Realm of Vajra-mantra, the Great Enlightened Founder of Ling Xian True Buddha School: the Illustrious Tantrika Sheng-Yen Lu.
There are two reasons why he is honored as "Living Buddha":
Living Buddha Lian Sheng has undergone extensive spiritual training and attainment in Christianity, Taoism, Exoteric Buddhism, and Vajrayana Buddhism.
The Lu Sheng-Yen Literary Collection chronicles Living Buddha Lian Sheng's spiritual journey from cultivation to enlightenment.
Living Buddha Lian-sheng highly values punctuality, honor and integrity, as well as diligence with perseverance. Each day he writes one article, practices Dharma, recites buddhas' epithets or mantras, and has kept this daily consistency over decades.
He advocates "being natural, and wu wei - action without the intent of gaining anything." He actively carries out all endeavors diligently, but is never pretentious. He delights in tranquility, but even amidst movement and activity, he remains calm and at ease, going with the flow of affinities, letting things take their natural course.
Cherishing affinities and blessings throughout his life, Living Buddha Lian-sheng practices the four immeasurables of loving-kindness, compassion, empathetic joy, and equanimity. Free from arrogance and greed, he is calm, without strife, and retreats from success and fame.
Living Buddha Lian-sheng often reminds True Buddha School practitioners to be open and sincere in their interaction with others, to support each other, and always maintain the nature of a spiritual cultivator. He cautions disciples that the most important thing in spiritual cultivation is the cultivation of one's heart, and the cultivation of one's heart requires one to develop bodhichitta, and be free from all appearances. One has to take full responsibility for all of one's own karma.
An enlightened living buddha has a mind that encompasses the universe, and his mind and the universe are one. The universal consciousness is equivalent to his mind, and thus his thoughts give rise to dharma power, forming various kinds of inconceivable supernatural powers to help sentient beings, enabling them to increase in blessings and wisdom.
Living Buddha Lian-sheng has firmly said: As long as one follows True Buddha Tantric Dharma and continually practices with diligence, there will come a day when one becomes "enlightened," and arrives at the state of liberation.
Living Buddha Lian-sheng has in fact already made vows in numerous past lifetimes to save and deliver sentient beings in each lifetime. "To save sentient beings even if my body and bones are shattered." "Not to attain buddhahood until hell is empty."
Living Buddha Lian-sheng's life in the United States is virtually the same every day. In the morning he writes, in the afternoon he replies to letters, in the evening he practices Dharma (to pray for blessings for sentient beings and for the averting of disasters), meditates and travels out-of-body (to bless and save sentient beings), and is an enlightened master of the ten dharma realms. For the sake of Dharma, for the sake of sentient beings, he carries out all endeavors with infinite diligence and zeal.
As long as one practices Dharma sincerely, Living Buddha Lian-sheng can enter into the dreams of sentient beings, to teach, bless, and save... Only a truly accomplished adept would be able to manifest such supernatural dharma power, and sentient beings should know to cherish it.
Living Buddha Lian-sheng's life has undergone the following stages: learning Dharma, disseminating Dharma, traveling to teach the Dharma, and entering seclusion/retreat.
From 1989, he began to travel around the world, establishing kindred affinities everywhere, saving and delivering sentient beings. After traveling for a time, he would definitely return to the True Buddha Tantric Quarters, and all correspondence and taking of refuge, continue to be handled by True Buddha Tantric Quarters, in Redmond, USA.
Living Buddha Liansheng, whose secular name is Sheng-Yen Lu, was born in Chiayi, Taiwan in 1945. He graduated from the Department of Geodesy and Land Surveying of Chung Cheng Institute of Technology, and propagates True Buddha Tantric Dharma through his writings, paintings, dharma discourses and other means. Disciples who have taken refuge worldwide number more than five million, including many well-known Tibetan Rinpoches.
H.H. Living Buddha Liansheng , Sheng-Yen Lu, was born at noon on June 27, 1945 (May 18 of the lunar calendar) in a chicken coop by the Niu Chou River in Houhu Chiayi, Taiwan while taking cover during an air raid in World War II time. His father was nineteen and his mother was eighteen at the time.
When he was in elementary school, he was baptized as a Christian at the Kaohsiung Christian Xinxing Presbyterian Church and graduated from the normal class. He used to be a Sunday school teacher and a Bible study teacher. Living Buddha Liansheng still has great respect for Jesus, calling Jesus "my Guru".
Bachelor of Engineering, graduated from the Geodetic Survey Department of Lianqin Survey School (class of 32nd). During his college days, he published four books—Light Smoke Collection, Dream Garden Whisper, Flying Blue Dreams, and Leaves Fly in the Wind. (Note: Lianqin Survey School, Army Polytechnic, and Naval Engineering College were merged into Chung Cheng Polytechnic Institute in 1969. Chung Cheng Polytechnic Institute, Three-Armed Services University, National Defense Management College, and National Defense Medical College were integrated into National Defense University in 2000.)
After graduating from university, he served in Taichung Nanmen Bridge 5802 Surveying Company and Lianqin Mapping Factory as a surveying officer. He won many literary and artistic awards, such as the Bronze Camel Award, the Silver Camel Award, the Golden Camel Award, the National Army Literary and Art Award (the highest honor in the military), and the Literary and Art Youth Medal. After ten years of service in the army, he, a major officer rank, was discharged at the age of 34.
Regarding writing, Living Buddha Liansheng said: "I write my book is not for fame and fortune. The purpose of my book is not to make money or become bestseller. Seriously speaking, it is just to promote the Buddha Dharma and reveal my true nature; nothing else. I am not a professional writer and I don’t have any special skills either. Naturally, I look for inspiration from my heart every day, and inspiration comes by itself …”
In 1969, H.H Living Buddha Liansheng was 25 years old
One morning, Living Buddha Liansheng dreamed that he was climbing a very high mountain and entered an ancient temple on the top of the mountain. An old Taoist priest put his palms together and said, "Did you just come? I've been waiting for you for a long time."
"Taoist priest and I don't know each other. How can we have an appointment?"
"How can we do not know each other? We traverse Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism and travel around the universe. We meet every five hundred years. Even if you fall into the underworld and become a demon, I will recognize you as you are!"
Next morning, mother was going to worship gods at the Jade Palace in Taichung, Taiwan on the same day. Living Buddha Liansheng, who was a Christian, went with her. In the temple, a woman in cyan color dress was kneeling in front of the gods; many people were standing beside her. She suddenly stood up and shouted, "Who is Sheng-Yen Lu? Who among you is Sheng-Yen Lu?" Mother asked Living Buddha Liansheng to go to cyan-dress lady. Cyan-dress lady Said, "The Bodhisattva hopes that you will stand up and do good deeds for the Bodhisattva, preach the teachings and resolve doubts, carry forward the spirit of Buddhism, promote good and suppress evil..." "I, I know nothing?" "Currently you know nothing. But, if you kneel down, you will know everything. I do not lie to you, come, kneel beside me and clasp your palms."
Living Buddha Liansheng followed her instruction - kneeled in front of the Bodhisattva, clasped his palms together and closed his eyes. Then a miracle suddenly appeared - A ray of light appeared in his eyes; in the light, there were three bodhisattvas sitting on lotus seats; all of them were shining brilliantly. The middle bodhisattva said, "Study Buddhism wholeheartedly". The two bodhisattvas on the left and right said, "Study Dharma wholeheartedly" and "Pursue virtue wholeheartedly." Then a golden-light-shining red cloth was dropped from the sky, on which was written two large golden words "Loyalty & Righteousness". I heard a voice from nowhere: "Now the Jade Emperor has promulgated the word "loyalty & righteousness" as the criterion for your behavior. You should ask your mind before you do anything that whether it is ethical or non-ethical. You should have nothing to feel ashamed of before God. Then by nature, you will be in line with Tao which has an eternal life; you will coexist with heaven and earth naturally.
Cyan-dress lady asked, "Have you seen it?" "I have seen it, and heard it, but how is this possible?" Cyan-dress lady said, "There are many things in the world that you could never have imagined, but today you finally see and hear them. Slowly, you will also understand the strange invisible world, and you will become another person who is different from ordinary people. You can see what people can't see, hear what people can't hear, and feel what people can't feel.”. She also said, "The gods will guide you slowly."
From then on, Buddha Liansheng began to study Taoism and Buddhism.
Under the guidance of Mr. Sanshan Jiuhou, Living Buddha Liansheng became an apprentice to Taoist priest Qingzhen (Buddhist Monk Leming). After a Taoist refuge ceremony "passing merit", Living buddha Liansheng formally became a Taoist monk. The Taoist priest Qingzhen is a Taoist monk from Qingcheng Mountain, Sichuan, China, who lives in seclusion on Liantou Mountain, Jiji Nantou Taiwan. Living Buddha Liansheng is a Taoist monk of the Shibi branch of Cihui temple of the Zhonghua Taoist Association and a Taoist member of the Zhonghua Taoist Association.
In Sutrayana Buddhism (Exoteric Buddhism), HH took refuge in Master Yinshun, Master Leguo and Master Daoan, and received the Bodhisattva ordination at Bishanyan Temple in Nantou, and the ordination masters were Grand Monk Huisan, Xiandun and Jueguang. Living Buddha Liansheng is a member of the Chinese Buddhist Association. The Chinese Buddhist Association granted Living Buddha Liansheng the Bodhisattva Precepts certificate.
In Tantrayana Buddhism (Esoteric Buddhism),H.H took refuge and received the lineage transmission from Venerable Monk Liaoming (Nyingma School), Master Sakya Zhengkong (Sakya School), H. H. the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa (Kagyu School), and Master Thubten Dargye (Gelug School). (Venerable Monk Liaoming was also a Taoist priest in Mount Qingcheng, Sichuan, China. While Master Nona in Xikang, China moved to Sichuan to disseminate Tantric Buddhism in central plains of China, Venerable Monk Liaoming met Master Nona. They became close friend and each other's teacher. Venerable Monk Liaoming gained Tantric lineage and Tantric dharma from Master Nona. Venerable Monk Liaoming imparted Feng Shui, Taoist charms and divination skill, etc. onto Master Nona). H.H also received empowerment from Venerable Master Pufang of Zong Chi Temple.
Immigrated to Seattle, USA in 1982, at the age of 38.
In 1986, Living Buddha Liansheng was 42 years old; he had his head shaved and became a monk. The shaver was the great monk Guoxian, who was the heir of Linji Sect, of Huiquan Temple in Hong Kong. At that time, the monk Guoxian, a disciple of Living Buddha Liansheng, came to pay homage, and a very clear and strong thought flashed in Living Buddha Liansheng's heart: “Be a monk! Life is an illusion, impermanence comes quickly, do not waste time, shave head and be a monk." In the True Buddha Tantric Quarters, the great monk Guoxian shaved Living Buddha Liansheng's head.
In 1990, Master Thubten Dargye (Gelug School) blessed Living Buddha Liansheng on His head.
In 1995, Master Thubten Dargye (Gelug School), presented a token of lineage to Living Buddha Liansheng.
As Living Buddha Liansheng has already validated enlightenment, he has authored and published more than 300 books pertaining to spiritual cultivation (as of July, 2024), and they have been translated into Indonesian, English, French, Vietnamese, Spanish, Japanese, Portuguese, Hindi, and so on. The full series of his books are in the collection of the Library of Congress in the United States. The Japanese publishing industry also praised him as "an immortal of contemporary China." Living Buddha Liansheng is unparalleled in disseminating Dharma through written text in the modern age. Living Buddha Liansheng also uses painting as a means to teach Dharma, and to date, his artworks have been compiled into 11 painting albums, published and distributed. Living Buddha Liansheng gives Dharma teachings every day, and from 1990 until the present time, countless Dharma lectures have been compiled into books, and distributed over the Internet media.
「釋迦牟尼佛」授記 「阿彌陀佛」指示托 「彌勒菩薩」賜戴紅冠 「蓮華生大士」授密法（紅教大圓滿法灌頂及阿閩黎灌頂），授「大圓滿法」
法身佛金剛持─帝洛巴─那洛巴─馬爾巴─密勒日巴─甘波巴
第十六世大寶法王「噶瑪巴郎讓雷培多傑」
大日如來─佛眼佛母─蓮花童子─蓮生活佛
| 白教 | : | 「十六世大寶法王」灌頂「五佛嚴頂灌」、「秘密大灌頂」，授「大手印法」 |
| 黃教 | : | 「吐登達爾吉上師」贈金剛鈴杵（等同無上密灌頂），授「大威德金剛法」（瓶、五佛、無上密） |
| 花教 | : | 「薩迦證空喇嘛」授「大圓勝慧法」，親傳諸戒，及阿閔梨灌頂，受無上密部、道果等 |
| 紅教 | : | 「了鳴和尚（清真道長）」教授道法、符籙、地理及密法，得中國密教及藏密紅教的諸多大法及灌頂。 |
| 總持寺 | : | 「普方金剛上師」的準提佛母灌頂 |
