Hong Choon (; 1907–1990) was the second president of the Singapore Buddhist Federation and the second abbot of

Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery The Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery (also the ''Bright Hill Pujue Chan Monastery'') (), is a Buddhist temple and monastery in Bishan, Singapore. Built by Zhuan Dao in the early 20th century to propagate Buddhism and to provide lodging ...

Early life

Hong Choon was born in 1907 in Jinjiang, Fujian province, China. In 1922, he was ordained by Hui Quan at Cheng Tian Temple and was given his Dharma name, Hong Choon. During the Sino-Japanese war, Venerable Hong Choon fled southern China with his master, seeking refuge in Singapore. Hong Choon also studied Feng Shui under Master Yen Ben in the 1950s.

Career

Venerable Hong Choon became the abbot of Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery in 1943, administering the temple and representing it at social and Buddhist functions over more than four decades, propagating

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...

. During his leadership, the monastery transformed from two shrine halls into a monastic facility with a total area as large as ten football fields, the largest venue of Buddhist practice in Singapore. He also initiated the monthly Great Compassion Prayer and propagated the Dharma during his charge. Ven Hong Choon was the President of Singapore Buddhist Federation, and also nominated as the honorary president of several Buddhist temples in Singapore, and in the Southeast Asia region. The Thai King,

Bhumibol Adulyadej Bhumibol Adulyadej ( th, ภูมิพลอดุลยเดช; ; ; (Sanskrit: ''bhūmi·bala atulya·teja'' - "might of the land, unparalleled brilliance"); 5 December 192713 October 2016), conferred with the title King Bhumibol the Great ...

conferred him the title of Highest Monk, Phra Ajancin Bodhi Sangvara Sinhanakorn Kanachan in 1987. Ven Hong Choon was also honored as one of the prominent Feng Shui masters of his time.

Singapore-China Relations

Towards his later years, Ven Hong Choon made eight visits to China between 1982 and 1990. During these pilgrimages, which included visiting sacred Buddhist sites and officiating religious ceremonies, he met Chinese and Buddhist leaders to help restore the monasteries associated with his master Venerable Hui Quan.

Demise

Ven Hong Choon died on 25 December 1990, after which a relic stupa and a memorial hall was built at the Phor Kark See Monastery commemorating him.

Notes

References

* Chia, Jack Meng-Tat.
Buddhism in Singapore–China Relations: Venerable Hong Choon and His Visits, 1982–1990
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The China Quarterly ''The China Quarterly'' (CQ) is a British double-blind peer-reviewed academic journal established in 1960 on contemporary China and Taiwan. It is considered the most important research journal about China in the world and is published by the Cam ...