![TUNG25](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/TUNG25.JPG)
Tung Lin Kok Yuen is a
Buddhist
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 ...
nunnery and educational institution located at No.15 Shan Kwong Road in
Happy Valley, Hong Kong. Founded in 1935 by Lady Clara Ho-Tung, it is home to approximately 30 nuns and 50 lay devotees.
[Welch, Holmes. ''Buddhist Organisations in Hong Kong'', pg. 107.]
It is the only
seminary
A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy, ...
for Buddhist nuns in Hong Kong and provides an 8-year curricular programme in
Mahayana
''Mahāyāna'' (; "Great Vehicle") is a term for a broad group of Buddhist traditions, texts, philosophies, and practices. Mahāyāna Buddhism developed in India (c. 1st century BCE onwards) and is considered one of the three main existing bra ...
Buddhism. It contains both a primary day and primary night school, the Po Kok Vocational Middle School, and a separate branch of primary schools in the
New Territories
The New Territories is one of the three main regions of Hong Kong, alongside Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula. It makes up 86.2% of Hong Kong's territory, and contains around half of the population of Hong Kong. Historically, it ...
. In all institutions a study of Buddhist
Sutras
''Sutra'' ( sa, सूत्र, translit=sūtra, translit-std=IAST, translation=string, thread)Monier Williams, ''Sanskrit English Dictionary'', Oxford University Press, Entry fo''sutra'' page 1241 in Indian literary traditions refers to an aph ...
is given, but other subjects, depending on the location, include Mathematics, English, Chinese and History. All said institutions are female-only, and the total enrolment is 1,256.
A large draw to Tung Lin is its two halls housing
memorial tablets for the deceased. Each
Remembrance Day
Remembrance Day (also known as Poppy Day owing to the tradition of wearing a remembrance poppy) is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth member states since the end of the First World War to honour armed forces members who have died in t ...
, Tung Lin hosts a public service for the souls of the dead there.
[''Notes and Queries: Visit to the Tung Lin Kok Yuen, Tam Kung Temple, Happy Valley, and Tin Hau Temple, Causeway Bay, 7 November 1970''.] Similarly, there have been famous courses offered several times a year at the seminary, taught by authorities from the
Sangha
Sangha is a Sanskrit word used in many Indian languages, including Pali meaning "association", "assembly", "company" or "community"; Sangha is often used as a surname across these languages. It was historically used in a political context t ...
. These courses last several weeks each session. Both events are sponsored by the
Hong Kong Buddhist Association
Hong Kong Buddhist Association () is a Buddhist umbrella organisation in Hong Kong which was founded in 1945. The association has nearly ten thousands individual members including both monastic and laity, and promotes the propagation of Buddhis ...
.
History
In 1931, Lady Clara Cheung Lin Kok (wife of Sir
Robert Ho Tung
Sir Robert Ho Tung Bosman, (22 December 1862 – 26 April 1956), also known as Sir Robert Ho Tung, was a businessman and philanthropist in British Hong Kong. Known as "the grand old man of Hong Kong" (), he was knighted in 1915 (Knight Bache ...
) received a sum of $100,000 from her husband as a gift for their 50th wedding anniversary. During that period, China faced
civil war
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
and social disputes, causing many tragedies and chaos in the society. Lady Clara Lin Kok, who was a faithful believer in Buddhism, decided to use the anniversary gift to establish a base for the propagation of Buddha's teaching. Her vision and goals are to promote social harmony and to build a school so as to allow children of poverty to receive education with Buddhism teachings.
[Tung Lin Kok Yuen official webpage](_blank)
/ref>
The location was selected to be in vibrant Happy Valley. The twelve thousand square feet plot of land where now the temple stands, was purchased from the Hong Kong Government by Lady Clara. She had also invited Ven. Aiting (), who had retired as the abbot of the Bamboo Grove Monastery, also called Zhulin Temple (), to supervise the construction project. Ven. Aiting at the same time was invited to give dharma talks to the community. The temple is named after Lady Clara and Sir Robert Ho Tung, in memory for her husband's support of her charity work and also his virtuous acts.[History of Tung Lin Kok Yuen Part 3](_blank)
Tung Lin Kok Yuen's construction was finally completed in 1935, comprising a Buddhist temple and Po Kok Free School, first free Buddhist school for girls in Hong Kong. As the number of students outgrew the spaces available in the temple building, a new school building was built next to Tung Lin Kok Yuen in 1951 which held the Po Kok Vocational Middle School.
Lady Clara Lin Kok
Lady Clara Lin-Kok (1875–1938) was the second of two wives of Sir Robert. She married him in 1895. She was the mother to ten children, 7 daughters and 3 sons. Lady Clara Lin-Kok, supported by Sir Robert, invested a considerable amount of time and energy in her life to the establishment of diverse charitable activities aimed at assisting and alleviating the sufferings of the infirmed, disadvantaged and underprivileged. Her charitable acts were largely inspired by her belief in, and devotion to, the Buddhist faith.
Realization of Buddhism
The suffering that Lady Clara experienced in her life has made her devotion to Buddhism stronger as she held on to her faith while going through the tough times. The early death of her eldest son, serious illness contracted by her immediate family, such as Sir Robert Ho Tung contracting a serious case of pneumonia, her parent's death and her throat condition had energised her faith greatly.[History of Tung Lin Kok Yuen Part 1](_blank)
She sought relief of suffering by continually reciting the name of Buddha
Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a śramaṇa, wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism.
According to Buddhist tradition, he was ...
and found herself in a state of peace, comprehending the realities of human suffering.
Dedication to Buddhism
Lady Clara made the Bodhisattva vow
The Bodhisattva vow is a vow (Sanskrit: ''praṇidhāna,'' lit. aspiration or resolution) taken by some Mahāyāna Buddhists to achieve full buddhahood for the sake of all sentient beings. One who has taken the vow is nominally known as a bodhis ...
– that she would commit her life to help alleviate the sufferings of all sentient beings at Putuo Shan, when she was there with her eldest daughter, who had then just recovered from post natal depression. Her husband supported her fully in her decision. After returning to Hong Kong, Lady Clara contacted followers to promote Dharma activities in the colony. Some of these activities include a seven-day retreat in 1922, where she invited many reputable and prominent monks to Hong Kong to spread teachings of Dharma and a series of talk on Mahayana Buddhism, lasting three months in 1925, addressing the misconceptions and misrepresentation of the Buddhist teachings in the colony. All the events attracted many believers and the response was positive. Lady Clara travelled widely to visit esteemed monasteries to pursue her journey to truth. She visited in total twenty one famous mountains and other famous monasteries such as Mount Wutai
Mount Wutai, also known by its Chinese name Wutaishan and as is a sacred Buddhist site at the headwaters of the Qingshui in Shanxi Province, China. Its central area is surrounded by a cluster of flat-topped peaks roughly corresponding to the c ...
and Mount Lao
Mount Lao, or Laoshan (), is a mountain located near the East China Sea on the southeastern coastline of the Shandong Peninsula in China. The mountain is culturally significant due to its long affiliation with Taoism and is often regarded as on ...
.
Contribution to society
Lady Clara herself did not have much education and she did not want the future generation to follow her footsteps. She believed that education for women is essential for advancement of social stability. She founded the Po Kok First Free school in Hong Kong in 1930 and soon after Po Kok Second Free school was started in Macau
Macau or Macao (; ; ; ), officially the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (MSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China in the western Pearl River Delta by the South China Sea. With a pop ...
too. The primary purpose of these schools was to provide practical education to women in the society so as to promote greater independence. Lady Clara Lin-Kok wholly dedicated the latter part of her life to promoting Buddhist education at Tung Lin Kok Yuen. She worked diligently until the day of her death in 1938. To continue her mission in posterity she nominated successors to posts in Tung Lin Kok Yuen's board of directors in her will.
Construction and design
In 1935 the same year that Tung Lin Kok Yuen was completed, the Po Kok School and the Society for the Study of Buddhism were merged under the one roof and operated out of the temple premises. The building itself while not very old, is of special interest because many of the religious images, furniture and fittings survived the Japanese occupation when very little else in the colony did.[Anonymous 1970, ''Notes and Queries: A visit to Tung Lin Kok Yuen'', pp. 184–197.]
Interior design and style
Tung Lin Kok Yuen contains a dharma hall, lecture theatre, library, sutra hall, dining hall, ancestral hall and dormitories. One main feature of Tung Lin Kok Yuen is the amazing and valuable collection of calligraphy and Chinese-style couplets written by renowned personages.
The fittings inside the building were mostly carried out by Shanghainese craftsmen who also worked on Sir Robert Hotung's house on the Peak. Within the Yuen there are two halls which are devoted to the maintenance of memorial tablets for the dead. One of these is part of the original building and the other was made later as an extension in 1959.
The construction style of Tung Lin Kok Yuen is a fusion between the traditional oriental elegance and classical western construction elements. The imported Italian stained windows resemble those typically used in churches.[扶林晚風‧東蓮覺苑的保育工程: Wen Wei Pao](_blank)
/ref> Conventional architectural features of imperial palaces such as curved ceramic tiled roofs are prominent and the mixture of different styles give Tung Lin Kok Yuen its own unique characteristics. The appearance of the entire temple is shaped like a boat, which matches with the symbolism that Buddha will guide the people in the sea of suffering to the way of light.
Classification as Historical Building
Historical buildings, site and ancient structures in Hong Kong may be legally protected under the Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance
The Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance, in Hong Kong Law (Cap. 53), was enacted in 1976 to preserve the objects of historical, archaeological and palaeontological interest and for matters ancillary thereto or connected therewith. It is admini ...
. The procedure for declaring a building or site to be protected is fully contained in the legislation. In brief, the Antiquities Authority may, after consulting the Antiquities Advisory Board
The Antiquities Advisory Board (AAB) is a statutory body of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region with the responsibility of advising the Antiquities Authority on any matters relating to antiquities and monuments. The AAB was establish ...
, with the approval of the Chief Executive
A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...
and publication of notice in the government gazette to declare protection of a place. In practice, the Chief Executive will also consult the Executive Council in controversial case.Antiquities and Monuments Office
The Antiquities and Monuments Office (AMO) was established in 1976 under the Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance to protect and preserve Hong Kong's historic monuments. Housed in the Former Kowloon British School, the AMO is responsible for iden ...
br>official webpage
Tung Lin Kok Yuen has been classified as a Grade I Historical building in Hong Kong. According to the guidelines issued by Antiquities Advisory Board and the Antiquities and Monuments Office
The Antiquities and Monuments Office (AMO) was established in 1976 under the Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance to protect and preserve Hong Kong's historic monuments. Housed in the Former Kowloon British School, the AMO is responsible for iden ...
, Grade I is defined as "Buildings of outstanding merit, which every effort should be made to preserve if possible."
When a building is selected to be classified, extensive repairs and restoration work would be conducted if needed by the government in order to preserve the historical heritage. Tung Lin Kok Yuen, although only 70 odd years old, suffers from groundwater infiltration, which degenerates the teak floor layer. The conservation work performed in the temple include recovering of concrete foundation and teak flooring; insertion of plastic between ground and concrete foundation; and adding of underground drainage system. All these work aim to facilitate the discharge of underground water and prevent infiltration.
Tung Lin Kok Yuen was declared a monument on October 13, 2017.
Present uses
Tung Lin Kok Yuen is currently used to advance the cause of Buddhism and managing the respective schools under the Po Kok team.["Tung Lin Kok Yuen n.d, The Tung Lin Kok Yuen by Buddhist Door, Hong Kong, Hong Kong."] The temple is also concerned with the practical needs of the community and social projects which will benefit it. Examples of these projects include the publication of the ''Lin Kok Quarterly Journal'' and the "Lin Kok Collection" which uses both Chinese and non-Chinese scholars to discuss and reflect on the true meaning of life. The Yuen also contributes financial aid toward the Hong Kong Society for the Aged and the construction of an aged care facility and also the Mental Health Association of Hong Kong and its work on mental health rehabilitation. Regular classes in advanced studies of Buddhism, classes in Buddhist hymns, classes in meditation and so forth are also offered at the Yuen.
Po Kok Schools
Lady Clara Ho Tung officially established the Po Kok Free School for Girls in Causeway Bay
Causeway Bay is list of buildings, sites and areas in Hong Kong, an area and Victoria Park, Hong Kong, a bay on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong, straddling the border of the Eastern District, Hong Kong, Eastern and the Wan Chai District, Wan Chai ...
in Hong Kong and Macau in 1931.[Zhuang Pinghui, 19 March 2005, "School back from brink regains aid", ]South China Morning Post
The ''South China Morning Post'' (''SCMP''), with its Sunday edition, the ''Sunday Morning Post'', is a Hong Kong-based English-language newspaper owned by Alibaba Group. Founded in 1903 by Tse Tsan-tai and Alfred Cunningham, it has remained ...
p. 3 In 1935 the school was moved to a temple also founded by Lady Clara in Happy Valley, next to its present site in Tung Lin Kok Yuen.[Hui, Polly, 9 June 2004, Po Kok a tribute to crusading women,South China Morning Post, p. 1.] The school facilities aimed to provide women with the opportunity to receive education and also promote Buddhism. In 2004 the Po Kok Primary School faced trouble and was ordered to cease operating its Primary One class due to lack of enrolment, however after an out-of-court settlement the school was allowed to continue the class with its own funding In 2005 the school met the threshold of 23 student needed for operation. Overall the Temple has three schools in its management: the Po Kok Secondary School in Tseung Kwan O
Tseung Kwan O New Town is one of the nine new towns in Hong Kong, built mainly on reclaimed land in the northern half of Junk Bay (known as Tseung Kwan O in Chinese/Cantonese language) in southeastern New Territories, after which it is named. ...
, Po Kok Primary in Happy Valley and Po Kok Branch School in Hung Shui Kiu
Hung Shui Kiu is an area between Ping Shan and Lam Tei, in the western part of the New Territories of Hong Kong. It covers parts of Yuen Long and
Tuen Mun districts. It is a largely rural residential area. Several Housing Authority blocks a ...
, Yuen Long. Historical figures show that education standards are high at Po Kok Schools, in 1959 and 1960 over 90 per cent of each graduating class of the middle school passed the Chinese School- leaving certificate examination and nearly a third of those achieved a distinction.[Gittens, Jean 1969, "Eastern windows, Western skies", South China Morning Post Press Pty. Ltd., pp. 106–107.]
Tung Lin Kok Yuen, Canada Society
Tung Lin Kok Yuen, Canada Society is a non-profit charitable organisation registered with the Government of Canada
The government of Canada (french: gouvernement du Canada) is the body responsible for the federal administration of Canada. A constitutional monarchy, the Crown is the corporation sole, assuming distinct roles: the executive, as the ''Crown ...
in Ottawa
Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
, Ontario.[Tung Lin Kok Yuen old Official Webpage](_blank)
/ref> It was established in Vancouver, British Columbia
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
by current chairman of the board of directors of Tung Lin Kok Yuen, Robert H. N. Ho. in 1994, aiming to promote Buddhist education internationally.
Location
The Tung Lin Kok Yuen, Canada Society headquarters is on Victoria Drive, not far from downtown Vancouver. Vancouver was chosen as an ideal location for the first international branch of Tung Lin Kok Yuen because of the large number of immigrants, many of Chinese ethnicity there. Tung Lin Kok Yuen, Canada Society was therefore founded to meet the religious needs of the population as well as to provide an accessible venue for Buddhists and general public to come together and share the value of 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 ...
. Indeed, the establishment of the Canada society coincided with a period of marked increase in the number of Buddhists residing in Vancouver – official figures recording a rise of 84% in the ten-year period spanning 1991 to 2001.
Structure and facilities
The temple is a contemporary building of over twenty thousand square feet and consists of two main sections. One houses a Worship Hall, Longevity Hall (Hall of the Medicine Buddha), Meditation Hall, Memorial Hall, library, offices, living quarters, vegetarian kitchen and a Multi-Purpose Hall which can be used for conferences, exhibitions, cultural performances, lectures and seminars. This section also houses a retail shop selling Buddhist artefacts. Another section houses an ancestral hall, a function hall, small meditation rooms as well as a garden.
Tung Lin Kok Yuen Foundation
In 2004, the Tung Lin Kok Yuen Foundation was established. The aim of the establishment is to promote Buddhist education to the tertiary education sector in Canada and since 2005, several Canadian universities have been sponsored by the foundation for their Buddhist programs.[Buddhist Education Part 3](_blank)
Robert Hung-Ngai Ho
Robert Hung-Ngai Ho (born 1932) is a Chinese Canadian-American philanthropist and former journalist.
Early life and education
Ho was born in Hong Kong, the British Empire, in 1932 to one of the richest families in the former colony. Ho's grand ...
established the foundation aiming to form a "global network" of Buddhist studies scholars and institutions, making maximum use of modern communication technologies. His goal is to establish Centres of Buddhist Studies at major universities in the globe which can share and exchange information according to each speciality in the school. Such centres have already been established in Hong Kong and Canada, and there has been plans to expand such network to universities in the U.S. and Europe.
References
External links
Buddhistdoor Global
{{coord, 22.266941, 114.185613, display=t
Happy Valley, Hong Kong
Declared monuments of Hong Kong
Buddhist temples in Hong Kong