Master Sheng Yen (1930–2009) was a prominent Taiwanese Chan (Zen) Buddhist monk, scholar, and meditation teacher who became a pivotal figure in the modern development of Chinese Buddhism. Born in Jiangsu Province in mainland China, he entered monastic life at a young age and later re-entered monastic training in Taiwan after a period of military service. He received full transmission in both the Linji (Rinzai) and Caodong (Sōtō) Chan lineages, and his teaching drew on the strengths of both traditions. His formal education culminated in a doctorate in Buddhist literature from Rissho University in Japan, reflecting a rare integration of rigorous scholarship with deep contemplative practice.

As a founder and institution builder, Master Sheng Yen established Dharma Drum Mountain in Taiwan, which grew into a major Chan Buddhist organization and monastic-educational complex. From this base he went on to create meditation and retreat centers abroad, especially in the United States, thereby extending Chinese Chan practice to a global audience. His work consistently emphasized education, environmental concern, and social welfare as natural expressions of Buddhist practice, and he articulated ideals such as “building a Pure Land on earth” and “protecting the spiritual environment” to frame this engagement. In this way, his vision of Chan was not confined to the meditation hall but oriented toward the transformation of society.

Master Sheng Yen was also a prolific author and interpreter of the Chan tradition, writing numerous books on meditation, Chan philosophy, and orthodox Chinese Buddhism. His teachings made traditional methods—such as Silent Illumination (mozhao)—accessible to contemporary practitioners, including laypeople and Western students, without diluting their depth. He often highlighted the importance of integrating Chan into the fabric of daily life, encouraging practitioners to see ethical conduct, mental clarity, and compassionate action as inseparable from formal meditation. Through this combination of textual clarity, practical instruction, and institutional creativity, he came to be regarded as one of the most influential modern Chan masters, and his lineage and organizations continue to transmit his approach to the Dharma.