Born and raised in China’s Hei-Long Jiang Province, Teacher Zhen-Ru was remarkable for her love for all beings, determination and ability to bring joy to all. Even at a young age, she possessed this unique quality.

Once, young Teacher Zhen-Ru saw a group of boys surrounding a poor puppy in a ditch and throwing stones at it. Without hesitation, Teacher Zhen-Ru ran and jumped into the ditch to shield the puppy from the stones. She then brought the puppy home, and put together a makeshift support for its broken leg. After being nursed back to health, the puppy followed Teacher Zhen-Ru around.

Since young, Teacher Zhen-Ru would often sit and meditate over spiritual questions. Growing up, Teacher Zhen-Ru experienced the loss of many loved ones. She was deeply saddened and wondered why this had to be. After these life experiences, Teacher Zhen-Ru started seeking answers to the meaning of life. Teacher Zhen-Ru started to look for answers everywhere: philosophy, psychology, history, literature etc. When she came across her first Buddhist sutra, Surangama Sutra, she realized that the Buddhist teachings contained the solution she was looking for. Teacher Zhen-Ru was overwhelmed with astonishment. From then on, her life was dramatically transformed.

To gain a deeper understanding of the Buddhist teachings, Teacher Zhen-Ru left her hometown and set about on pilgrimages to the sacred Chinese Buddhist sites of Mount Wutai and Mount Putuo. Despite the many difficulties encountered along the way, she persevered. She studied under many great teachers, who widely received and acknowledged her as an outstanding student.

One day, Teacher Zhen-Ru was introduced to Late Teacher Jih-Chang’s teachings on The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment. Upon hearing Late Master Jih-Chang’s voice, Teacher Zhen-Ru felt that she had finally found her spiritual teacher.

One day, Teacher Zhen-Ru was able to attend Late Master Jih-Chang’s teaching in person and raised her hand to ask a question. This was the first time that Late Master Jih-Chang met Teacher Zhen-Ru. He immediately recognized that her understanding of his teachings was peerless in depth and breadth. She was also able to successfully apply his teachings in all aspects of her everyday life. Thus began, Teacher Zhen-Ru’s journey in studying with her teacher, Master Jih-Chang.

Late Master Jih-Chang chose Teacher Zhen-Ru as his successor shortly after meeting her. Since 2004, Teacher Zhen-Ru carried on Master Jih-Chang’s legacy, and has led her students to attain new heights in the learning of Buddhist teachings. Teacher Zhen-Ru currently gives teachings to over 1,000 Buddhist monks and nuns, as well as more than 80,000 lay practitioners worldwide.

As our spiritual teacher, Teacher Zhen-Ru has a vision of a group of nuns who are well versed in Buddhist scriptures and understand the essence of Buddhist teachings. In trying to help all beings attain peace and harmony, these nuns would use the Buddhist teachings that they have learned. Teacher Zhen-Ru hopes that through spiritual learning, females all over the world would gain wisdom, compassion and overall happiness.