Wow!! Amitofo 
Venerable Hui Li’s mission to propagate Buddhism in
Africa is bearing much fruit.
http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2009/11/23/lifefocus/5046197&sec=lifefocus
VENERABLE Hui Li was branded a devil and a “poisonous weed” by
the locals in the early days of his missionary work in South
Africa.
“I was condemned by the local people, government officials and
people of other faiths. They did not know what Buddhism is and have
not seen a Buddhist monk in robes before,” he said.
He faced protest from the local church and local residents over
the building of a Buddhist temple in Bronkhorstspruit, near
Pretoria.
However, he remained adamant on his undertaking despite threats
that his temple would be seized by the government.
“I had to remain calm, and practise patience and kindness before
I could overcome the obstacles,” he said in an e-mail
interview.
To prove his sincerity and to win over the people, Ven Hui Li
carried out charity events and assisted the sick and poor by
distributing clothing, food and medicine.
Known as the African Monk, Ven Hui Li has vowed to devote five
lifetimes to develop and propagate Buddhism in Africa.
Building strong minds: The children also get to
learn and practise meditation.
Born in Pintong county, Taiwan, in 1955 to poor farming parents,
Ven Hui Li learned early that life is fragile. His school was
located next to a cemetery and the frequent funeral processions
left a deep impression on him.
In 1987, he became a student of Master Hsin Yun, the founder of
the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Order, and was ordained a monk a year
later.
In 1992, to fulfil Master Hsin Yun’s vow to build a Fo Guang
Shan temple on every continent, Ven Hui Li volunteered to go to
South Africa to build the first Mahayana Buddhist temple on African
soil.
He arrived in South Africa, a total stranger, and it took him
weeks of travelling around and hardship to get a clearer view of
the country. At one stage, he contracted malaria but he did not
falter in his determination to serve Africa.
“If you don’t get malaria, you have not got your passport to
work in Africa,” he quipped.
In 1994, the African Buddhist College (the first Buddhist
seminary in Africa) opened at Nan Hua Temple in Bronkhorstspruit to
teach Buddhist scriptures and practices to young men with the aim
of helping them alleviate their problems through education.
When he visited Malawi in 1998 to make a donation of
wheelchairs, Ven Hui Li became aware that 40% of the population was
HIV-positive and over one million children had lost one or both
parents to AIDS. He realised that there would be a whole generation
of orphaned children, who, if they reached adulthood, would have no
proper upbringing and very little education. Thus was born the
concept of Amitofo Care Centres (ACC).
Ven Hui Li abdicated the abbotship of Nan Hua Temple in 2001 to
dedicate himself fully to his work in Africa, earning himself the
reputation of being the Albert Schweitzer of Mahayana Buddhism.
Following successful negotiations with Malawi’s First Lady, the
late Ethel Mutharika, a piece of land just outside Blantyre, in
southern Malawi, was donated for his project.
Construction of the first ACC began in 2003. Generous donors,
mainly from Taiwan, provided financial support. By 2005, the first
stage of construction was completed and 120 children aged between
three and 12 moved in. By 2008, the Malawi Care Centre was looking
after nearly 300 orphans and children of single parents.
At present there is a preparatory school which is occupying one
of the hostel blocks until a school for about 500 kids can be
built. Next on the agenda is the building of a high school and a
centre for vocational training. There is a clinic run by two care
mothers, qualified nurses, and volunteers from abroad.
Kung fu is the special skill taught at the Blantyre Care Centre
as a cultural exchange programme. About 100 children practise kung
fu taught by masters from the Shaolin Temple in Henan, China, to
instil discipline, tenacity and focus.
The children attend service every morning and receive Buddhist
teachings.
The ACC also assists other community-based organisations in the
surrounding district that support over 2,000 children and more than
1,500 adults.
ACC has branches in Harare (Zimbabwe), Nhlangano (Swaziland),
Mafikeng (Lesotho) and Yaound (Cameroon). There are plans to set up
centres in Zambia and Tanzania next.
世界和平，人民安乐。
正法久住，法轮常转。
灾障消灭，祸患不生。
法界有情，同生极乐。Buddha Gotama _/\_