Heng Sure

Heng Sure (恆實法師, Pinyin: Héng Shí, birth name Christopher R. Clowery; born October 31, 1949) is an American Chan Buddhist monk and a senior disciple of Venerable Hsuan Hua. He is the managing director of Berkeley Buddhist monastery and president of the board of directors of Dharma Realm Buddhist Association. Heng Sure is also a banjoist and a folk musician. He has released several albums of Buddhist folk music including "Paramita: American Buddhist Folk Songs" (2008). Heng Sure has also been active in interfaith organizations, especially the Institute for World Religions.

He is probably best known for a pilgrimage he made for two years and six months from 1977 to 1979. Called a three steps, one bow pilgrimage, Heng Sure and his companion Heng Chau (Martin Verhoeven), bowed from South Pasadena to Ukiah, California, a distance of 800 miles, seeking world peace.

Born in Toledo, Ohio, he attended DeVilbiss High School, Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan, and the University of California at Berkeley from 1971 to 1976. During his time at the university, Heng Sure was active in theatre. At an early age, Heng Sure learned Chinese from studying the language in high school and by means of his sister, who worked at the U.S. Information Agency.

After receiving his master's degree in Oriental languages, he met his teacher, Hsuan Hua, who would later ordain him in 1976 at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, as "Heng Sure" a Dharma name which means "Constantly Real." Heng Sure earned an MA degree in Oriental Languages from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1976 and a PhD in religion from the Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, in 2003.

In October 2018, he participated in the Fifth World Buddhist Forum held in Putian, Fujian Province of China, and at the closing ceremony, read with the patriarchal Zongxing the Declaration of the Fifth World Buddhist Forum.