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Shen-Kai (圣开) (January 18, 1918 – August 4, 1996) was a Chinese Buddhist monk. He is the first Buddhist monk in modern times to rejuvenate and promote Humanity Vehicle Buddhism (Jen Chen, 人乘佛教) as expounded by Śākyamuni Buddha. He established the Humanity Vehicle Monastery （人乘寺）at Ci Guang Shan (慈光山) in Taiwan in 1979 and World Humanity Vehicle Buddhism (世界人乘佛教) in 1986. Shen-Kai felt that Humanity Vehicle Buddhism is most suited to the needs of the modern world. He dedicated his life to purifying the human mind （净化人心）since the mind is the forerunner of human actions, speech and thoughts. He taught that the culture of Buddhism is in fact a Human Bliss Culture （人类幸福文化）. Recognizing that the ultimate purpose of Buddhist cultivation is to become awakened, in other words become Buddha, he introduced the phrase “Be with Buddha” （与佛同在）as a reminder to constantly emulate a Buddha’s pristine awareness and equanimity. There are Humanity Vehicle Buddhism centres and publishers in the USA, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan.

Biography
Shen Kai was born in 1918, in Guizhou, China. He graduated from the Department of Literature and History of Zhejiang University. In his youth, he was a devout Christian and a missionary. However, he was so inspired by Buddhism and took refuge in the Triple Treasures and became a monastic disciple of Venerable Xue Song as his teacher.

In 1947, Shen-Kai arrived in Taiwan and later became a monastic disciple of Venerable Dong Chu. He spent time in solitary cultivation in a thatched hut and 4 years as a wandering monk, walking throughout Taiwan expounding the teachings of the Buddha wherever he went.

In 1979, Shen-Kai established the Humanity Vehicle Monastery（人乘寺） at Ci Guang Shan (慈光山), in Taiwan. Many young educated men and women hailing from different countries became his monastic disciples. In 1986, he established World Humanity Vehicle Buddhism (世界人乘佛教) and Humanity Vehicle Buddhism spread to the USA, Singapore, Malaysia and Australia.

Shen-Kai passed away on August 4, 1996 in California, USA.

Humanity Vehicle Buddhism
The founder of Buddhism, Śākyamuni Buddha, taught five vehicles of Buddhism:


 * 1) Humanity Vehicle (人乘, “Jen Chen” in Mandarin)
 * 2) Deva Vehicle
 * 3) Śrāvaka Vehicle
 * 4) Pratyekabuddha Vehicle
 * 5) Bodhisattva Vehicle

‘Vehicle’ is used in analogy to a mode of conveyance; like a car, ship or airplane which delivers people from one place to another; in this case from ignorance to enlightenment. Humanity Vehicle Buddhism is the teachings of wisdom that Śākyamuni Buddha preached to humanity. These five vehicles were taught to cater for sentient beings’ different causal conditions and levels of understanding. Ultimately, there is only one vehicle – the vehicle that leads to supreme enlightenment: Buddhahood Vehicle.

Humanity Vehicle Buddhism advocates to observe the Five Precepts and perform the Ten Virtuous Deeds, which lay foundations that ensure rebirth in the human world lifetime after lifetime, and to continually purify the mind and practise the Bodhisattva Way and eventually attain Buddhahood.

The objectives of Humanity Vehicle Buddhism are:

 * 1) Practise the teachings of Śākyamuni Buddha
 * 2) Generate the Bodhisattva spirit in words and deeds
 * 3) Promote Humanity Vehicle Buddhism
 * 4) Unfold the wisdom of humanity
 * 5) Promote a Bliss Culture for humanity
 * 6) Purify the mind of humanity
 * 7) Manifest compassion and loving-kindness
 * 8) Benefit society in deeds
 * 9) Establish a blissful pure land
 * 10) Advance world peace
 * 11) Create a beautiful world
 * 12) Attain supreme enlightenment

Humanity Vehicle Monastery at Ci Guang Shan, Taiwan
Ci Guang Shan, Humanity Vehicle Monastery

Chinese characters: Purify the Human Mind

Books
Shen-Kai has written more than a hundred books on Buddhist philosophy and practices. Many of these have been translated into English.

Humanity Vehicle Buddhism Centres
Jen Chen Buddhism Australia Buddhist Bliss Culture Mission

21 Woodthorpe Drive, Willetton, Western Australia 6155

Tel: (61) 8 9354 1245     Fax: (61) 8 9354 4475

Email: contact@buddhistbliss.org.au  Web: www.buddhistbliss.org.au

Jen Chen Buddhist Blissful Culture Centre

30 Lorong 27 Geylang, #05-01/02 Citiraya Centre

Singapore 398582

Tel: (65) 6292 1800 / 6743 1030   Fax: (65) 6844 7719

Email: enquiry@humanbliss.com.sg   Web: www.humanbliss.com.sg

Jen Chen Buddhism Blissful Mission

9702 Bolsa Ave #21, Westminster, CA 92683, U.S.A.

Tel: (714) 775 6078

Jen Chen Buddhist Book Publisher

Towner Road, P.O. Box 0260, Singapore 913229

Tel: (65) 6289 8040     Fax: (65) 6289 2439

Email: juezhong@singnet.com.sg   Web: www.rencheng.com

Jen Chen Buddhism Houston Mission

8907 Kennard Dr., Houston, TX 77074, U.S.A.

Tel: (713) 995 9182

Jen Chen Buddhism Northridge Mission

17500 Nordhoff St., Northridge, CA 91325, U.S.A.

Tel: (818) 775 1231

Jen Chen Buddhism Publisher

P.O. Box 1858, Tainan

Taiwan, R.O.C

Tel: (886) 2985786

Email: jcbook@ms72.hinet.net