User:Lee Kwang Beng

Lee Kwang Beng （Chinese: 李光明) (Taoist Name: Li Luo-Ming) is a distinguished Taoist Priest based in Singapore. He's the esteemed Founder and Honorary President of the Mang Ann Walled Taoist Temple 萬安寨法主宮, a Chinese temple located in Fujian Province, China. With his extensive education from Ngee Ann Polytechnic in Singapore and the University of West London in the United Kingdom, he's become a beacon for bridging Taoism with modern audiences, especially among English-speaking overseas Chinese and foreigners. He reaches out to the Taoist community via his blog at Hian Eng Taoist, and other social media channels. Lee's writings, speeches, and online presence have significantly enriched the discourse on Taoism globally  . Dr Michael Saso, Professor Emeritus at the University of Hawaii, USA has lauded Lee's contributions, highlighting his exceptional ability to convey Taoist teachings in English, making them accessible to a wider audience.

Early Development

Lee Kwang Beng has an impressive lineage traced to a well-known ancestor Li Guang-Di （ 李光地 ）, an expert in I Ching （ 易經 ） who emerged 5th in the Imperial Examinations of 1670 during the reign of Qing Emperor Kangxi. Lord Li Guang-Di was highly trusted by the emperor and led the Qing Court capture Formosa from the Ming loyalists. When he passed away, Emperor Kangxi, personally wrote the inscriptions for the tombstone. Another ancestor Li Xuan-Sheng （ 李玄生 ） became a Taoist Master during the Qing Dynasty and founded the Hian Eng Taoist Chanting Group （ 顯應道士壇 ）. During the reign of Qing Emperor Guangxu, Hian Eng Taoist Chanting Group was assigned to conduct the rites and ritual for The City God Temple （ 古城隍廟 ） in Yongchun County, Fujian Province China for a several years.

Education

Lee's educational journey took him from Ngee Ann Polytechnic in Singapore to The University of West London in the United Kingdom, where he pursued a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. His commitment to community service began in secondary school and continued throughout his academic career. As the President of the students’ union at Ngee Ann Polytechnic, he revitalized the union’s journal to promote campus engagement. Additionally, his efforts extended to organizing the National Students’ Seminar, fostering social participation among young people. Lee’s dedication to youth activities earned him a spot representing Singapore in the ASEAN-Japan Friendship Exchange Programme for the 21st Century. The programme was first mooted by the Japanese Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone in 1983 with the intention to deepen mutual understanding and foster long-lasting friendship between Japanese youths and youths from Asian countries. Post-graduation, he was appointed as a board member of the National Youth Council in Singapore, contributing to youth development under the leadership of Mr. Yeo Cheow Tong, the Acting Minister for Health.

Banking Career Lee entered the banking industry when he joined Bank of China, Singapore Branch after graduation. He was at the forefront of the corporate lending market, earning accolades for his work in trade finance, mortgage refinancing and project finance, among others. He then subsequently joined RHB Bank, Singapore Branch after accumulating several years of banking and finance lending experiences. Throughout his second banking career, he assisted in a number of small and medium enterprises loan acquisitions across diverse sectors and geographies. He left the banking industry during the financial crisis in 2000 by taking the leap into religious service.

Spiritual Training Lee is heavily influenced by the teachings of Taoism which inherited from his ancestors. As a teenager, he was very fond of the Taoist Gods and Ceremonies. He began to talk only at the tender age of six after his late grandmother fed him with a bowl of rice obtained from a street opera during a temple celebration at the Old Duxton Road. During his off-school hours, he would visit his neighbour, the late Zhang Fuan 張福安 who was a Taoist Master and learnt various Taoist arts and culture from him. In 1995, upon the advice of his late Taoist Master, he made an attempt to become an ordained Taoist Priest at the Celestial Master Mansion in Jiangxi Province, China.

Intensive Training In 2000, his late uncle Li Yu-Chang 李玉鎗 who was an inherited Taoist Master based in Fujian Province, China asked him to return home and continue the family traditions. Thanks to his past ancestors who left a legacy of intangible Taoist practices for him to advance into the next stage of spiritual training. Along with ritualistic services, Taoist Priest will be expected to perform various kinds of exorcisms and rituals for people who want to cure disease, resolve drought and etc.

Major Accomplishments

1. To enhance the long-term relationship between China and Taiwan, the Taoism Arts & Cultural Exchange Programme were arranged to provide participants with ample opportunities for interaction with other Taoist fellows through in-house seminars, as well as to demonstrate their respective arts and cultures. In 2010, Lee was selected to represent Chinese Taoism and lead a team to Taiwan for a series of liturgical arts and cultural exchanges aimed at fostering long-term friendship building.

2. In 2012, Lee was tasked to represent China Taoism as the Senior Taoist Master to host an International Taoist Festival in Malaysia, with the aim to promote development of Chinese folk culture and practices within the region. The programme includes in-house seminar and the first of its kind in Malaysia with more than hundred contingents and Taoist Priests from China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore participated in the float procession. The inaugural World Taoist Float Procession took on a rousing note at the culmination of a four-day celebration in conjunction with the International Taoist Festival in Air Itam, Penang. Chingay contingents, lion and dragon dance troupes led the entourage of a whopping 105 floats, measuring about 4.5km in a straight line, on an 11.8km spiritual journey.

3. At the invitation of author Khoo Boo Eng, Lee assisted in editing A Simple Approach to Taoism successfully published in 2013. An individual who is not familiar with Taoism will be able to understand the processes and procedures of each ritual in Taoism. The book will provide an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the rich cultures and traditions of Taoism. It is now internationally recognized and exhibited in the International Book Exhibition in Frankfurt, Germany and London.

4. Yongchun Taoist temple in Fujian Province of China was consecrated by Lee Kwang Beng and his dedicated team in 2015. Without the strong support from the overseas Chinese, the construction of the temple could not be made easy. Temple view is not only the local center of Taoist activities, but also a scenic tourist resort to attract many visitors and believers for worshipping.

5. In 2019, Master Lee's contribution to Khoo Boo Eng's book Understanding Chinese Culture in Relation to Tao, which aims to elucidate how Taoism has permeated Chinese culture over millennia. It delves into various facets such as feng-shui, geography, astrology, yin-yang principles, rituals, and Taoist practices. These elements are shown to influence every stage of life, birth, marriage, and death, within Chinese culture, making Taoism foundational to understanding these rituals comprehensively. The book intends to offer profound insights into the intricate traditions and cultural richness of Taoism, even for those unfamiliar with its principles initially.

Future Vision

In the public opinion, Lee Kwang Beng has always acted in good faith and fidelity. In addition to his usual local and oversea Taoism mission, he has also participated various inter-religious dialogues and social activities. In view of his active involvement with inter-faith engagements, he was admitted as a Life Member of Inter-Religious Organisations, Singapore in 2006. He believes that religion has no border restrictions and people of many different faiths live side by side. To build a society rooted in the values we treasure, it can only be built on a solid foundation of mutual respect, openness and trust. Our different religious traditions offer us many resources for this and teach us the importance of good relationships characterised by honesty, compassion and generosity of spirit.

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