According to the listing of World Wide Chapters on the Website of the True Buddha School, the True Buddha School has chapters in at least twenty countries in Asia, Europe, Oceania, North America and South America. The listing indicates that chapters exist in Hong Kong and Taiwan. However, no listing appears for the People's Republic of China. In a telephone interview with the Research Directorate, a member at the True Buddha School in Redmond, Washington stated that although there are disciples of the school who practice individually in the People's Republic of China, no temples or chapters exist in that country (16 June 1999). The True Buddha School is not among a number of Buddhist schools listed in the 'List of Proscribed Sects' contained in the 1994 Human Rights Watch publication Detained in China and Tibet: A Directory of Political and Religious Prisoners.

For information concerning the main tenets and precepts of the True Buddha School, as well as biographical information concerning the leader, Grand Master Sheng-Yen Lu (also referred to as Living Buddha Lian-sheng), please consult the attached documents found on the Website of the School.

References to the True Buddha School have appeared in media reports in North America. In March 1998 it was reported that an investigation into $10,000 in campaign contributions made by members of the True Buddha School Ling Shen Ching Tze Temple in Redmond, Washington including Grand Master Sheng-Yen Lu, to Washington gubernatorial candidate Gary Locke during the 1996 campaign, found no impropriety in the contributions (Seattle Post-Intelligencer 24 Mar. 1998). In August of the same year, a Multi-Faith Blessing Ceremony was held in Edmonton, organized by Master Lian Tze of the True Buddha School Chin Yin Buddhist Society of Edmonton and attended by Grand Master Sheng-Yen Lu (Calgary Herald 25 July 1998; Edmonton Sun 2 Aug. 1998). In March 1999 it was reported, in a discussion of an unrelated construction project, that the Ling Shen Ching Tze Temple in Seattle, originally approved by municipal authorities as a religious meeting house for ceremonies attended by a maximum of 100 people, had in fact drawn as many as 3,000 (Seattle Times 18 Mar. 1999; AP 20 Mar. 1999).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Response.

References

Associated Press (AP). 20 March 1999. "With 24 Toilets, Six Urinals, 18 Showers -Is it a Single Family Home?" (NEXIS)

Calgary Herald. 25 July 1998. Scott McKeen. "Edmonton Meeting to Bridge Faiths." (NEXIS)

Edmonton Sun. 2 August 1998. Rachel Evans. "Religions Join Hands in Agricom Ceremony." (NEXIS)

Human Rights Watch (HRW). 1994. Detained in China and Tibet: A Directory of Political and Religious Prisoners. New York: Asia Watch.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer. 24 March 1998. Heath Foster. "Locke Cleared in Election-Fund Inquiry; Temple Donations Not Illegal, PDC Finds." (NEXIS)

Seattle Times. 18 March 1999. Peyton Whiteley. "Neighbours Fret: Is it Mansion or Meeting Hall? - Owner Swears New Juanita Mega-House is Just for One Family." (NEXIS)

True Buddha School, Redmond, Washington. 16 June 1998. Telephone interview with member.

_____. n.d. "World Wide Chapters." [Internet] http://www.tbsn.org/wwc/country.htm [Accessed 16 June 1999]

Attachments

True Buddha School. n.d. "23 Questions and Answers on the True Buddha School." [Internet] http://www.tbsn.org/english/intro/23quest.htm [Accessed 16 June 1999]

_____. n.d. "The Precepts of the True Buddha School." [Internet] http://www.tbsn.org/english/library/reference/handbk/precepts.htm [Accessed 16 June 1999]

_____. n.d. "The Lineage of the True Buddha School." [Internet] http://www.tbsn.org/english/library/reference/handbk/lineage.htm [Accessed 16 June 1999]

_____. n.d. "Who is Sheng-Yen Lu." [Internet] http://www.tbsn.org/english/intro/wair.htm [Accessed 16 June 1999]

Additional Sources Consulted

Human Rights Watch/Asia (HRW). October 1997.

China: State Control of Religion.

Unsuccessful attempts to contact two oral sources.

Electronic sources: IRB Databases, Internet, REFWORLD, LEXIS/NEXIS, WNC.