[Central News Agency] Venerable Hsing Yun, the founding patriarch of Fo Guang Shan and the founder of the International Fo Guang Association, passed away on the afternoon of the 5th at the age of 96.

Relevant insiders confirmed the matter on the evening of the 5th, and Fo Guang Shan is expected to explain it to the public on the morning of the 6th.

People familiar with the matter told the Central News Agency reporter in the evening that Venerable Hsing Yun's physical condition declined after a stroke in 2011. In recent years, his health has been up and down, and he needs to go to Kaohsiung Chang Gung Hospital for kidney dialysis, and occasionally needs to be hospitalized.

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People familiar with the matter said that Master Xingyun passed away peacefully on the afternoon of the 5th, with his disciples by his side.

It is understood that Venerable Hsing Yun was admitted to the intensive care unit before the Lunar New Year. The core disciples were already mentally prepared. On the 5th, they were transported by vehicle to leave Chang Gung Hospital and passed away at Fo Guang Shan.

Zhao Yi, president of the Chinese Federation of the International Buddha's Light Association, said in an interview with a reporter from Central News Agency that Master Hsing Yun has strong willpower. Even though his physical condition has been good and bad in recent years and he needs kidney dialysis, he still participates in meetings and activities, sometimes through recordings. Participate in video.

Venerable Hsing Yun, who was born in Jiangsu, China, moved to Taiwan in 1949 and founded Fo Guang Shan in 1967 to promote "Humanistic Buddhism" through diversified management.

In his later years, Master Xingyun suffered from illnesses and often went in and out of the hospital.

In 2011, he was sent to Kaohsiung Chang Gung for emergency treatment due to ischemic stroke, and recovered well after the operation.

However, in 2016, he was admitted to the hospital due to a hemorrhagic stroke, and had an emergency brain surgery to remove the blood clot.

After the stroke, his physical condition gradually declined, and he needed to go to the hospital for kidney dialysis. He passed away on the afternoon of the 5th.

Before Venerable Hsing Yun passed away, Fo Guang Shan had established a succession system for stable development. Except that the first to third abbots were held by Venerable Hsing Yun, over the years Xinping, Xinding, Xinpei and others took over as abbots. The current abbot is the ninth Xinbao. monk.

(Editor: He Hongru) 1120206