When I interviewed Master Zhen Chan more than ten years ago, I met Master Jue Xing who was then an acolyte of him. I had heard that the young Jue Xing was an excellent graduate from Shanghai Buddhist College and was praised by Master Zhen Chan and other masters. Now, Master Jue Xing has become chairman of Shanghai Buddhism Association. I have got a task to interview him.

The 34-year-old Jue Xing has grown out of his immaturity. For the new commitment, he says freely with confidence, “You want to know my feeling when I was appointed? Well, I am worried if I can live up to the trust of people, and also consider it my unshirkable responsibility.” In the Buddhist circle, Master Jue Xing is, without any doubt, one of those young masters. He became a monk when he was only 16 years old and was admitted to study in Shanghai Buddhist College as an exceptional student. He was greatly influenced by the old masters and their patriotism. “Both Master Ming Yang and Master Zhen Chan have undergone so many movements, yet they still hold their faithfulness to our country and the Communist Party. This is something really worth our respect.” The new position is seen by Jue Xing as a chance to learn how to accomplish the historical task.

“Shanghai, the oriental pearl of China, is getting glazing and shining. But how do we make Shanghai’s Buddhism harmonious with the big metropolitan and how to cultivate a group of masters who are experts in both Buddhism culture and etiquette for the 2010 Exposition in Shanghai? And how does we understand the services of Shanghai Buddhist Association? Those are very important area for research”, Master Jue Xing said. As for these considerations, I think they were first thought over by Master Jue Xing when he succeeded Master Zhen Chan to take over the position as the 11th Abbot of Shanghai Jade Buddha Monastery.