Many people, including foreigners, know Venerable Master Xuecheng, a famous Chinese Buddhist leader. He is the abbot of three temples, Vice President of the Buddhist Association of China, and Vice President of the Buddhist Academy of China.
　　However, in spite of the grandiose titles, the reason why Master Xuecheng has become so widely known is because of the Internet —He is a prolific blogger.
　　 Exploding popularity
　　 As early as February 2006, Xuecheng established his personal blog. He became the first eminent Chinese monk to establish a blog and spread Buddhism online in the Chinese Buddhist circles.
　　On April 11, 2009, his micro-blog accounts in sina.com.cn and qq.com were set up, with the hope of spreading the wisdom of Buddhism in the vast Internet community. On February 17, 2011, his micro-blogs went multi-lingual.
　　When Xuecheng posts in Chinese, more than 170 translators from all over the world translate his messages into English, French, Russian, Spanish, German, Japanese, and Korean.
　　“Rapidly developing media technology has turned the world into a global village. Human beings are living in a community where their destinies are inter-connected. The peaceful coexistence of different civilizations has become an irreversible trend,” said Xuecheng.
　　It is significant for different civilizations to resolve conflicts, build friendship and join hands in development, said Xuecheng.
　　So far, the Buddhist celebrity’s microblog is followed by people from more than 100 countries. Over 200,000 fans follow his Chinese micro-blogs (weibo.com/xuecheng, and t.qq.com/xuechengfashi), rivaling the popularity of some movie stars. He also has Facebook and Twitter accounts and is a registered user on micro-blog websites in several countries, including Canada, Japan, South Korea and Russia.
　　When asked why he decided to establish a micro-blog, Xuecheng said it was quite accidental. “A friend established a micro-blog account for me. It would have been disrespectful to decline.”
　　But he didn’t pay much attention until the micro-blog achieved unexpected influence. This aroused his interest in the Internet.
　　He found the Internet could connect Buddhism and society, narrow down the dis- tance between people and quickly spread the Buddhist wisdom of benevolence, equality and harmony.
　　“Although a monk doesn’t need the Internet during personal meditation, the Internet is very significant in spreading Buddhism and bringing benefits to all human beings. Nowadays, it is not realistic for Buddhist followers, the general public and foreign friends to go to the temple for Buddhist lectures every day. However, they do use computers every day,” said Xuecheng.
　　“Buddhism should keep up with the times and embrace modern technology to promote Buddha’s teachings in an innovative and recipient-friendly way.”
　　In 1982, then 16-year-old Xuecheng had his head shaved and became a monk in the Guanghua Temple in Putian, south China’s Fujian Province. Since then he has dedicated his entire life to Buddhism.
　　In 1989, he became the youngest abbot in China with a master’s degree. Later in 2004, he was chosen as the abbot of the Famen Temple, a world-famous temple in Fufeng, Shaanxi Province, where the finger bone relic of the Sakyamuni Buddha is enshrined.
　　Then in 2005, he became the abbot of the 1,000-year-old Longquan Monastery, located at the foot of Fenghuangling, a picturesque mountain on the outskirts of Beijing.
　　 Online exchanges
　　 Xuecheng spends two hours online every day and responds to viewers’ questions in diverse fields such as parenting problems, conflicts with colleagues or family members, disorientation and distress about life.
　　On March 20, 2012, a netizen named Aitaitong asked, “How can I dispel the resentment in my heart?” Xuecheng answered, “To put down resentment is not to forgive others, but to relieve yourself.”
　　Another netizen asked, “I have treated my friends as brothers, but my kind behaviors turn out self-defeating. They think I have evil motives behind my behaviors.” Xuecheng answered, “A clear conscience is enough to face these misunderstandings. As long as you are in good faith, do not care too much about the gains and losses. Believe in goodness. Believe in karma.”
　　Some asked, “How can I broaden my mind?” Xuecheng replied, “When you look up to the sky, your mind will become broader. When you think about the future, your mind will become broader. When you care for all elderly as your own parents and care for all children as your own children, your mind will become broader. When you take a person’s difficulties into consideration when you are in conflict with him, your mind will become broader. Make your ego smaller, and your mind will become broader.”
　　People are becoming richer thanks to rapid economic development. Along with this trend, their demand for spiritual healing is increasing, hence Buddhism, Taoism, Islam and Christianity all embraced development, said Xuecheng.
　　February 29, 2012 marked the 30th anniversary of Xuecheng’s monastic vows. On that day, his book titled 365 Days at Longquan Monastery was published in Chinese, English, French, German, Russian, Japanese, Korea and Spanish.
　　Based on the contents of his micro-blog, the book described daily monastic life in Longquan and provided Xuecheng’s understanding of Buddha’s teachings.
　　 Keeping up with the times
　　 Xuecheng reaches beyond his followers, inviting scholars and the general public to the temple to learn about Chinese Buddhism and witness traditional Buddhist ceremonies. The temple also created a multimedia column on its official website. Disseminating Buddhism via the Internet and social media can extend the outreach to younger generations with minimal costs, as people from around the world can sit comfortably on their couch and read the blogs with a computer.
　　Realizing the language barrier prevents foreigners from knowing much about the living conditions and thoughts of Chinese monks, Xuecheng established in 2006 a translation center consisting of volunteers including college teachers, professional translators and returned overseas students, to share multi-lingual sutras with the public.
　　He said, “During the process of cultural exchanges, we can only achieve consensus after we settle disputes. Then we can make friends and have faith in each other.”
　　Buddhism should exist in a way that is liked and easily accepted by the general public. The Buddhist doctrines remain unchanged over the years, but people who practice them are living in this fast-changing modern society, Xuecheng said.
　　In an era when the world is filled with various challenges including environmental pollution, ecological imbalance, and resource shortages, Buddhist followers in China should make efforts to heal the spiritual problems of mankind, said Xuecheng.