Shifu_Master Jì Rú (Abbot)

Biography of Master Jì Rú:

Born in Malaysia, Ven. Jiru learned about Theravada Buddhism and ordained in

Thailand in 1980. He later studied Chinese Buddhism and ordained in that tradition

under the late great Buddhist Master Venerable Zhumo in Penang, in 1986. He was

supervisor of Triple Wisdom Hall and vice-chairperson of Buddhist Association of

Malaysia Youth Division. He was a speaker at the Triple Wisdom Hall's Buddhist

research class and several youth training camps. In 1991, he held the post as the

religious advisor of the Sabah State Liaison Committee of Malaysia where he

helped establish the "Sabah and Labuan Buddhist Educational Foundation".

Venerable Jiru came to the United States in 1992 to give Dharma Talks, and shortly

thereafter he was appointed the Abbot of Great Enlightenment Temple of Buddhist

Association of U.S. in New York. In 1993 he became Secretary of the "Buddhist

Union of New York". He was later invited to St. Louis, Missouri in 1995, and was

appointed as the vice-chairperson of Mid-America Buddhist Association (MABA) in

1996. He formed the Youth Buddhist Educational Foundation in the following year.

He became the Abbot of MABA since 1999, and Chairman of International

Buddhism Friendship Association since 2000.

Venerable Kōngshí was ordained under Venerable Master Ji Ru at the Shuang Lin Monastery in Tao Yuan, Taiwan in 1997. She trained for the monastic life under Bhikshuni Zhao Hui and Bhikshuni Xin Guang in Shuang Lin Monastery and joined Mid-America Buddhist Association (MABA) in July 1998.

In 1990, she went to Tzu Han Memorial Hall in Taiwan to practice as a layperson, learning Buddhist rituals, meditation, monastic duties, and basic speaking in Chinese. She was ordained as a novice in March 1992, on the Birthday of Guanyin Bodhisattva, and at the end of that year she received full ordination as a Bhikshuni. In 1993 she returned to Argentina. Since then she traveled between Brazil and Argentina, collaborating in the translation of several English and Chinese Buddhist texts into Spanish and Portuguese. She met Master Jiru when he visited Argentina in 2000. In 2008, she moved to Tzong Kwan Temple in Brazil. In 2013, when Master Jiru visited Tzong Kwan Temple to give teachings, he invited her to join the Monastic Winter Retreat at MABA.

Ven. Kōngyán, originally from Malaysia, began her Buddhist journey in 2000 when she joined the Buddhist Student Society at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM). She was deeply inspired by the teachings after reading The Way to Buddhahood by Venerable Master Yinshun, and took refuge in the Triple Gem and undertook the Buddhist precepts in 2003.

She later pursued graduate studies in the United States, earning an MS in Forest Molecular Genetics from Michigan Technological University in 2006 and a PhD in Molecular Plant Science from Washington State University in May 2012.

As her understanding and practice of the Dharma deepened, she developed the aspiration to enter monastic life and dedicate herself to Buddhist spiritual cultivation and sharing the Dharma with others. She was ordained as a novice nun at the Mid-America Buddhist Association (MABA) in September 2012 and received full bhikkhunī ordination in Taiwan in December 2014.

Her early monastic training and spiritual practice included time spent at Miao Hsin Temple in Taiwan and Triple Wisdom Hall in Malaysia, an intensive meditation retreat at Panditarama Forest Meditation Center in Myanmar, and visits to Buddhist forest monasteries in Thailand.

Since returning to MABA in 2016, Ven. Kongyan has been actively involved in Dharma practice, community service, and Buddhist education. She helped establish the online Diploma and Master's programs in Buddhist Studies through a collaboration between MABA and the University of Kelaniya in Sri Lanka. These programs were launched in 2019 under the Right Mindfulness Training Academy (RMTA).

Alongside her responsibilities in Buddhist education, she continued her academic pursuits, earning an MA in Buddhist Studies from International Buddhist College in Thailand in 2022 and an MA in Religion from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2025.

She is currently a resident monastic at MABA and serves as a Dharma teacher at MABA, its Chicago branch, the International Buddhism Friendship Association (IBFA), and the RMTA.

Venerable Chánzhēn first encountered Buddhism and meditation during the final year of her Ph.D. studies in Materials Engineering at the University of British Columbia, Canada, where she also served as a research and teaching fellow. Her interest soon deepened into a calling to explore the depth and potential of spiritual life.

She became a lay practitioner on April 7, 2015, and later ordained as a novice Buddhist nun under Ven. Ru Ling at Yitung Buddhist Institute in Taiwan. She received full ordination at Yide Temple in Chiayi, Taiwan.

Inspired by Ven. Jiru’s aspiration to make Buddhism more accessible to the local community, she joined MABA in 2020 to deepen her learning and support its activities. In 2022, at the request of Ven. Kaiyin, Ven. Jiru facilitated Ven. Chanzhen's temporary move to Colorado to assist in establishing and developing Santa Monastery.

Don is affectionately known as “ShuShu” (Uncle Don) in the Chinese community. He took lay precepts in 2005 and Bodhisattva vows in 2007 in the Chan (Zen) Buddhist tradition with Master Jiru. Don originally began his study and practice of meditation in 1969 under the mentorship of his first teacher, Ho Kuang-chung, from Nanjing, whom briefly taught at Washington University. Shortly thereafter, he began practicing yoga with Anita Montero Campion, T’ai Chi, Al Huang and various teachers around the U.S., including at the original Cheng Man-ching school in NYC and Sophia Delza Wu T’ai Chi School in NYC. For several years he continued his meditation training with a Tibetan Lama, Lodu Rinpoche, a disciple of the world-renowned Kagyu Master, Kalu Rinpoche. For the past decade, Don has studied and practiced with Master Jiru and Venerable Kungshih in secluded Augusta, MO. Don was a professor at the graduate school of Washington University for 17 years and currently practices cognitive behavioral therapy, traveling around the country offering seminars on CBT and mindfulness.

Katty took refuge to the Triple Gems and the Five Precepts in 1995 and took the Bodhisattva’s Vows March 2007, both under the guidance of Master Ji Ru. She has been teaching the Chinese language to students in Hong Kong. Katty has been practicing Vipassana meditation since 1999 and has attended five 10-day courses and a 9-day Satipatthana course at various Vipassana Meditation Centers. In 2004, Katty achieved a Master of Arts degree in Buddhist Studies from Hong Kong University. She is a scholar of the Pali Language, History of Chinese Buddhism; Mahayana & Theravada Buddhism, and has written research papers on different topics of Buddhism in both English and Chinese languages. She also has helped in the translation of Buddhist articles. In 2007, Katty was appointed as one of the lay Dharma teachers by Master Ji Ru.

Sherrie McMillan (Xiǎnxǐng) is a native of St. Louis and has been practicing mindfulness and meditation since 1990. The benefits she saw from those practices led her to learn more on her own, and in 2006 she realized she was ready to study with Buddhist teachers. She was delighted to find MABA so close to home. She took refuge and precepts in 2009 and bodhisattva vows the following year. She also began studying with a Tibetan Nyingma sangha in 2006. She is a writer and genealogist and enjoys homeschooling her daughter and engaging in many citizen science projects.

Xiǎnji Lee Patton first came to MABA in 2010.  After attending for several years, Lee took the Refuge and Precepts Vows in 2014.  Bodhisattva Vows followed in 2017.  Both vows were taken under the guidance of the Monastics at MABA. Lee has attended numerous retreats at MABA over the last decade.  In 2019 the opportunity was presented to attain a college program in Pali and Buddhist Studies offered by MABA, The Right Mindfulness Training Academy and the University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka.  Lee graduated from the degree program in 2021.  Lee credits his Buddhist practice, including mindfulness meditation, with working a profound positive change in his life. Lee has been a meditator for over 11 years and has been a practicing trial lawyer in Missouri since 1982.