[English]
本會發起人暨台灣大學哲學系教授上恆下清長老尼，2024 年 7 月 20 日（週六）上午 5:10 於法雨山普宜苑安詳示寂，享壽 81 歲。
恆清法師 1943 年出生於台灣台南縣，1975 年出家。自 1984 年從美國取得博士學位返台後，深耕於佛教教育與文化事業。法師曾出任法光佛教文化研究所所長，發起全國研究生「佛學論文聯合發表會」，成立「現代佛教學會」，設置「臺大佛學數位圖書館」，參與英譯大藏經工作，倡議並促成「私立學校法」將「宗教研修學院」 納入正規教育體系的立法修正等。數十年來，不遺餘力地推動宗教與學術的發展。
在佛學數位資源方面，恆清法師的影響深遠。法師洞見科技在現代弘法中的潛力，號召佛教團體與個人，積極籌募經費、招攬人才，於 1998 年成立「中華電子佛典協會」（CBETA），開始進行《大正藏》數位化工作。近年更支持永續經營理念，是促成「財團法人佛教電子佛典基金會」（CBETA 基金會）於 2023 年成立的重要推手之一。
我們感念法師以身示教，祈願法師早日乘願再來，繼續弘揚佛法，利益眾生。
財團法人佛教電子佛典基金會 敬悼
2024.07.20
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【恆清法師發起 CBETA 的心願】
「我希望電子化大藏經，是臺灣全佛教共同參與和完成的工作，因為這絕不是少數一、二個人可以完成的。一方面我們需要一個很專業的團隊來主導，另一方面我們也可以讓非專業的『全民佛教徒』來參與，他們可以做輸入和校對的工作。每位參與者都會很法喜，完成之後，就真的是『眾緣和合』的法寶了。」
「現在網路版和光碟版的《大正藏》唾手可得，帶著一片光碟版《大正藏》，法寶可與你行遍天下，這是幾年前無法想像的事。尤其檢索時，數秒鐘內可以找到所要的經文，使用者一定感到太好用了，但是他們一定無法想像，這一片小小的光碟要累積多少眾緣和心力才能和合而成的。」
「要保持 CBETA 的中立精神，那就是它不屬於任何人和山頭，而是全佛教的，讓任何佛教團體和個人，都有機會參與佛典電子化的機會。」
摘自《杏壇衲履：恆清法師訪談錄》國史館出版
https://archive.cbeta.org/data/cbeta10y/cbhistory.htm
圖一：1998 年 6 月 22 日，恆清法師（前排左一）、惠敏法師（前排左二）、杜正民教授（後排左一）、維習安博士（前排右一）赴日與日本 SAT 委員商談合作及《大正藏》授權事宜。
圖二：1998 年 12 月 CBETA 成果發表會，恆清法師（前排右三）、惠敏法師（前排右一）、杜正民教授（前排右四）。
圖三：2003 年 2 月，CBETA 成立五周年暨成果發表會，恆清法師（二排右二）、馬天賜神父（二排右一）、李志夫教授（二排中）、惠敏法師（二排左二）、杜正民教授（二排左一）、周伯戡教授（三排右一）與 CBETA 團隊合照於台北慧日講堂。
圖四：2024 年 4 月 18 日，恆清法師（左二）、惠敏法師（左一）、維習安博士（右二）、陳光華館長（右一）攝於臺灣佛學資源數位化回顧與前瞻國際學術研討會，慶祝臺大佛學資源數位化 30 周年。
（相片來源：感謝臺大佛學數位圖書館提供）
圖五：2024 年 4 月 18 日，恆清法師（前排左二）、惠敏法師（前排左一）攝於臺灣佛學資源數位化回顧與前瞻國際學術研討會，慶祝臺大佛學資源數位化 30 周年。
（相片來源：感謝臺大佛學數位圖書館提供）
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法雨山普宜苑上恆下清長老尼 訃聞 (普宜苑 2024-08-12 致函 CBETA)
Passing of CBETA Founder Venerable Heng-ching on July 20, 2024
We express our heartfelt respect and sorrow as we announce the passing of our esteemed founder, Venerable Heng-ching Shih, a highly regarded professor in the Department of Philosophy at National Taiwan University. Venerable Heng-ching peacefully departed this life on Saturday, July 20, 2024, at 5:10 a.m. at Fa Yu Shan Pu-yi Yuan Nunnery. She was 82 years old.
Born in Tainan County, Taiwan, in 1943, Venerable Heng-ching was ordained as a nun in 1975. After earning her Ph.D. in the United States in 1984, she returned to Taiwan, where she devoted herself to advancing Buddhist education and culture. She served as the Director of the Fa-kuang Institute of Buddhist Studies, initiated the National Graduate Students' Forum on Buddhist Studies, founded the Modern Buddhism Association, and established the National Taiwan University Digital Library of Buddhist Studies. Additionally, she contributed to the English translation of the Buddhist Canon and played a key role in advocating for and facilitating the legislative amendment of the Private School Law, which incorporated religious study institutes into Taiwan’s formal education system. Her unwavering dedication over the years have significantly enhanced the development of both religious studies and academia.
Venerable Heng-ching’s impact was particularly profound in the field of digital Buddhist resources. She recognized the power of technology in modern Buddhist outreach and spearheaded efforts to gather support from Buddhist organizations and individuals. In 1998, she founded the Chinese Buddhist Electronic Text Association (CBETA) to digitize the Taishō Tripiṭaka. More recently, her commitment to sustainable development was instrumental in the establishment of the Buddhist Electronic Text Foundation in 2023.
We deeply revere Venerable Heng-ching’s extraordinary life and profound teachings, and we earnestly pray for her swift return to her vital mission of spreading the Dharma and uplifting all sentient beings.
Comprehensive Buddhist Electronic Text Archive Foundation
July 20, 2024
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Venerable Heng-ching’s Vision for CBETA
"My hope was that the digitalization of the Buddhist Canon would be a collective effort of the entire Buddhist community in Taiwan, as this is not something a few individuals can accomplish alone. We need a professional team to lead the project, but we can also involve the general Buddhist community who can contribute by entering and proofreading texts. Every participant will feel great joy in the Dharma, and once completed, the digital Canon will truly be a treasure born from the coming together of many causes and conditions."
"Today, the Taishō Tripiṭaka is easily accessible in both online and CD-ROM formats. Having the CD-ROM version allows you to carry this treasure of Dharma with you wherever you go - something that would have seemed impossible just a few years back. Users, particularly when searching for texts, can obtain results in mere seconds and find it incredibly convenient; however, they may not fully appreciate the tremendous effort and collective energy that went into creating that small CD."
"To uphold CBETA's commitment to neutrality, it should not be owned by any individual or organization; rather, it should be a resource for Buddhism as a whole. This approach allows any Buddhist group or individual to engage in the digitalization of Buddhist texts."
- Excerpt from The Apricot Altar and Patched Shoes: Interviews with Venerable Heng-ching (杏壇衲履: A Journey of Educational and Monastic Dedication), published by the Academia Historica.
[Read More]
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Image 1. June 22, 1998: In Japan, discussing collaboration and copyright license of the Taishō Tripiṭaka with the SAT Committee. From left: Venerable Heng-ching, Venerable Huimin (front row); Professor Aming Tu (back row); Dr. Christian Wittern (front row, right).
Image 2. December 1998: CBETA project presentation. From right: Venerable Huimin, [unnamed], Venerable Heng-ching, Professor Aming Tu (all front row).
Image 3. February 2003: CBETA's 5th Anniversary and project presentation at the Light of Wisdom Dharma Hall, Taipei. Second row from right: Father Albert Poulet-Mathis, Venerable Heng-ching, Professor Chih-fu Lee (center), Venerable Huimin, Professor Aming Tu. Third row: Professor Po-kan Chou (right). Pictured with the CBETA team.
Image 4. April 18, 2024: International Conference on Retrospect and Prospect of Digitalization of Buddhist Resources in Taiwan, celebrating the 30th anniversary of the NTU Digital Library of Buddhist Studies. From left: Venerable Huimin, Venerable Heng-ching, Dr. Christian Wittern, Director Kuang-hua Chen. (Photo: NTU Digital Library of Buddhist Studies)
Image 5. April 18, 2024: Another photo from the same conference. Front row from left: Venerable Huimin, Venerable Heng-ching. (Photo: NTU Digital Library of Buddhist Studies)
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Obituary of Venerable Heng-ching, Eminent Nun of Fa Yu Shan Pu-yi Yuan Nunnery
(CBETA received from Pu-yi Yuan on August 12, 2024)
