Bodhiyana Buddhist
Education Society
Bodhiyana Buddhist Education Society, is a non-profit Society which was established on Nov. 1, 2013, to promote Buddhism in Canada.
The Purposes of the Society:
(a) To promote and to disseminate the teachings and tenets of Buddhism through lectures and seminars, meditation classes and retreats, rites and rituals, for the spiritual growth of all people.
(b) To publish Buddhist scriptures, texts, Buddhist related materials in the form of books, texts, pamphlets, electronic formats and otherwise, in order to foster a deeper understanding and knowledge of Buddhism.
(c) To encourage all people to cultivate compassion and wisdom by engaging in activities beneficial to the community.
Monastic Teachers
Shifu Zhihan
Ven. Zhihan received full ordination from the Chinese Buddhist tradition in Taiwan and has been a monastic practitioner for over twenty years. He has been giving Buddhist lectures and meditation instructions in Spanish, Portuguese, English and Mandarin in North and South America. He is also part of a translation team to translate Chinese Buddhist texts into Spanish, Portuguese and English.
Currently, he is the director and meditation teacher of Bodhiyana Buddhist Education Society in Canada, the abbot of Tzong Kwan Temple in Brazil, the founder of the Bodhiyana Foundation in Argentina, and the abbot of Yu Chuan Temple in Paraguay.
Shifu Showshir
Ven. Showshir was born in Taiwan and raised in Vancouver. In 1995, after graduating from UBC, she returned to Taiwan to become a Buddhist nun and was
trained in the Taiwanese Mahayana Tradition. After 10 years of training in Taiwan, she traveled to Thailand, India, Myanmar to learn meditation and teachings from different Buddhist traditions. In 2012, she returned to Vancouver to teach meditation and share her knowledge of Buddhism.
Currently, she is the president and meditation teacher of Bodhiyana Buddhist Education Society.
Shifu Showshao
Ven. Showshao embarked on her spiritual journey by becoming a Buddhist nun at Taiwan's Ling-Yen Shan Temple in 1995, under the guidance of Master Miao-Lian. She dedicated five years to studying Pureland Practice at Ling Yen. Subsequently, from 2000 to 2010, she resided at Nanlin Buddhist Institute in Taiwan, immersing herself in the profound teachings of the Bhikshuni Vinaya and Buddhist doctrines. Upon completing her studies at the Nanlin Buddhist Institute, she sought to deepen her understanding of meditation techniques by traveling to various South Eastern countries to learn from esteemed meditation teachers.
Ven. Showshao received an invitation from the Bodhiyana Buddhist Education Society to teach in Canada in November, 2013, and has resided in Canada ever since. Her role encompassed teaching Buddhism, guiding meditation and Pureland practices, as well as leading the Society's Buddhist ceremonies. Her presence has been a profound source of wisdom and inspiration within the community.