Laying Equal Emphasis on Understanding and Practice

Between the 1950s and the 1970s, Po Kok Buddhist School has turned out many talents.

Lady Clara Lin-Kok believed that women played a significant yet undervalued role in the family, and society in general. Thus in 1936 she invited Venerable Master Taixu to Tung Ling Kok Tuen to convene a talk on the topic “Educating Female Lay Buddhists and Introducing Buddhism to the Family.” During the talk, Master Taixu lamented the lack of opportunities for female lay Buddhists to study Buddhism: “Presently, few institutions provide Buddhist education for women. Ten years ago, a Buddhist college for the female Sangha was set up in Wuchang, and subsequently in two or three other cities like Beiping (now called Beijing) and Wuhan. But these are all humble establishments with a very small student population, and we can hardly call it a big accomplishment. Altogether these colleges do manage to produce a hundred-plus students, but once they graduate they find that there is nothing else they can do.” Venerable Master Taixu shared strongly Lady Clara’s beliefs regarding the untapped potential of female devotees, and felt their future education should place equal emphasis on the understanding and practice of Buddhist doctrines, in addition to training in practical and vocational skills. By doing so, he felt, female devotees would be better equipped to promote Buddhist values in the family, and make a positive influence on society in general.

Venerable Master Taixu felt that the program and direction of Tung Lin Kok Yuen were well suited to achieving these goals. He noted during his talk: “This is really a very good venue for Buddhist education. In addition to the few dozens of people doing specialized studies in Buddhism, here we also find classes on English and general subjects. I am happy to note that the Yuen is providing free primary education for children, through which basic Buddhist knowledge is imparted in their pure, young minds. This is a good model of education, for it comprises both theory and application. Education at the higher level, which focuses on Buddhist doctrines, is theory; the running of language classes and a primary school, so that Buddhism can become part of the future society, is application. An equal emphasis on theory and application is exactly what is needed in Buddhist education today.”

Training to Spread the Buddhist Teachings in Society

Since the founding of the first Po Kok Free School, Tung Lin Kok Yuen has continuously served the community for more than seven decades. During this time, from the 1950’s to the 1970’s, the Po Kok Free School provided free schooling to many poor children who would have otherwise been deprived of the opportunity to receive any formal education, offering classes in Mandarin, Mathematics, General Studies, and Buddhist Studies, in addition to convening literacy classes for young children. In addition to tuition fees, the cost of books, stationery and other accessories were entirely waived.

During this period, most schools screened candidates through the administration of a compulsory entrance examination. Particularly given the lack of early educational opportunities for the economically disadvantaged, many able children lacked any real prospect of admission under this system, and it was not uncommon to see keen children who had been denied admission loitering around schools crying inconsolably. Responding to their plight, Tung Ling Kok Yuen set about rapidly expanding their education program. In 1954, the rear section of the Grand Hall was enlarged and converted into classrooms. Soon after, a new three-storey building was also constructed, named the “Lin Kok Memorial Building,” of which the second and third floors served as teachers’ quarters. The original quarters were then converted into classrooms to accommodate an increase in student numbers.  Despite this, demand continued to rise, and in 1961 another four storey facility, called the “Man Kam Memorial Building”, was built. Total construction costs for these projects exceeded HK$100,000 – a considerable sum at the time, half of which was paid by the government, and the other half donated by Lady Lo Man-Kam. In addition, General Ho Shai-Lai donated HK$30,000 for the renovation and preparation of the classrooms.

According to a 1957 issue of Po Kok Quarterly (August 15, Volume 5, No.1), Po Kok Buddhist School produced many talented graduates. To name but two examples, Venerable Jue’an and Upasaka Huiming excelled in Buddhist Studies, and were later accepted by the esteemed University of Kyoto Nunnery. Other distinguished alumni included Venerable Fayuan and Venerable Minsheng. Venerable Jue’an later took up the position of Principal at the Po Kok Buddhist School, which she held from 1963 to 1968, and an earlier fellow graduate of the Po Kok Free School, Xie Yinzhi, was Principal of the Po Kuk Primary School between 1978 and 1987.

Presently, Tung Lin Kok Yuen operates three schools in Hong Kong:

(1) The Po Kok Secondary School - Choi Ming Court, Tseung Kwan O
(2) The Po Kok Primary School - Shan Kwong Road, Happy Valley
(3) Po Kok Branch School - Hung Shiu Kiu, Yuen Long.

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Man Kam Memorial Building, completed in 1961.	Po Kok Secondary School, located at Choi Ming Court, Tsueng Kwan O.
Po Kok Primary School on Shan Kwong Road, Happy Valley.	Po Kok Primary School employed, at considerable expense, many foreign, native speaking English teachers.
Students of Po Kok Branch School undertook horticulture classes in the Garden.	Po Kok Primary School made use of alternative pedagogies, such as activity learning.