Ven. Lok To: Great Inspiration of all
Venerable Elder Master Lok To, the first President of the Buddhist Association of the United States from 1964 – 1974, passed away in New York 2pm on 2011-Sep-2 peacefully surround by the Sangha and Lay Buddhist community. Funeral and Memorial services will be held in New York and Toronto.
Ven. Lok-To, born in 1923, was ordained as a novice monk at age 10. He was a disciple of the famous Ven. Tan Hsu (倓虛大師) of China. He came to the United States in 1963. After the establishment of the Buddhist Association of the United States, he had been the president for 10 years, and resigned after the second term. During the year of his service, he had built a solid foundation for BAUS. He was also the one of the three founders of the Chamshan Temple in Toronto, Canada and the Young Men’s Buddhist Association of America (美國佛教青年會). He mastered in English, and dedicated his time and energy on translation Buddhist text from Chinese to English. His work can be found through the website of “Young Men’s Buddhist Association of America”.
Funeral Service in New York:
2011-Sep-10 Saturday night 7:00-9:30pm at 全福殡仪馆 Chun Fook Funeral Services Inc. in Queens, near La Guardia airport, 134-35 Northern Blvd., Flushing, NY 11354, phone: (718) 353-2218.
2011-Sep-11 Sunday morning 9:00 to 11:30am. Then proceed to Green Wood Cemetery, 500 25th Street, Brooklyn, New York 11232 for cremation.
Memorial Services in Toronto:
2011-Sep-8 Thursday 3:00-5:00pm
2011-Sep-15 Thursday 9:30-noon
2011-Sep-22 Thursday 3:00-5:00pm
2011-Sep-29 Thursday 3:00-5:00pm
2011-Oct-6 Thursday 3:00-5:00pm
2011-Oct-13 Thursday 3:00-5:00pm
2011-Oct-20 Thursday 3:00-5:00pm
“Rev Lok To” (in his own word)
(Manuscript, language: English; Date: undated, should be between 1964 – 1969; Source: Woo Ju Memorial Library)
“1923 was the year of my birth. When I was very young I entered the school for priesthood of Buddhist. Six year later I was ordained. Tien-tai school and Ch’an practice (Zen in Japanese) are my basic training in Buddhism.
I received advanced study in Chan Shan Temple, Tsingtao, China. Hereafter I went to Hong Kong to attend the Hwa Nan Research Institute of Buddhism and completed my research fellowship few years later. While in Hong Kong, I served as director of the Chinese Buddhist Society and was in charge of the Chinese Buddhist library. In 1962 the institute of Buddhism and Taoism in San Francisco invited me to preach Buddhism in this country. One year later I came to New York. Together with a number of devoted Buddhists, the Buddhist Association of the United States was founded in New York in the December of 1964. I was elected as the President and a director of the association.
My aim of the association is to promote the study and practice of Buddhism, to search for the Truth and Enlightenment and to obtain better understanding among all the religions. It is our belief that by doing so mankind may bring the world lasting peace and true happiness.”
