After studying at Tianning Temple Buddhist Academy, Ven. Jan Hai went to Taiwan in 1949, where he became a disciple of the late great Buddhist master, Ven. Tsi-Hung.
In the summer of 1960, Ven. Jan Hai went to Thailand to study Thai and Pali languages. He entered Juralongon Buddhist University. In 1969, he went to Japan and received his master's degree in Buddhism from Tokyo's Risho University. He wrote a thesis entitled An Analysis of Dhammapada.
In 1972, Ven. Jan Hai was invited to the United States. In 1978, he established Texas Buddha Light Temple with Ven. Wing Sing. In 1989, Ven. Jan Hai, along with Ven. Wing Sing and Ven. Hung I, built Jade Buddha Temple. Since 2002, Ven. Jan Hai and Ven. Hung I have been promoting the building of the American Bodhi Center. Despite the fact that he has reached retirement age, Ven. Jan Hai has never stopped teaching the Dharma. He is currently president of Texas Buddhist Association and Texas Buddhist Academy. He has authored two books, The History of Theravada Buddhism and The Sea of Enlightenment. Being a major resource for the study of Theravada Buddhism, The History of Theravada Buddhism has been republished by the Religious Research Institute of China. He has also translated The Dhammapada (“The way of the Truth”) and A Pictorial Biography of Sakyamuni Buddha.
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Dear Venerable Bhiksu Jan Hai,
I hope you are well.
I am about to begin reading your book, A Pictorial Biography of Sakyamuni Buddha, and I would first like to express my appreciation for your work and effort in presenting the life of the Buddha.
However, I would like to respectfully raise a concern regarding the geographical reference to Kapilvastu in the book. On page 8, I noticed the map appears to place Kapilvastu within India, and on another page I came across the sentence: “In the northern part of India, there was a kingdom called Kapilavastu.”
I would like to respectfully point out that many people, especially from Nepal, strongly believe that Kapilvastu has historical and cultural roots in present-day Nepal, particularly in the Lumbini region, and therefore such references can be deeply concerning and sensitive.
I understand that there are historical and scholarly debates on this matter, but I felt it was important to share my concern, as the way this is presented may be upsetting or disappointing to readers who value Nepal’s connection to Kapilvastu and the Buddha’s heritage.
Thank you for your understanding, and I hope this feedback may be taken into consideration in future editions or clarifications.
With respect,
Dikesh Shrestha