Hong Chingkuang is a long time dharma practitioner grounded in the Chinese Pureland tradition, who is Shanghainese but grew up in NYC and has traveled extensively throughout the United States. He’s an accomplished artist, and knows the prison world well, having spent eight years inside. During his incarceration, he started his own hand-printed newsletter called neverdespise, disseminating the Buddhadharma to youths and old folk alike. He has a deep grasp of the issues prisoners face while inside and post-release.

He has studied and practices tien tai and Pureland methods of contemplation, specifically those that are illuminated in the Ksitigarbha sutra.  Inspired by the teachings and vows of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, Hong Chingkuang founded the Buddhist youth society, Jiuhua Tong, an organization dedicated to helping incarcerated youths identify with their own inherit Buddha nature. 

In his free time, he enjoys reading, watching Chinese romance and ghost movies, listening to music, practices playing the gu zheng, and draws pictures; both on paper and on human skin (as a tattooist).  He is in the process of starting a side business: promoting an all-natural herb infused protective lip balm, hand made soap and hand made incense.

He considers himself an uncertified master of janitorial arts, specializing in mopping and sweeping. 

What else is there there to know? 

hong@bpf.org

510-655-6169 ext. 306

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