圓光寺中的光圓追尋：本際法師來臺前期的詩歌論析=Pursuing Promising and Satisfactory Ideal at the Yuan Kuang Monastery: A Study of Master Benji's Poetry during his Early Period of Residency in Taiwan
Master Benji (1884-1968), originally named Long Can, was born in Tongcheng, Anhui. He became a monk in Taiwan and completed multiple works, including The Poetry of Huaibo Mountain House (懷柏山房吟草). In 1949, sixty-six-year-old Lung Can sojourned in Taiwan because of the Chinese Civil War. During his stay, he followed Master Miaoguo in the Zhongli Yuan Guang Monastery, and entered monastic life under the Dharma name Benji after receiving ordination from Master Nanting. Although Master Benji traveled extensively during his lifetime, he mainly resided at Huaibo Mountain House (懷柏山房), Yuan Guang Monastery before 1957. Through his constant chantings of the lines from Promising and Satisfactory Spirit of Yaodi (光圓藥地靈), it signals that Master Benji shared a spiritual commitment with Monk Yaodi (Fang Yi-zhi), who also came from Master Benji's hometown. Thus, at the Yuan Kuang Monastery, he formed the Kuang Yuan (promising and satisfactory) Ideal, which intimated his yearning for the restoration of the nation. Additionally, during his lifetime at the Yuan Guang Monastery, Master Benji often versed poetry with literati, such as Xue Yi-song, Yang Yi-feng, Yu Jing-tang and Yu You-ren, who visited Taiwan. These collaborative poems reflected the collective sentiments of the poets. Although at the Yuan Guang Monastery he formed an inseparable bond with Taiwan, Master Benji, being ＂an Old Longmian Wanderer,＂ still yearned to return to his homeland. As he continued his monastery life to fulfill Buddhism, his pursuit of the Kuan Yuan Ideal still awaited the promised satisfatory completeness.
