Honorable Dr. Kwok Shiu Ming, the Director of the International Centre of Sakyamuni Cultural Centre in Hong Kong, is a distinguished Chinese Buddhist and businessman. He is a true Buddhist philanthropist who has dedicated his entire life to mastering and propagating the teachings of Sakyamuni Buddha worldwide. In recognition of his outstanding contributions, he was named the 'Business Person of the Year' at the Hong Kong Business Awards in 2018.
His spiritual Dhamma master was the renowned Buddhist scholar, the late Most Venerable Prof. Walpola Sri Rahula Maha Thera, one of the outstanding Buddhist scholars of the 21st century who rendered remarkable service in propagating the doctrines of the Buddha worldwide. Dr. Kwok provides incredible humanitarian assistance for Buddhism and Buddhists globally, including in Sri Lanka.
A few months ago, this esteemed personality arrived in Sri Lanka to provide further humanitarian aid for Buddhists in remote areas. Additionally, he expresses deep concern about the ongoing crisis in his second home, where he anticipates a steady recovery of economic stability for Sri Lanka. Dr. Kwok is always ready to contribute his profound knowledge of Buddhism to bring prosperity to the country.
Over the last three decades, he has offered substantial humanitarian assistance to Sri Lanka in various ways. His water purification project is particularly significant in preventing kidney diseases caused by brackish water in rural villages. Water filtration projects have helped reduce the number of affected people in many areas experiencing various water-related illnesses. Dr. Kwok has installed more than 35 water purifiers in various parts of the country, such as Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Kurunegala, Ampara, Monaragala, etc., greatly benefiting the well-being of many people in those areas.
Dr. Kwok has been an inspiration in uplifting child education in Sri Lanka, supporting over 10,000 impoverished school children in the mentioned areas by donating necessary stationary items. Furthermore, he has donated sets of computers to improve IT skills for both school and monastic students.
Currently, he is planning to build the memorial hall of Amoghavajjra, which can serve as an educational museum to propagate Theravada Buddhism to Japanese and world tourists, aiming to boost Sri Lankan tourism in this critical time. In recognition of these extraordinary services rendered to Buddhism and the Buddhist community of Sri Lanka, he was awarded the "Excellent Award for Outstanding Social Services in Buddhist Education" by the Sangha Council, Kandy, Sri Lanka.
We wish him a long and healthy life to continue serving the entire world.
| Senior Lecturer Ven. Vijitha Moragaswewe