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Heng Sure 恆實 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Title | Venerable |
| Personal life | |
| Born | Christopher Clowery (1949-10-31)October 31, 1949 (age 76) Toledo, Ohio, United States |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Buddhism |
| School | GuiyangChan school |
| Senior posting | |
| Teacher | Hsuan Hua |
Heng Sure (恆實法師,Pinyin:Héng Shí, birth nameChristopher R. Clowery;[1] born October 31, 1949) is an AmericanChanBuddhist monk and a senior disciple ofVenerable Hsuan Hua.[2][3] He serves as the managing director ofBerkeley Buddhist monastery, the president of the board of directors ofDharma Realm Buddhist Association[4][5] and a member of the board of trustees atDharma Realm Buddhist University.[3][6] He has previously taught at the Graduate Theological Union, Bond University, andDharma Realm Buddhist University as a professor.[3][6] He has released several albums of Buddhist folk music including "Paramita: American Buddhist Folk Songs" (2008).[5][7] Heng Sure has also been active in interfaith organizations, serving as a long-time trustee for the Interfaith Center at the Presidio and United Religions Initiative and regularly presenting at Parliament of the World’s Religions.[4][8][9]
He is probably best known for a two-years and six-months three steps, one bow pilgrimage from 1977 to 1979. Heng Sure and his companion Heng Chau (Martin Verhoeven), bowed from South Pasadena to Ukiah, California, a distance of 800 miles, wishing for world peace.[2][3][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14]
Born inToledo, Ohio,[9] Ven. Heng Sure grew up with an early exposure to Chinese language and culture, influenced by his high school studies and his sister's work with theU.S. Information Agency.[2] He attendedDeVilbiss High School and pursued higher education atOakland University in Rochester, Michigan, before attending theUniversity of California at Berkeley, where he studied from 1971 to 1976.[2][13] During this time, he deepened his interest in Oriental languages and earned a master's degree in the field in 1976.[6][13]
That same year, Heng Sure metVenerable Master Hsuan Hua, who would later ordain him at theCity of Ten Thousand Buddhas and received the Dharma name "Heng Sure," meaning "Constantly Real."[3][12][13][14][15] In 2003, he furthered his academic journey by earning a PhD in Religion from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley.[6][13][16]
In October 2024, Rev. Heng Sure participated in the Sixth World Buddhist Forum held in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, China, where he emphasized gratitude and interconnectedness, reflecting on Buddhism's shared spiritual heritage.[17][18][15]
In 1977, Reverend Heng Sure and his companion, Heng Chau (formerly Marty Verhoeven), began theThree Steps, One Bow pilgrimage from South Pasadena to Ukiah, California.[1][2][6][7][14][16] This journey, dedicated to world peace,[12][13] involved taking three steps followed by a full prostration to the ground, covering approximately one mile per day and lasting two years and nine months.[2][3][6][8][9][11][14][15][19] Heng Sure observed a vow of silence throughout the pilgrimage, relying on the kindness of strangers for sustenance and sleeping in their station wagon to remain outdoors.[1][2][3][6][11][12][14][15][16]
The pilgrimage was inspired by their teacher, Hsuan Hua, who instructed them to transform their inner greed, anger, and delusions to bring peace to the world starting with their minds.[3][11][12][14][15] Their experiences, challenges, and reflections were later compiled in the bookHighway Dharma Letters: Two Buddhist Pilgrims Write to Their Teacher, documenting their spiritual journey and insights.[3][5][11][14]
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