1949年至台，擔任「台灣佛教講習會」教務主任及主編《人生》雜誌。1953年任宜蘭念佛會導師；1957年於台北創辦佛教文化服務處；1964年建設高雄壽山寺，創辦壽山佛學院；1967年於高雄開創佛光山，樹立「以文化弘揚佛法，以教育培養人才，以慈善福利社會，以共修淨化人心」之宗旨，致力推動「人間佛教」，並融古匯今，手訂規章制度，印行《佛光山清規》，將佛教帶往現代化的新里程碑。

大師出家七十餘年，於全球創建200餘所寺院，如美國西來寺、澳洲南天寺、非洲南華寺、巴西如來寺等，均為當地第一大寺。此外，並創辦16所佛教學院、24所美術館、圖書館、出版社、書局、50部「雲水書坊」行動圖書館、50餘所中華學校，暨智光商工、普門中學、均頭中小學、均一中小學、多所幼兒園等。以及先後創辦美國西來大學、台灣南華大學、佛光大學、澳洲南天大學及菲律賓光明大學等。2006年，西來大學正式成為美國大學西區聯盟（WASC）會員，為美國首座由中國人創辦並獲得該項榮譽之大學。

1970年起，相繼成立育幼院、佛光精舍、慈悲基金會，設立仁愛之家、雲水醫院、佛光診所、雲水護智車，協助高雄縣政府開辦老人公寓，並於大陸捐獻佛光中、小學和佛光醫院數十所，並於全球捐贈輪椅、組合屋，從事急難救助，育幼養老，扶弱濟貧。

1976年《佛光學報》創刊，翌年成立「佛光大藏經編修委員會」，重新標點分段，編纂《佛光大藏經》近千冊暨編印《佛光大辭典》。1988年成立佛光山文教基金會舉辦學術會議、出版學術論文集、期刊等；1997年出版《中國佛教經典寶藏精選白話版》132冊、《佛光大辭典》光碟版，設立「佛光衛星電視台」（後更名為「人間衛視」），並於台中協辦「全國廣播電台」。2000年《人間福報》創刊，成為第一份由佛教界發行的日報。

2001年發行二十餘年的《普門》雜誌轉型為《普門學報》論文雙月刊；同時期，收錄海峽兩岸有關佛學的碩、博士論文及世界各地漢文論文，輯成「法藏文庫」《中國佛教學術論典》共110冊。2013年，出版《世界佛教美術圖說大辭典》20巨冊，2014年出版《佛光大辭典》增訂版十大冊、《獻給旅行者365日──中華文化佛教寶典》以及《金玉滿堂》人間佛教教材。

大師著作等身，撰有《釋迦牟尼佛傳》、《佛教叢書》、《佛光教科書》、《往事百語》、《佛光祈願文》、《迷悟之間》、《人間萬事》、《當代人心思潮》、《人間佛教當代問題座談會》、《人間佛教系列》、《人間佛教語錄》、《人間佛教論文集》、《僧事百講》、《百年佛緣》、《貧僧有話要說》等，總計二千餘萬言，並譯成英、德、日、韓、西、葡等二十餘種語言，流通世界各地。

大師教化弘廣，有來自世界各地跟隨出家之弟子二千餘人，全球信眾達數百萬，傳法法子百餘人遍及大陸各省以及海內外如日本、韓國、香港、新加坡、澳洲等地，如南京佛教協會會長隆相法師、保定佛教協會會長真廣法師、錦州佛教協會會長道極法師、中國佛教協會常務理事道堅法師等。1991年成立國際佛光會，被推為世界總會總會長；至今於五大洲一百七十餘個國家地區成立協會，成為全球華人最大的社團，實踐「佛光普照三千界，法水長流五大洲」的理想。

佛光會先後在世界各大名都如：洛杉磯、多倫多、雪梨、巴黎、香港、東京等地召開世界會員大會，與會代表五千人以上；2003年，通過聯合國審查肯定正式成為「聯合國非政府組織」(NGO)會員。歷年來，大師提出「歡喜與融和、同體與共生、尊重與包容、平等與和平、自然與生命、圓滿與自在、公是與公非、發心與發展、自覺與行佛、化世與益人、菩薩與義工、環保與心保、幸福與安樂、希望與未來」等主題演說，倡導「地球人」思想，成為當代人心思潮所向及普世共同追求的價值。

(1991年，星云大师在美国洛杉矶创办的西来大学)

由於大師在文化、教育及關懷全人類之具體事蹟，1978年起先後榮膺世界各大學頒贈榮譽博士學位，有美國東方大學、西來大學、泰國摩訶朱拉隆功大學、智利聖多瑪斯大學、韓國東國大學、泰國瑪古德大學、澳洲葛雷菲斯大學、台北輔仁大學、美國惠提爾大學、高雄中山大學、香港大學、韓國金剛大學、澳門大學、嘉義中正大學、韓國威德大學及屏東大學等。近年來，並獲大陸各大學頒予名譽教授，如南京大學、北京大學、廈門大學、南昌大學、揚州大學、山東大學、武漢大學、人民大學、上海同濟大學、湖南大學、上海師範大學、浙江大學及上海交通大學等等。同時，多次獲得內政部、外交部、教育部頒贈壹等獎章；2000年獲總統頒贈「國家公益獎」，2002年獲得「十大傑出教育事業家獎」，2005年榮獲「總統文化獎菩提獎」等，肯定大師對國家、社會及佛教的貢獻。

大師在國際間亦獲獎無數，如：1995年獲全印度佛教大會頒發「佛寶獎」；2000年在第21屆世界佛教徒友誼會上，泰國總理乃川先生親自頒發「佛教最佳貢獻獎」。2006年獲香港鳳凰衛視頒贈「安定身心獎」，以及世界華文作家協會頒予「終身成就獎」暨「永久榮譽會長」、美國共和黨亞裔總部代表布希總統頒贈「傑出成就獎」；2007年獲西澳Bayswater市政府頒贈「貢獻獎」；2010年獲得首屆「中華文化人物」終身成就獎；2013年獲頒《中華之光》「影響世界華人終身成就獎」以及「2013華人企業領袖終身成就獎」。

大師悲願宏深，締造無數佛教盛事。1988年11月，被譽為北美洲第一大寺的西來寺落成，並傳授「萬佛三壇大戒」，為西方國家首度傳授三壇大戒。同時主辦「世界佛教徒友誼會第十六屆大會」，海峽兩岸代表同時參加，為兩岸佛教首開交流創舉。1989年應中國佛教協會之邀，率「弘法探親團」赴大陸，並與國家主席楊尚昆、政協主席李先念於北京人民大會堂會晤，開啟兩岸佛教交流盛事。

1998年2月，大師遠赴印度菩提迦耶傳授國際三壇大戒，恢復南傳佛教失傳千餘年的比丘尼戒法，同時舉行多次在家五戒、菩薩戒會。同年4月，率團從印度恭迎佛牙舍利蒞台供奉。2004年11月至澳洲南天寺傳授國際三壇大戒，亦為澳洲佛教史上首度傳授三壇大戒，成為當地佛教盛事。

大師一生積極推動國定佛誕節的設立，1999年經立法院通過，將農曆4月8日訂為國定假日，並於2000年慶祝佛教東傳中國二千年首度國定佛誕節。2001年10月親赴紐約「911事件」地點灑淨，為罹難者祝禱；同年12月，受邀至總統府以「我們未來努力的方向」發表演說。2002年元月與大陸達成佛指舍利蒞台協議，以「星雲簽頭，聯合迎請，共同供奉，絕對安全」為原則，組成「台灣佛教界恭迎佛指舍利委員會」，至西安法門寺迎請舍利到台灣供奉三十七日，計五百萬人瞻禮。

2003年7月，大師應邀至廈門南普陀寺參加「海峽兩岸暨港澳佛教界為降伏『非典』國泰民安世界和平祈福大法會」；同年11月，應邀參加「鑑真大師東渡成功1250年紀念大會」；隨後應中國藝術研究院宗教藝術研究中心之邀，率領佛光山梵唄讚頌團至北京、上海演出；2004年2月，兩岸佛教共同組成「中華佛教音樂展演團」，至台、港、澳、美、加等地巡迴弘法。

2006年3月，至享有「千年學府」之譽的湖南長沙嶽麓書院講說，同年4月，以八大發起人之一的身份，應邀出席於杭州舉辦之首屆「世界佛教論壇」並發表主題演說。2009年，國際佛光會與中國佛教協會、中華文化交流協會、香港佛教聯合會主辦「第二屆世界佛教論壇」，並於無錫開幕，台北閉幕，寫下兩岸四地宗教交流新頁。

2012年9月，應「第六屆夏季達沃斯世界經濟論壇」之邀，主講「信仰的價值」，為該論壇創辦以來，首位發表專題演說之佛教領袖。2010年起，應邀於北京之中國美術館及中國國家博物館舉行「星雲大師一筆字書法展」，為首位在該館展出書法作品的出家人，後陸續於海南、天津、內蒙古、山西太原、廣東、雲南、廈門、鎮江、上海、大連、山東、浙江、廣西等美術館或博物館（院）展出。

2011年12月，大師指導建設的佛陀紀念館開館落成，翌年即獲「國家建築金獎──文化教育類金獅獎」，開館第三年（2014年）獲得國際博物館協會（ICOM）認證，成為該會最年輕的正式會員，同年，全球最大旅遊網站TripAdvisor評為「2014年大獎得主」，頒發「優等」證書，以各項藝術展覽、教育推廣、兩岸文化交流、地宮收藏時代文物、永久為社會大眾持續做公益服務等項目受國際肯定。

為推動世界和平交流往來，歷年來，大師曾與各國領袖會面，如泰皇蒲美蓬、印度總理尼赫魯、菲律賓總統馬嘉柏皋、多明尼克總統塞紐瑞、美國副總統高爾，以及馬來西亞三任首相馬哈地、阿都拉‧巴達威和納吉等。此外，大師先後並與各宗教領袖交換意見，如：世界佛教徒友誼會會長泰國公主蓬‧碧司邁‧迪斯庫爾，天主教教宗若望保祿二世（約翰保羅）、本篤十六世等晤談。

2004年，大師應聘擔任「中華文化復興運動總會」宗教委員會主任委員，與基督教、天主教、一貫道、道教、回教等領袖，共同出席「和平音樂祈福大會」，促進宗教交流，實際發揮宗教淨化社會人心之功用。也先後與瑞典諾貝爾文學獎審查人馬悅然教授、漢學家羅多弼教授、哈佛大學傅高義教授、諾貝爾文學獎得獎人莫言先生等人進行人文交流座談。2013年，與大陸三任國家領導人習近平、胡錦濤及江澤民見面，寫下佛教歷史新頁。

近年，大師於大陸宜興復興祖庭大覺寺，並捐建中國書院博物館、揚州鑑真圖書館、南京大學佛光樓，成立揚州講壇、星雲文化教育公益基金會等，積極推動文化教育，期能促進兩岸和諧，帶動世界和平。

大師一生弘揚人間佛教，對佛教制度化、現代化、人間化、國際化的發展，可說厥功至偉！ 

Venerable Master Hsing Yun was born in 1927 in Jiangdu, Jiangsu Province, China. Having grown up in a poor household with both parents working, Venerable Master Hsing Yun never received formal education and was left in the care of his maternal grandmother. After the Sino-Japanese War broke out, while accompanying his mother to search for his missing father, who had most likely lost his life in the war in 1938, he was tonsured by eminent Master Zhi Kai in Qixia Temple, Nanjing, with Dajue Temple in Yixing, Jiangsu, as his ancestral temple. In 1947, Venerable Master Hsing Yun graduated from Jiaoshan Buddhist College, where he underwent a complete Buddhist education of Ch’an, Vinaya, doctrinal traditions, and later became the principal of Baita Elementary School, editor-in-chief of Raging Billows Monthly and abbot of Huazang Temple in Nanjing.

He arrived in Taiwan in 1949 and became the dean of the Taiwan Buddhist Seminar as well as the editor-in-chief of Human Life Magazine. In 1953, he became the guiding teacher for the Buddhist Chanting Association of Yilan, and subsequently established the Buddhist Cultural Service Centre in Taipei, in 1957. In 1964, he founded Shou Shan Temple and Shou Shan Buddhist College in Kaohsiung; and then founded the Fo Guang Shan (Buddha’s Light Mountain) Buddhist Order in 1967. With the objectives: to propagate the Dharma through culture; to foster talents through education; to benefit society through charity, and to purify people’s minds through spiritual cultivation, he has dedicated his efforts to propagating Humanistic Buddhism. Additionally, he integrated tradition and modernity in establishing the rules and regulations which were drafted and published into the Rules and Regulations of the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Order, bringing Buddhism into a new milestone of modernization.

Having been a monastic for over seventy years, Venerable Master has successively established over three hundred temples around the world, among which Hsi Lai Temple in the United States, Nan Tien Temple in Australia, Nan Hua Temple in South Africa, and Zulai Temple in Brazil, each being the largest in the country. He also founded sixteen Buddhist Colleges, twenty-four art galleries, libraries, several publishing companies, bookstores, fifty Cloud and Water Mobile Libraries, fifty Chinese schools, as well as Chih-Kuang Commercial and Industrial Vocational High School, Pu-Men Senior High School, Jiun Tou Elementary and Junior High School, Junyi School for Innovative Learning, and several kindergartens. Other education institutes were also established in the United States, Taiwan, Australia, and Philippines such as Hsi Lai University (now University of the West), Fo Guang University, Nanhua University, Nan Tien Institute, and Guang Ming College respectively. In 2006, University of the West became the first university established by a Chinese organization to be accredited by WASC (Western Association of Schools and Colleges).

Beginning in 1970, he successively established a children’s home, the Fo Guang Senior Citizens Home, the Cloud and Water Mobile Clinic, the Fo Guang Clinic, helped the Kaohsiung government establish a senior citizen’s home, and together with the Fu Hui Foundation. In addition, he established multiple Fo Guang middle and elementary schools and hospitals in China. He has also donated wheelchairs and combination houses, provided emergency relief aids, educated the young, provided for the elderly, and supported the poor and needy around the world.

In 1976, the Fo Guang Academic Journal was founded. The next year, the Fo Guang Tripitaka Editing Committee was founded to repunctuate and paragraph the canons. The committee compiled the Fo Guang Buddhist Canon (totalled nearly 1,000 volumes), and the Fo Guang Buddhist Dictionary. In 1988, Fo Guang Shan Foundation for Buddhist Culture & Education was founded to hold symposiums and publish collections of dissertations, as well as journals. In 1997, the 132-volume Selected Chinese Buddhist Texts in Modern Language was published and the CD-Rom edition of Fo Guang Buddhist Dictionary was released. In the same year, Venerable Master assisted in establishing M-Radio in Taichung, and the Buddha’s Light Satellite Television Station (now Beautiful Life Television) was established. In 2000, the Merit Times Daily News was founded.

In 2001, the Universal Gate Magazine, which was in publication for over twenty years, was transformed into the bi-monthly Universal Gate Buddhist Journal. At the same time, the Collection of Contemporary Buddhist Works, a collection of Master’s theses and Ph.D. dissertations on Buddhism from the Cross-Strait was published into a 110-volume Chinese Buddhist Academic Series. In 2013, the 20-volume Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts was published. And in 2014, the 10-volume Fo Guang Buddhist Dictionary Revised Edition, 365 Days for Travelers: Wisdom from Chinese Literary and Buddhist Classics, and A House Full of Jade and Gold - a teaching material of Humanistic Buddhism - were published.

Venerable Master wrote the Biography of Sakyamuni Buddha, Essential Guides to Buddhism, Fo Guang Textbooks, Hundred Sayings Series, Between Ignorance and Enlightenment, Ten Thousand Affairs in the World, Modern Thoughts, Wise Mentality, A Record of a Discussion on Modern-day Questions, Sayings in Humanistic Buddhism, Collection of Papers on Humanistic Buddhism, Buddhist Affinities Across 100 Years, and Hear Me Out: Messages from a Humble Monk. Totaling more than 20 million words, these works were translated into over twenty languages, such as English, German, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, and Portuguese, and have been circulated to all corners of the world.

With over two thousand disciples from around the world and over a million devotees around the world, Venerable Master has spread the teachings far and wide. His Dharma heirs, numbering more than a hundred, come from provinces across China, as well as Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Australia. These Dharma heirs include Venerable Longxiang (President of Nanjing Buddhist Association), Venerable Zhenguang (President of Baoding Buddhist Association), Venerable Daoji (President of Jinzhou Buddhist Association), and Venerable Daojian (Standing Executive Board Member of the Buddhist Association of China). In 1991, Buddha’s Light International Association (BLIA) was established and he was elected president of the World Headquarters. To this day, over 170 chapters have been established over the five continents, making it the largest Chinese organization around the world; allowing “the Buddha’s Light shining over three thousand realms, and the Dharma water flowing continuously through the five continents.”

BLIA General Conferences have successively been held in Los Angeles, Toronto, Sydney, Paris, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and other major cities around the world, drawing attendances of over 5,000 delegates each time. In 2003, BLIA was officially granted Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) association status by the United Nations. Throughout the years, the themes include: Joy and Harmony; Oneness and Coexistence; Respect and Tolerance; Peace and Equality; Nature and Life; Wholeness and Freeness; One Truth For All; To Resolve and To Develop; Self-awareness and Practicing the Buddha’s way; Change the World and Benefit Humanity; Bodhisattva and Volunteer; Environmental and Spiritual Preservation; Happiness and Peace; and Future and Hope. All of these advocate the philosophy of “the global citizen,” in order for it to become the direction of modern thinking as well as the value that is universally pursued by all.

Starting in 1978, due to his work in the areas of culture, education, and humanity, Venerable Master has received honorary Ph.D.s from the University of Oriental Studies in the United States, the University of the West, Chulalongkorn Buddhist University in Thailand, the University Santo Tomas in Chile, Dongguk University in Korea, Mahamakut Buddhist University in Thailand, Griffith University in Australia, Fu Jen Catholic University in Taipei, Whittier College in the United States, National Sun Yat-sen University in Kaohsiung, Hong Kong University, Geumgang University in Korea, Macau University, National Chung Cheng University in Chiayi, Uiduk University in Korea, and National Pingtung University. In recent years, Venerable Master has also been awarded honorary professor by universities across China such as: Nanjing University, Beijing University, Xiamen University, Nanchang University, Yangzhou University, Shandong University, Wuhan University, Renmin University of China, Tongji University in Shanghai, Hunan University, Shanghai Normal University, Zhejiang University, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University. He has also received numerous awards from the Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ministry of Education. In 2000, President of the Republic of China presented him the “National Civic-Service Award.” In 2002, he was listed as the ten greatest leaders in educational undertakings. In 2005, he also received the President's Award “Bodhi Award of Culture.” These are all recognitions to Venerable Master’s contributions to the nation, society and Buddhism.

Additionally, he has also received countless awards internationally, which include: 

1995: the Buddha Ratna Award from the members of All India Buddhist Conference

2000: During the 21st World Fellowship of Buddhists Conference, the Buddhist Great Contribution 

Award was conferred by the Prime Minister of Thailand, Chuan Leekpai to commend Venerable Master for his efforts towards Buddhism worldwide

2006: "Peace in Body and Mind Award" by Phoenix Satellite Television and Lifetime Achievement 

from Chinese Writers' Association and Award for Outstanding Achievement from the United States Republican Party's Asian Committee (in representation of President George W. Bush)

2007: the Contribution Award conferred by the Bayswater city government

2010: Lifetime Achievement Award of China’s first People of Chinese Culture

2013: Lifetime Achievement Award of Most Influential Chinese People, The Light of Chunghwa – 

Annual Mass Media Person of the Year Award, and Lifetime Achievement Award for Chinese Business Leaders.

Venerable Master’s great and deep compassionate vow has created countless Buddhist events. In November of 1988, Hsi Lai Temple, which is the largest North American Buddhist temple, was inaugurated and an International Triple Platform Full Ordination Ceremony was held, becoming the first time for the transmission of full monastic ordination in a western country. At the same time, the Sixteenth World Fellowship of Buddhists Conference was held, marking the first time that cross-strait representatives attended a conference at the same time; it also marked Buddhism’s first exchange between cross-straits. In 1989, under the invitation of the Buddhist Association of China, the Dharma Propagation and Homecoming Tour Group visited China and met with the Chinese President Yang Shangkun and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) Chairman Li Xiannian at the People's Congress Hall. 

In February of 1998, he presided over the International Triple Platform Full Ordination Ceremony held at Bodhgaya and multiple Five and Bodhisattva Precepts ceremonies for lay Buddhists; helping to revive the bhiksuni precepts of Southern Buddhism, which had been lost for over a thousand years. In April of the same year, Venerable Master led a group to escort the Buddha’s tooth relic to Taiwan from India through Thailand. In November 2004, he presided over the International Full Ordination Ceremony at Nan Tien Temple in Australia, which was also the first to be held in Australia and marked milestone in local Buddhist history.