An appreciation――Fo Guang Shan Celebrates its 50th anniversary

In May 2016 Foguang Shan (FGS) held its 50th anniversary celebration, and Master Hsin Tao was invited to deliver a speech. However, because he was leading the Great Compassion Retreat, he was unable to attend, and instead sent the following felicitation.

One of the highlights of the celebration was an assembly at which a wide variety of prominent people who have been a part of FGS over the years delivered speeches. It was at FGS that Master Hsin Tao entered the monastic order under the tutelage of Master Hsing Yun. In his felicitation Master Hsin Tao recounts some of his experiences as a novice monk at the newly established FGS.

Before beginning my studies at FGS’s Tsunglin University, all I wanted to do was find an arhat to be my teacher. I blindly searched all over Taiwan, but never found an one. Then I set my sights on study and practice, and learned that FGS was recruiting students, but I had no money to cover the expenses. Then a certain monk told me that monastics don’t need to pay any fees, so I signed up for the entrance examination. Although my qualifications were not quite up to par, Master Hsing Yun kindly saw to it that I gained admission. So in retrospect, even though I never found an arhat, I derived tremendous benefit from my association with Master Hsing Yun, a great bodhisattva and a living Buddha!

Aspiring to practice and propagate the Buddhadharma

During my course of study Master’s every action and utterance made a deep impression on me. While still a layman I visited and stayed at a lot of different monasteries, but only succeeded in learning some of the rules of monastic life. But my time with Master was quite different. His guidance was very practical and relevant to life in the world. As it turns out, everything I learned at the Tsungling University has had a lasting influence on me, even to this day. Master Hsing Yun’s emphasis is on education and propagating the Dharma, and its due to his guidance that my own path focuses on practice and propagating the Dharma.

Although my period of study lasted less than a year, all the teachers were highly capable. During that time Master would join us for a highly spirited game of basketball; he also joined us in hauling cement for constructing the big Buddha statue. I learned a lot during that time and I have lots of fond memories. At first there were about 80 of us, and we were all in the same batch; afterwards that number dropped to about half, at which point we all studied the same subjects.

Amongst my classmates were Vernerables Chuanxiao, Chaofan, Chongzhi, Huiyun, and Hongyi. We were all close friends, and everyone helped and encouraged each other. Both the monastics and laymen were highly diligent in their practice. Afterwards I went for a month-long retreat at the Yuanming Monastery in Yilan, during which time my classmates helped me out by providing me with basic requisites and a little money. They also raised some funds to help me buy a motorcycle; Venerable Huiyun went so far as to donate NT$800 out of his scholarship. Afterwards I moved to a columbarium in a cemetery; Venerables Chaofan and Chongzhi stayed with me for the first month, until I got used to staying there. One time I got into a bit of a quarrel with Venerable Chuanxiao. I criticized his sutra-recitation practice, to which he took considerable offense. But afterwards he was quite successful at it, much better than the rest of us. Venerable Chongzhi and myself favored austere meditation practice, but it’s hard to explain the whole story.

Lots of interesting things happened back then at FGS. One thing I’ll never forget is how every night around 11 o’clock, when it was very quiet, we would hear the faint sound of a bell, board, or wooden fish. One night we heard the sound of a drum, and Venerable Huiyun and I decided to go out and find out where it was coming from. When we found nothing, we looked at each other and said, “Let’s get out of here!” It turns out that the bell and drum were sounding all by themselves. Then there was that mysterious light in the main temple. All these things indicate that FGS is no ordinary place. It’s a sacred place with a kind of spiritual energy, and thus attracts divine beings. That’s also why it’s become such a popular pilgrimage site.

I’m grateful for having started my monastic career at FGS! At first I was somewhat self-centered in my approach to Buddhist practice. But at FGS I learned how to take on responsibilities; I also gained a strong sense of mission and the courage required for making the Buddhadharma relevant to the modern world.

Bringing Buddhism into the world

Master Hsing Yun has dedicated his entire life to propagating Buddhism. Through his tireless efforts in education and monastic training he has become one of the leading figures of contemporary Buddhism. Master serves as a living example of what he teaches. He personally demonstrates how Buddhism can have a direct positive impact in modern society. Thus he is now well known as one of the pioneers of humanistic Buddhism. By virtue of his many achievements over a lifetime of selfless service, he has become a paragon of commitment and excellence.

Master’s extraordinary virtue and merit are those of a true bodhisattva. We should all consider ourselves blessed to be following in his illustrious footsteps! He has inspired so many of us to lay down wholesome roots thru the cultivation of morality, concentration, and wisdom; and also to share the fruits of the practice with others. His kind guidance has been an indispensable inspiration for me in practicing the Buddhadharma.

During all these years of continuous and selfless propagation of the Dharma he has personally demonstrated the importance of diligence and perseverance. As a result FGS is widely recognized as the leading light of humanistic Buddhism in the modern world. Master Hsing Yun and FGS have inspired countless numbers of people to dedicate themselves to the Buddhadharma, whether as monastics or as lay people. He is also at the vanguard of contemporary efforts to promote diversity within Buddhism and the teaching of the “one vehicle.”

I owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Master Hsing Yun for initiating me into the sangha and for providing wise guidance which has lasted a lifetime; now it’s up to us to bravely forge ahead and put his teachings into practice. I look forward to seeing FGS continue its sacred mission of propagating the Dharma, serving as a refuge for all sentient beings, promoting peace and wellbeing throughout society, and sowing the seeds of Buddhahood throughout the world.

Best wishes to FGS on its 50th anniversary.

Bowing deeply,
Venerable Hsin Tao
May 12, 2016