Learning more about Hsi Lai Temple
Venerable Master Hsing Yun
is a Chinese Buddhist monk, author, philanthropist, and founder of the Fo Guang Shan
monastic order, which has branches throughout Asia, Europe, Africa, Australia, and the
Americas. Ordained at the age of twelve in Jiangsu Province, China, Master Hsing Yun has
spent his over eighty years as a Buddhist monk building what he calls
Humanistic Buddhism - Buddhism that meets the needs of people and is integrated into
all aspects of life.
Humanistic Buddhism
- Buddha taught the Dharma to people in the community to benefit and help them find happiness in life.
- Humanistic Buddhism is that which was taught by the Buddha himself, that which is needed by human beings, that which is pure, and that which is virtuous and beautiful.
- All teaching that promotes the happiness of humanity represents the essence of Humanistic Buddhism.
Hsi Lai Temple follows the four objectives of Fo Guang Shan:
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To propagate Dharma through culture
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To foster talents through education
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To benefit society through charity
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To purify human minds through spiritual
cultivation
How to join the Buddhist community?
As you can see from our event and activities, there are not only monastic. Sangha is composed of both monastic and lay people. Venerable Master Hsing Yun said that they are like two wings of a bird.
To join the Buddhist community you could -
Venerable Master Hsing Yun founded the
Buddha’s Light International
Association
(BLIA)
in 1992. It is a group that is composed of both monastic and laypeople.
You can also think of it as a community of practitioner who study the Dharma together,
practice together, volunteer together and try to make a positive difference in the
world. They work together in bringing happiness to people’s life. They also have fun
together, so there might be time when they go on hiking, camping, traveling or simply
gathering for potluck.
Each chapter of BLIA has many subchapter. For the English speaker, we are in the Hsi Lai chapter. Each subchapter has an advising venerable, so that they can always go back to a venerable for help and counseling.
Each chapter of BLIA has many subchapter. For the English speaker, we are in the Hsi Lai chapter. Each subchapter has an advising venerable, so that they can always go back to a venerable for help and counseling.
- Fill out a registration form
- Membership Enrollment Fee U.S.$55 (Include: First Year Membership Fee $40, Uniform $10, membership Card $5, Handbook)
- Membership fee is used for various charity causes such as donations to scholarships, donations for feeding the homeless, and planting trees, as well as for any event cost.
Buddha’s Light International Association (BLIA)
BLIA International Conferences
Help out with various temple events, being a docent, volunteer teachers for our kid and youth program, as well as helping us man the temple gate.
- Don’t need to be BLIA members to volunteer in the temple
- Fill out the registration form and tell us what you would be interested in joining. We will then contact you for further details.
- Come for a meetup with helping out at the day of giving
- Volunteer to be a docent, teachers for our youth program/summer program, greeters, or volunteering for video editing or special events/shrine attendant for English Dharma service (when we can go back to in-person)
