On October 28, Fo Guang Shan Melbourne and Buddha’s Light International Association of Victoria (BLIAV) invited Venerable Hui Kuan, the director of Beijing Guangzhong Education and Culture Center, to give a Dharma Talk, Humanistic Buddhism and Founding Venerable Master Hsing Yun. More than 250 members of BLIAV attended, as well as member of Board of Director of Buddha’s Light International Association, Ms. Dominique Yu; Director of Elderly Advisor Committee of BLIAV, Mr. James Yang; President of BLIAV Mr. David Yu.
Venerable Hui Kuan summarized Humanistic Buddhism as “Buddha’s will, man’s desire, purification and goodness.” He quoted Venerable Master Hsing Yun as saying: “No matter how good the Dharma is, if people do not understand it, it is useless. It is my life’s dedication to teach people the Dharma.”
He discussed the human aspect of Humanistic Buddhism and explained the characteristics of different Buddhist lineages from different periods of the historical development of Buddhism. He stressed that “Humanistic Buddhism follows the tradition of Buddha more than 2500 years ago, it is the teaching that helps promote a happy life.”
Venerable Hui Kuan shared several stories highlighting the compassion, humility and wisdom of Venerable Master Hsing Yun. He believed in forming goodwill as in the phrase “three blessings, four acts of service” and leading by example as in the phrase “where there is a Dharma, there is a way.” For example, Master Ven. Hsing Yun does not require the believers worship him or kneel to him, does not force the Sangha to get up three or four in the morning, etc. Venerable Master Hsing Yun promoted the reform of Buddhism: “Run monasteries like schools; make Dharma language of colloquial; take advantage of multimedia to propagate the Dharma; and modernization with the times.”
Throughout the Dharma Talk, Venerable Hui Kuan skillfully interspersed the personal with the scholarly, entertaining and attracting the audience from time to time with laughter. A newly joined follower Wang Qian said, “I did not expect the Venerable from Fo Guang Shan to be so approachable, amiable, and even humorous.” She was very grateful for the Dharma Talk, which provided her with the opportunity to hear such an entertaining and fascinating Dharma that she deepened her belief and understanding of Humanistic Buddhism.
Reported by Radha Zhao, Photos by Luis Chiang, Translated by Vickie Huang and Chris Shan