FoGuang HuB

Purpose of reading: Read to be a better person,

Read to understand reasons, Read to see causes and conditions,

Read to understand that very heart.

                                                                                                                            -Venerable Master Hsing Yun

Venerable Master Hsing Yun has not received any formal education; even till this day, he has not obtained a graduation certificate from elementary school. However, the books he has read are the wall-less schools that he attended, his social qualification, and most importantly, the driving force in his life. He understands that “in order to become a better person, one needs to start reading”. If one doesn't read, one cannot understand reasons. If one doesn't understand reasons, one cannot become a better person; therefore, everyone should read!

With this perspective, Venerable Master established "to nurture talents through education" as one of the objectives when he founded Fo Guang Shan. Therefore, to educate the Buddhist Sangha, he founded “Fo Guang Shan Tsunglin University”; to educate the current youth, he founded “Fo Guang University” and “Youth Buddhist Academy”; to educate the general public, he founded “Urban Buddhist College” and “Fo Guang Shan Open University”. The Venerable Master hopes that every Buddhist will read books, as reading can enhance our energy, change our temperament, and help us to build right view. In doing so, our Saha world will become a pure land.

With the help of Fo Guang temples worldwide, Fo Guang Shan Humanistic Buddhism Courses has been created using this concept. Diverse courses, provided throughout the years, have illuminated many people with fruitful results. Faced with the COVID-19 pandemic, our daily lives have been deeply affected and restricted. Our temples have shifted from holding in-person courses to online learning, enabling the learning process to transcend boundaries. Since virtual learning can be boundless, why not integrate the energy of all the Fo Guang Shan venerables in North America to provide a more robust and systematic learning for devotees. Therefore, “North America Humanistic Buddhism Courses” has been established, and is utilizing Hsi Lai Temple as its headquarters, and all the other branch temples in North America as its branch offices---providing Chinese, Cantonese and English courses for Buddhist understandings and practices.

We deeply believe beginners can experience the simplicity and wonders of Buddhism here. With ease, they can steadily progress and then dive deeper into the ocean of Dharma. Advanced learners can reaccess their Buddhist understanding, practice the understanding equally, and actualize the Dharma in their daily life. As for casual learners, they can learn the various arts and crafts to diversify and widen the panorama of their lives. In the future, we will continue to introduce monthly “Dharma Talks”, “Lifestyle Seminars” and various retreats to help students in their contemplation and self-reflection after listening to the Dharma. Only in doing so, can the afflictions in our mind be extinguished by the power of the Dharma.

We wholeheartedly welcome all BLIA members, as well as, all of our Dharma brothers & sisters to step through the door of “North America Humanistic Buddhism College” and continue expanding the ways we see life. We hope your life will be transformed through these courses because “where there is Dharma, there is a way!”