Inheriting the Past, Inspiring the Future
Venerable Ru Chang
Chief Curator, 27 Domestic and Overseas Branches of the Fo Guang Yuan Art Gallery
Sixty years ago in 1967, Venerable Master Hsing Yun founded Fo Guang Shan on this barren land in Dashu District, once considered so desolate that even ghosts would not come. Sixty years later, Fo Guang Shan attracts more than ten million pilgrims every year and has fulfilled its grand aspiration: "May the Buddha’s light shine universally on the three thousand realms; let the Dharma stream flow across all five continents." This stands as a testament to the Venerable Master's firm belief that where the Buddha is present, people will come.
The founding of Fo Guang Shan was dedicated to education. Without experts, engineers, or architects, Venerable Master Hsing Yun led Mr. Hsiao Ting-Shun, a carpenter with only a junior high school education who could not even draw architectural plans. The two began building the temple by drawing on the ground with twigs while discussing their ideas. The Fo Guang Shan complex we see today stands as the culmination of fifty years of gradual progress and perseverance through countless hardships. Though not extravagant, Fo Guang Shan embodies profound religious sanctity and solemnity, and serves as the faith center for Fo Guang members worldwide.
During the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China, Buddhism struggled to survive. The Venerable Master was born amid this chaos, at a time when reformist ideals had yet to be realized. Witnessing Buddhism's decline, the young Master recognized the urgent need for reform. Initially lacking resources, he seized every opportunity to advocate for Buddhism. Whether editing magazines, writing articles, actively participating in Buddhist activities worldwide, or founding Fo Guang Shan and promoting global Dharma propagation through culture, education, charity, and spiritual cultivation, all were driven by his unwavering ideal and ambition: "For the Sake of Buddhism," who else but me?
"Establishing temples, settling the sangha, and spreading the Dharma across the five continents like a lotus unstained by water; traveling the world, forming affinities in the Ten Directions like the sun and moon dwelling in the boundless void." This couplet, inscribed at the main gate of the Patriarch Shrine of Fo Guang Shan, serves as a commentary on Venerable Master Hsing Yun's lifelong dedication to propagating Buddhism. The Venerable Master’s merits are immeasurable. Fo Guang members should uphold the spirit of "Honoring the Past to Inspire the Future" and strive to bring glory to Buddhism.
Under the theme of "60 Years of Passing the Lamp, Honoring a 100-Year Legacy" we recount the Venerable Master’s lifelong contributions made "For the Sake of Buddhism."
