Master's Letter to Dharma Protectors and Friends -- 2009 Dear Dharma Protectors and Friends, Happy New Year to you all! May fruitful harvests be yielded through earnest cultivation. In time of the arrival of a new year, I cannot help but go over the past and look into the future,which is also my chance to share with everyone last year ’s propagation works we have done. On New Year ’s Day of 2008, Jian Zhen Library was completed after two and half years of construction, thereby allowing the opening ceremony of Jian Zhen Fo Guang Yuan Art Gallery and Yangzhou Forum to take place. Yangzhou is my homeland, and it is also an ancient cultural heritage. For the past thousand years, writers and poets left behind countless fine poems and pieces of works. During the great Qing dynasty, the Huizhou merchants and salt tradesmen gathered here and allowed the city to prosper. The rich history and civilization of this city has allowed it to become one of world ’s ten most bustling ancient capitals. With the completion of Jian Zhen Library and commencement of the Yangzhou Forum, the glory of Buddhist studies and culture in Yangzhou are bound to be revitalized. Under the leadership of curator Weng Zhenjin, the Yangzhou Forum was graced by the presence ofworld renowned speakers such as novelist Er Yue He, Qian Wenzhong, Ma Rui-fang, Yu Dan, Wang Bang-wei, Yan Chongnian, Kang Zhen, Cheng Shiyan, Charles HC Kao, Yu Kuangchung, Henry Lee, and Cui Yongyuan who delivered talks on Strange Tales of Liaozhai, Records of the Historian (Shi-ji), the Analects, Tang poems, Xuanzang ’s Journey to the West and so on. As history gets mentioned, there are many monastic and lay Buddhists who had dedicated their lives to the study, propagation and protection of Buddhism through out the past one hundred years ofBuddhist history. In time of the seventh anniversary of Universal Gate Buddhist Journal, I proposed a new layout design from issue 46 by starting with “A Selection of 20th Century Buddhist Literature. ” This series consists of works written by bhiksus, bhiksunis, lay Buddhists and scholars on topics suchas “Buddhism and literature, ” and “Buddhism and architecture ” as an attempt to encourage reading. The influence of art and aesthetics is essential to the enhancement of life ’s quality. Peking Opera is regarded a very profound and deep art, thus very few have shown interest in it. However, many of itsperformances are stories that portray the ideas of loyalty, filial piety, integrity, righteousness, cause and effect, and karmic retribution, which is rather similar to how Buddhism voices the Dharma and urges people to cultivate their body, mind and speech. For this reason, Fo Guang Shan has invited thedirector-general of Contemporary Legend Theatre - Wu Hsingkuo and wife Lin Hsiuwei to present one hundred performances on BLTV. Furthermore, we also invited the Peking Opera House of Beijing, led by former Beijing mayor Zhang Baifa to do a “Magnificent Peking Reappears ” tour around Taiwan, hoping that the spirit of sentiment, righteousness and mutual gratitude can be reclaimed by people. I was very pleased to hear about Paperwindmill Cultural Foundation ’s effort in promoting children ’s art in the countryside of Taiwan, I made a small contribution to the expenses required. Onthe other hand, “The Biography of the Buddha – Prince Siddhartha the Musical, ” composed, produced, and performed in English by the Catholics from Philippine received tremendous responses in Taiwan. I feel deeply gratified to see Buddhism shift from ancient secluded mountain forests to the national performance theatres today, planting the seeds of Dharma in the hearts of the general public. This is indeed an era where Dharma is propagated through art form. Literature and art are two wings of a bird. Other than Peking Opera, BLIA also organized “TheBeauty of Buddha ’s Light Photography Competition, ” spreading the beauty of the sacred Buddha shrines to the whole world. Universal Gate magazine and Sin Chew Daily in Malaysia co-organized the “2008 Hsing Yun ’s Literary Awards, ” offering open and fair opportunity for young adults who love Buddhist literature to present the beauty of their minds. The internet is a wonderful tool for the propagation of Dharma in the new era. Everyday, Fo Guang Shan ’s website provides up-to- date news and information on Buddhist events and knowledge, attracting more than one million visitors on a yearly basis. Moreover, IBPS Hong Kong opened the Buddha Digital Radio Station which introduces Buddhist chanting, Buddhist hymns and songs from the “Sounds of the Human World ” musical competition, bringing hope and serenity to this chaotic world. This year, I published fourteen articles on Better Life Monthly Magazine, some of which include: “A Chronicle of My Physical Check Up at Mayo Clinic Rochester, ” “Crucial Moment, ” “Life ’s Path, ” “Dharma Propagation, ” “Ascetic Practice, ” and “My Maternal Grandmother. ” These are my sixty years of humble experiences in propagating Buddhism, through out which I had learned to bear with the ups and downs, fames and defamations in life. I am very grateful to Better Life Publishing House for collecting these articles and publishing them in a book – A Life with Palms Joined. The joining of palms symbolizes my whole life ’s dedication to Buddhism, and also my more sincere gratitude to the benefactors from the ten directions. In June, I went on a two-week Dharma tour around Medan in Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia. While speaking to BLIA committees about the requirements of life, I also talked about ways of a married couple at the Buddha ’s Light Bodhi Couple Blessing Ceremony, discussed management and harmony with Malaysia ’s Transport Minister Ong Tee Keat, and encouraged those who were taking refuge in the Triple Gem to bravely admit that they too are buddhas. The attention paid by the local media and articles published by them allowed me to realize the essentiality of Buddhism to the human mind. The image of devotees ’ earnestly yearning for the Dharma makes me perfectly willing to keep busy and forget the long and exhausting trips that I have to take. There is an urgent need for the Dharma to comfort and bring peace to people ’s minds amidst all these social chaos. Based on my eighty years of experience and understanding of Buddhism, I responded to time ’s needs and gave a talk on “Buddha ’s Way of Education ” at the National Teacher ’s Life Education and Meditation Seminar, on “What can I do for Buddha ’s Light? ” to BLIA committees, on “The Origin and Meaning of Emperor Leung ’s Repentance Service ” to the devotees, on “Harmony ” at the Buddhist Academy of China, on “Buddhism and Modernity, ” “Buddhism and Social Issues, ” and “The People and Affairs of Fo Guang Shan ” to students of Open University. On November 7, I attended a celebration of a centennial of Venerable Ju Zan ’s birth and the completion ceremony of his memorial park. Back in his time, this Master guarded Buddhism with much passion. In 1949, he became the only monastic to attend a ceremony at a Tiananmen Square building. He was willing to sacrifice himself for the construction of new China, and dedicated his whole life to the reform of Buddhism. He placed the propagation of Dharma before his personal welfares. Although he has left us now, his spirit, aspiration, vow and bravery will remain a paradigm to the later generations of Buddha ’s disciples forever. If culture is a fountain of sweet dew, then education is a fertile land with seeds. In September, the foundation laying ceremony of Junyi Elementary and Junior High School took place in Taitung. This was my attempt to contribute to education in Eastern Taiwan. Moreover, Better Life Publishing House intended to hand their “Power Teacher ’s Award ” to Fo Guang Shan. I plan to raise the prize money to encourage teachers nurture future talents through creative means. The influence of media cannot be overlooked either. For this reason, I plan to initiate the “Truth, Virtue and Beauty Media Award ” to promote higher awareness on the truthful, virtuous and beautiful side of this world in the media. In order to assist financially challenged students acquire a professional skill, Nan Hua Temple in South Africa organized a two-month computer training camp. Feng Shan Vihara also organized Fo Guang Shan Social Welfare Seminar for Elite Ladies to provide well-learned young adults a chance to travel and work. Fo Guang Shan branches in Sabah and Singapore organized a quiz on Buddhist knowledge. BLIA YAD sent their members on a Dharma tour around Malaysia, and organized several training seminars and lessons to broaden these young adults ’ horizon and aspirations. Every year, Fo Guang Shan would organize events such as Humanistic Buddhism Academic Conference, ” “Humanistic Buddhism Reading Seminars, ” “Academics and Scholars ’ Gathering, ” “Open University Teacher and Student Gathering, ” “National Teacher ’s Life Seminar Camp, ” and “International Academic Conference on Buddhist Literature and General Literature. ” These events aim to practice what the Buddha practice, and as practitioners of Humanistic Buddhism, we carry with us the responsibility of striving to build a Humanistic Pureland that is filled with purity, virtue and beauty. The propagation of Buddhism in the English language is now an unstoppable trend. In June, April and August this year, Fo Guang University ’s Department of Buddhist Studies organized the “Fo Guang World English Buddhist Dharma Talks ” and made exchanges with university and college students in Philippines (Manila, Cebu, Iloilo and Bacolod), Singapore, and Malaysia. These talks receivedacclaims from local universities and enhanced interfaith exchanges between Catholicism and Buddhism. The passionate energy of young adults are essential to Buddhism, students such as Miao Guang, Miao Zhe and Miao Jing who led the Dharma tours are all Master program students in the Department of Buddhist Studies of FGU.