Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s Relics Enshrined at Hsi Lai TempleThe Dharma Lineage Endures and the Dharma Continues to Flow
By Pan Ching-Hsia, The Life News Agency, Los Angeles, USA
Hsi Lai Temple, the first overseas monastery established by Fo Guang Shan Founder Venerable Master Hsing Yun as he brought Buddhism from Taiwan to the international stage, welcomed a historic occasion marking the third anniversary of the Master’s passing. As part of the global enshrinement of his relics at 12 Fo Guang Shan temples across five continents, Hsi Lai Temple Abbot Venerable Huidong led a delegation of 84 monastics, Buddha’s Light International Association (BLIA) representatives from North America, and devotees to Taiwan on March 19 to respectfully receive the Master’s relics.
The delegation returned to Hsi Lai Temple on March 21, where a solemn Enshrinement Ceremony and the Commemorative Tribute Service were held, marking a milestone in the history of Fo Guang Shan in North America. Representatives from 30 Fo Guang Shan temples, 26 BLIA chapters, and nearly 2,000 devotees gathered to welcome the relics in a ceremony of great dignity and reverence.
Both the Enshrinement Ceremony and the Commemorative Tribute Service were livestreamed worldwide in both Chinese and English. Carrying the Master’s relics, Venerable Huidong led the procession around the monastery grounds. Upon arriving at the Bodhisattva Hall, the Fo Guang Hsi Lai Scout Group honored the Master with a formal flag ceremony before the procession continued along the Path to Buddhahood. With palms joined in reverence, the assembly welcomed the relics into the Main Shrine, where they were temporarily enshrined. On July 18, the relics will be permanently installed in the Patriarch’s Hall during a ceremony to be presided over by Fo Guang Shan Abbot Venerable Hsin Bao.
Amid the resonant chanting of Buddhist hymns, the congregation paid homage to the Master’s relics, recited the Heart Sutra, and sang Praise to the Buddha’s Light and Verse in Praise of the Master. The audience also viewed the commemorative video “A Sincere Farewell—My Final Words,” reflecting on the Master’s extraordinary life and legacy.
In his Dharma talk, Venerable Huidong recalled that the Master’s last visit to Hsi Lai Temple during his lifetime was in 2009. Seventeen years later, his relics have returned to Hsi Lai Temple. “To behold the Master’s relics is to behold the Master’s Dharma body,” he said, “and to witness the living spirit of Humanistic Buddhism.” He emphasized that through service and dedication; one transforms oneself while giving back to Buddhism and society. Such continual refinement and spiritual transformation embody the very essence of Humanistic Buddhism.
Speaking on behalf of the devotees, Jim Chen, Treasurer of BLIA World Headquarters, reflected on the three years since the Master’s passing. He noted that both the Fo Guang Shan monastic order and BLIA have continued to move forward steadily under the institutional framework established by the Master. Expressing gratitude for the Master’s guidance, he affirmed that Buddha’s Light members will continue to shoulder the responsibility of preserving, practicing, and promoting Humanistic Buddhism while faithfully following in the Master’s footsteps.
Dr. Lewis R. Lancaster, Professor Emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley, who shared a longstanding friendship with Venerable Master Hsing Yun, remarked during his address that the Master often said, “I am just a monk.” Those simple words, he said, continue to inspire profound reflection. With the Master’s relics now enshrined at Hsi Lai Temple, devotees have a place to honor and remember him. Dr. Lancaster shared that he deeply misses the Master and felt as though the Master was present among everyone gathered.
Other distinguished monastic and lay guests included Most Venerable Hong Zheng, Abbot of Fa Yin Temple; Most Venerable Zhao Chu, Abbot of Bodhi Temple; Most Venerable Hsin Yuan, Abbot of Miao Jue Temple; Venerable PhraMahaWanchai Pasurachayo of Dhammakaya International Meditation Center; Su Wei-Jen, Vice General Manager of EVA Airways Americas; Liu Lun-Cheng, Director of the Economic Division of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles; and Dr. Minh Ta, President of the University of the West.
During the Commemorative Tribute Service, artist Chen Hsing-Chieh presented his painting, A Centennial Tribute to Venerable Master Hsing Yun, commemorating the Master’s 100th birth anniversary. The program featured dramatic performances, choral singing, poetry recitations, and Peking Opera, each expressing heartfelt admiration and gratitude for the Master’s teachings. Performers included BLIA chapters from across North America, the BLIA North America Young Adult Division, Fo Guang Hsi Lai School, the Fo Guang Youth Symphony Orchestra, and the Hsi Lai Temple Fo Guang Choir.
The tribute also featured seven monastic and lay speakers who shared personal stories of their encounters with the Master and the inspiration they received from him. Their touching recollections brought both laughter and tears to the audience. The event concluded with the monastic community singing The Way of Monastic Life, followed by Venerable Huidong inviting everyone to join in singing Buddha’s Light Members Throughout the Four Seas. The gathering came to a heartfelt close in an atmosphere of solemnity, warmth, and gratitude.
Photo Captions
(Photos 02 & 04 by Mario; Photo 09 by Shane; all others by Chang Chih-cheng.)
