Hsi Lai Temple Joins Global Sutra Transcription EventCultivating a Meditative Mind Through Brush and Ink
Report by Chao-Hua Kuo, The Life News Agency, Los Angeles, USA
To commemorate the 60th anniversary of Fo Guang Shan, Hsi Lai Temple held a Global Synchronized Sutra Transcription Practice event on May 16 in the Main Shrine and Conference Hall. Led by Abbot Venerable Huidong, monastics and lay devotees recited and transcripted the Heart Sutra together while viewing a Dharma talk video by Fo Guang Shan founder Venerable Master Hsing Yun. Nearly 450 people participated in person, including officers and members of the BLIA Los Angeles Association, students from Hsi Lai Academy, Hsi Lai Boy and Girl Scouts, and members of the local community. An additional 250 devotees joined online, dedicating the merits of sutra transcriptions to social harmony and world peace.
Before the event began, Venerable Huidong explained that May 16 is celebrated as “Fo Guang Day.” Fo Guang Shan temples around the world were simultaneously commemorating the order’s 60th anniversary as well as the centennial birth anniversary of Venerable Master Hsing Yun. He encouraged everyone to practice diligently with sincerity and to dedicate the merits of sutra transcriptions to themselves, their families and friends, and all sentient beings, wishing for peace, health, auspiciousness, and freedom from suffering for all.
Before the formal transcription session, participants sat upright and attentively listened to a recorded Dharma talk by Venerable Master Hsing Yun. The Master explained that chanting and transcribing sutras are important Buddhist practices. Like studying a book, repeatedly reciting and writing the scriptures helps imprint the teachings of the Dharma in one’s mind. The “Prajna” taught in the Heart Sutra is the wisdom that guides people toward enlightenment and liberation, while “Paramita” symbolizes crossing from the shore of affliction to the shore of freedom and peace. The wisdom taught by the Buddha after his enlightenment does not deny life; rather, it helps people understand reality as it truly is. When facing difficulties, one can transform adversity through right mindfulness and wisdom. The Heart Sutra teaches people to observe their own minds, establish correct values, and live a life of ease and freedom.
Following the Dharma talk, participants set aside worldly concerns and focused wholeheartedly on each brushstroke and character, experiencing the spirit of Humanistic Buddhist practice advocated by Venerable Master Hsing Yun. The atmosphere throughout the temple was calm and attentive as participants settled their minds through transcribing the sutra and contemplated its meaning while writing.
Before the dedication of merits, Venerable Hsin Bao also delivered a video message to devotees worldwide. He explained that the Heart Sutra expounds the wisdom of prajna and emptiness and represents the essence of the Prajna scriptures. People often become attached to “existence,” wanting to possess everything; yet attachment to “emptiness” can lead to denying everything. Therefore, one must uphold the Middle Way in order to live freely and wisely in everyday life. He encouraged everyone to deepen their understanding through hearing, reflecting upon, and practicing the Dharma while transcribing the sutra, thereby cultivating both blessings and wisdom. He further urged participants to dedicate the merits to society, the public, and their countries, praying for peace and auspiciousness.
In addition to long-time temple supporters, many young students and international participants joined the event, demonstrating both the continuity of Buddhist faith and its localization within the broader community.
Ms. Chang, who was participating in sutra transcriptions for the first time, shared that as her brush touched the paper, her mind gradually became calm and settled. She experienced a sense of peace and concentration that she had not felt for a long time. She remarked that writing each word and sentence by hand enabled her to better understand the sutra’s teachings and the wisdom contained within them.
Photo Captions ((01-10 Photographed by Zhicheng Zhang)
