Toronto, August 17, 2025 — Fo Guang Shan Temple of Toronto hosted the News Workshop – Let Your Pen Be theLight, led by BLIA YAD Sumagadhi Lecturer JingerChueh. The event welcomed 45 Buddha’s Light members, includinga dedicated youth team who practiced translation, photography, and newswriting. The workshop encouraged participants to view words and images as bridges for recording the history of Dharma propagation and promoting the ideals of Humanistic Buddhism.

Abbess of Fo Guang Shan Temple of Toronto, Venerable Chueh Fan, commended Lecturer Chueh for her longstanding dedication and professional skills, noting her ability to produce clear, focused reports with efficiency. Abbess encouraged participants to value their BLIA and YAD experiences, remarking: “Once a Buddha’s Light member, forever a Buddha’s Light member.” She emphasized that regardless of age or background, members can support one another and collectively preserve the history of Buddhism.

In her presentation, Lecturer Chueh recounted the story of Venerable Master Hsing Yun establishing the Merit Times,highlighting his vision of media as a channel for Dharma propagation. She then introduced participants to the essentials of journalism, including the inverted pyramid structure, the 5W1H principle, photo composition, interview techniques, and BLIA writing guidelines. Through interactive demonstrations such as the “Three-Shot Journal” exercise, attendees strengthened their ability to capture event highlights, conduct interviews, and edit reports effectively.

“News writing does not have a single correct answer—it is about finding the most fitting expression,” Chueh explained. She stressed that temple news serves not only to report events but also to preserve a record of Dharma support. She cited the Merit Wall at the Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum as an example of recording contributions for future generations. Today, the Life News Agency continues this mission, linking reports from five continents and reaching over one million readers of the Merit Times.

Participants expressed deep appreciation forthe training. YAD member Kiana Wong said she was inspired to use writing to share Buddhism, while intern Jiani Chen described the course as professional,engaging, and rich in visual learning.

The workshop concluded with a token of appreciation presented to Lecturer Chueh and a group photo, as members looked forward to future opportunities to develop their skills and continue recording the living history of Buddhism.

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