Fo Guang Shan Temple of Toronto participated in The Word On The Street Toronto on September 26 and 27, representing Buddha’s Light Publishing. Volunteers from the Buddha’s Light International Association (BLIA) Toronto English Subchapter and Young Adult Division introduced the works of Venerable Master Hsing Yun, founder of Fo Guang Shan, sharing the wisdom of Humanistic Buddhism with the wider community through reading.

The 37th annual festival, held at David Pecaut Square in downtown Toronto, brought together more than 200 publishers, bookstores, authors and cultural organizations. Fo Guang Shan Temple of Toronto has participated in the literary festival for more than 20 years. The booth featured English works by Venerable Master Hsing Yun, including Bodhi Light Tales for younger readers and Buddha-Dharma: Pure and Simple for adults. Visitors showed particular interest in meditation and cause and effect, giving volunteers opportunities to introduce the temple’s English meditation programs and other community courses.

One memorable encounter came when Laura stopped at the booth after recognizing Venerable Master Hsing Yun. More than 20 years ago, as a university student, she had travelled to Fo Guang Shan Monastery in Taiwan to attend an international youth temple retreat. She excitedly found a photo on her phone showing herself with the Master. Now a mother, Laura unexpectedly reconnected with Fo Guang Shan while attending the festival with her son. Volunteers invited them to visit Fo Guang Shan Temple of Toronto, and the pair took a photo together forming the Lotus Mudra—a meaningful continuation of a Dharma connection across generations.

The booth also sparked conversations about Buddhism and contemporary issues. A visitor who serves as Chief Digital Officer at a nonprofit organization expressed interest in Buddhist perspectives on artificial intelligence and explored books on management and Buddhist volunteerism. He shared his hope of bringing together Buddhist wisdom and technology to strengthen nonprofit work.

Through books, conversations and unexpected reunions, the two-day festival offered new opportunities to share Humanistic Buddhism with Toronto’s diverse community.

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