Fo Guang Shan Temple of Toronto celebrated its 30th anniversary on August 9 with a Dharma talk by Venerable Yung Han, Abbess of Fo Guang Shan Chicago Buddhist Temple. Part of the Temple’s anniversary series, the talk, “60 Years of Passing the Lamp, 30 Years of Cultivating: The Cultivation and Practice of Humanistic Buddhism,” used interactive group discussions to explore how Buddhist teachings can be put into practice in everyday life.

Most Venerable Hsin Bau, Head Abbot of Fo Guang Shan, offered anniversary greetings by video, commending the Toronto community for decades of dedication to the Dharma. He encouraged members to remain true to their original aspiration and continue advancing Humanistic Buddhism as a source of inner peace and social harmony.

Venerable Yung Han invited participants to reflect on three questions: “What does Humanistic Buddhism mean to you?” “What do we cultivate, and how?” and “What kind of Buddhists would we be without Humanistic Buddhism?” The discussion encouraged participants to move beyond understanding the Dharma intellectually and toward living it in daily life.

Using Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s “Song of Ten Practices” as a practical guide, participants explored practices such as greeting others with a smile, letting go of worries, speaking kind words, and cultivating wholesome friendships. Venerable Yung Han emphasized that Buddhist cultivation is not distant or abstract, but begins with transforming the mind and expressing the Dharma through everyday conduct.

Abbess Venerable Chueh Fan noted that the Temple’s 30th anniversary series reflects a meaningful journey of practice—from Venerable Hui Kai’s Dharma talk on sustaining life, to taking refuge in the Triple Gem and receiving the Five Precepts, and now to exploring practical directions for Buddhist cultivation.

The celebration also honoured nearly 20 longtime devotees who have supported the Temple for three decades. BLIA Toronto Supervisor-General David Chan expressed gratitude to successive abbesses and the wider community for creating a place where generations have learned and grown together.

The program concluded with a video reflecting on the Temple’s 30-year journey. Buddha’s Light youth from Toronto and Chicago then joined in singing “We Are the Light,” symbolizing a new generation carrying forward the mission of Humanistic Buddhism.