On August 3, Fo Guang Shan Temple of Toronto held a Light Offering Dharma Service, followed by a warm and touching youth sharing session. Five Toronto Buddha’s Light Young Adults and four Fo Guang University interns individually shared their experiences studying in Malaysia and serving at the temple. With over a hundred devotees in attendance, the youth shared the joy of their growth and expressed gratitude to the public for enabling the causes and conditions for their learning.

"The most gratifying thing is that through the Fo Guang Club established at the university, we’ve been able to guide youth into the temple, into practicing Buddhism, and into making vows. In these young people, we see not only strength for themselves, but the ability to inspire others," said Abbess Venerable Chueh Fan of Fo Guang Shan Temple of Toronto. She noted that the founding patriarch of Fo Guang Shan emphasized "holistic education," and that everything from children’s classes to Buddhist weddings and youth cultivation is highly valued. She encouraged everyone to move from the campus to the temple, to transform knowledge into practice, and to serve the community.

This summer, the Buddha’s Light Young Adults traveled to Malaysia to attend the Buddha’s Light International Youth Conference, where they exchanged ideas and learned from youth across five continents. Yifei Wang shared that it was his first time attending such a conference and was inspired by the various programs young people around the world engaged in, from volunteer travel to basketball tournaments and Dharma-related activities in French. He hopes to bring some of these ideas back to Toronto. Michelle Zhou was impressed by the "Song Dynasty Tea Ceremony," which attracted many youth. She praised the Malaysian team for integrating traditional cultural elements with creative handicrafts and realized that event design must take the youth perspective to attract participation.

Tiffany Chen reflected that the conference made her realize how much effort it takes to organize an event. She was particularly moved by the sharing of Venerable Chueh Cheng, the Head Abbess of Fo Guang Shan in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand, who said, “Venerable Master Hsing Yun placed youth as the top priority, because young people have the power to take responsibility, discern, encourage, and endure.” She wrote on her vow puzzle: “Never regression, never forget the original intention.”

Stephanie Huang, a newly appointed White Elephant officer of the Toronto Young Adult Division (YAD), shared her experience learning traditional Malaysian dance, including the “Shake Off Worries Dance,” and how it helped her realize the importance of shifting one's mindset when facing difficulties. She recalled her own first visit to the Toronto temple and how the warmth of the Buddha’s Light members, youth, and monastics helped dispel her loneliness before entering university. “A smile and greeting to others is also a way to form good affinities.”

White Elephant officer Stacy shared that there were many schools around the Fo Guang Shan temples in Malaysia, and many students in the children's Buddhist classes. The children even became their tour guides, leaving a deep impression. She also felt greatly inspired after Venerable Hui Chuan reminded them of the significance of the YAD.

As one of the temple residents sent to learn and participate, Nancy Huang shared her admiration for the youth organizers’ willingness to take initiative, their planning abilities, and attention to detail. She was especially touched by the serious and responsible attitude of the Malaysian youth.

The Fo Guang University interns also served in various departments including the IT team, Water Drop Tea House, Spiritual Care, and Maintenance. Shunhan Wu from the Social Work program shared that she learned from the Spiritual Care team that when others face troubles, it is more important to listen and accompany them than to rush to offer advice. She also participated in a proposal to the City of Mississauga for “Buddhist Culture Month,” which she found deeply meaningful.

Yincheng Lu from the Department of Communication and Media Production shared that by helping produce the annual report, he gained a better understanding of Fo Guang Shan. Through the photos and text, he felt they conveyed warmth and emotion. “Even as a recorder of events, I could still feel the cultural exchange of religion.”

Shaoting Yang, a graduate student in the Department of Communication, shared, “The temple is very warm. From the visuals, I saw joy, cohesion, and cultural characteristics.” This was his first time so far from home, and also his first time experiencing so many different aspects of Canada. “Wherever I see people putting their palms together like a lotus, it feels like home.”

Boyang Su, who has studied from Fo Guang Shan Pu Men High School through to Fo Guang University, and is currently in the Vegetarian Culinary Arts program, said he learned how to introduce dishes in English and serve the public at the Water Drop Tea House. He expressed gratitude to the temple and Fo Guang Shan for providing him with the resources to learn. Songhua Zeng, a youth volunteer from the Fo Guang Shan Volunteer Association, served in the Maintenance team to help protect every corner of the temple. He said he was thankful for the learning opportunity and for everyone’s tolerance, which helped him understand how to interact with people and conduct himself.

Abbess Venerable Chueh Fan affirmed the students’ dedication and said, “The world is so big, and it’s not easy for us to gather in Toronto.” She emphasized that even editing a video silently helps build karmic connections with people from all directions, and that forming good affinities will bring boundless light in the future. She encouraged the devotees present to reflect deeply on the youth and students’ sharings, and to practice speaking and writing, transforming what they have learned into the inner nourishment of Dharma.