In 1949, Venerable Master Hsing Yun (hereafter Venerable Master) had just arrived in Taiwan. During those years of requesting for lodging at different temples, he observed that Buddhist monastics were viewed by the public as detached, self-liberating, and passive; he further observed that Buddhist temples in Taiwan were not systemized and that most Buddhists lack the concept of organization. Thus, both Buddhist laity and monastics were unable to effectively propagate the Dharma. In order to establish right faith in Buddhism, Venerable Master initiated various types of clubs for different age groups during his stay at Leiyin Temple in Yilan, Taiwan. He instituted organization and stratification into the Yilan Chanting Association and placed leadership and responsibility into the hands of devotees, which led to the development of new and innovative methods of Dharma propagation. A diverse environment for learning Buddhism in Yilan was thus created and this greatly influenced the development of Buddhism in Taiwan. These innovative activities as well as the propagation of Humanistic Buddhism were all modes of Dharma propagation that Venerable Master invented while in Yilan, prior to the formal establishment of a Buddhist sangha. It can be said that the systematic structure of the Fo Guang Shan Sangha was outlined and the foundation for Humanistic Buddhism was laid during this time. Having instituted a formal sangha and determined to carry out the ideal of “fostering talents for Buddhism,” Venerable Master established the Shoushan Buddhist College and furthermore founded Fo Guang Shan—a monastery which began as a Buddhist college but later on turned into the starting place of many Buddhist enterprises that contributed to the development of Buddhism. In order to ensure its continuation in today’s society, the institution of Buddhism must be able to adapt its precepts and pure regulations to the temporal, spatial, and generational contexts of the modern world. On the basis of traditional Buddhist monastic education, Venerable Master innovated the new philosophy of Humanistic Buddhism and revolutionized three important aspects of Buddhism—temple assets, doctrinal lineage, and sangha regulations. In terms of temple assets, Fo Guang Shan actualizes self-sufficiency through the establishment of various enterprises, such as schools, hospitals, and publishing houses; not only do these undertakings ensure the survival of the sangha, but also contribute to the nation’s prosperity. Moreover, doctrinal lineage is continued through fostering both lay and monastic Dharma propagators. Monastics undergo an education typical of a traditional Chan (禪) monastery at Fo Guang Shan Tsung Lin University, which builds one’s monastic character and establishes correct understanding of Buddha’s Light Philosophy (宗門思想). Lay devotees, on the other hand, are able to become Lay Dharma Lecturers and teach the Dharma. In this way, the communities of monastic and lay join forces to revitalize Buddhism and increase the wellbeing and happiness of society. Furthermore, sangha regulations adhere to the direction of “developing monastic education” and are executed on the basis of “designing rules and regulations suitable
