In 1957，Venerable Master Hsing Yun established a Buddhist cultural center which is now a major publisher of Buddhist audio and visual aids and books. In 1967，he formalized the founding of the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Order to spread Humanistic Buddhism through education，cultural activities, charity，and religious practices. Since then，over 150 branch temples have been established worldwide，in addition to art museums; libraries; a TV station; bookstores; housing for orphans, abandoned children，senior citizens, and the poor; a free medical clinic; a Buddhist research institute; high schools; and universities. There are nearly two thousand monastic disciples in the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Order，and the Master has well over a million followers worldwide. In 1991，as a result of all this activity—and in order to further it—Buddha’s Light International Association (BLIA) was founded in Taiwan ROC as the lay branch of Fo Guang Shan (Fo Guang means “Buddha Light”). In 1992，BLIA was officially inaugurated in Los Angeles, California. Five years later，there were over 100 international chapters of BLIA all over the world. The goals of the BLIA are to propagate Buddhism with a global outlook; live daily with a humanistic nature; benefit the multitude with a compassionate mind; and distinguish between the truth and heresies with right knowledge and understanding. In Understanding the Buddha’s Light Philosophy，the reader can learn about the principles underlying this tremendous enterprise，and become more familiar with the history and inner workings of the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Order and the BLIA. 如何推動人間佛教是二十一世紀佛教徒的重要任務，也是當今佛教學者最為關注的問題. 如何將人間佛教有思想次第的認知? 如何落實其精神內涵，以促進佛法的生活化與人間化呢? 星雲大師建立佛光教團的歷程無疑是當代最為鮮活的素材. 他在該書中暢談佛光學的意義. 精神. 發展和方向，並以佛光教團的組織系統與國際佛光會人間佛教的社會運動為例，說明佛光學與當代思潮及未來使命. 該書結合理論與實踐，是研究人間佛教不可或缺的書籍之一.
