DILA welcomed Venerable Master Xuecheng and his delegation
DILA welcomed Venerable Master Xuecheng and his delegation:echoing invitation to the Fifth World Buddhism Forum 
President of The Buddhist Association of China, Venerable Master Xuecheng (學誠大和尚), was recently invited to Taiwan to receive an honorary doctorate degree. On the day before his departure, Venerable Master Xuecheng led a delegation of 22 members from Mainland China's various educational and religious departments on a special visit to the Dharma Drum Institute of Liberal Arts (DILA). DDM’s Abbot President, Venerable Guo Dong, together with more than 30 monastic members of the Sangha and representatives of DILA welcomed the esteemed visitors. After a grand ceremony to pay respect to the Buddha , the whole group toured the campus compound, followed by engaging in a session of dialogues and exchanges over a cup of tea.
The tea-time exchange began at one o'clock in the afternoon of September 15th. Abbot President Venerable Guo Dong talked about how deep the bond has been between Venerable Master Xuecheng and DDM, comparing the motto of the Chung-Hwa Institute of Buddhist Studies: " Our roots are Chinese, our branches are global. Our specialty is Buddhist Studies, and our aim to uphold orthodox Buddhism. We combine understanding with practice, and join compassion with wisdom. Practicality is our priority, and benefiting others is our emphasis. " with the acceptance speech on the "Spirit of the Youth, Mission of the Bodhisattvas" given by Venerable Master Xuecheng upon receiving his honorary doctorate degree, pointing out that both hold aspirations for our youth to elevate their views on global affairs, life and its values.
Recounting his profound connections with DDM’s founder, Master Sheng Yen, and with Master Sheng Yen’s literary works, Venerable Master Xuecheng pointed out that many publications by Master Sheng Yen, such as "Essentials of the Percepts", "Orthodox Chinese Buddhism," etc., are widely read in Mainland China, and are utilized as teaching materials in many Buddhist schools. In paticular, Master Sheng Yen's practical application of Dharma in his dealings with people and affairs is held with high esteem and viewed with admiration. Currently, DDM's endeavors in academics, Chan practice, monastic Sangha management, and cross-strait exchanges, etc. have all seen great positive legacy and developments, which was why he decided to organize this special visit to DILA with the delegation.
Most of the delegates came from the Fujian province. The head of the Fujian Provincial Department of Ethnic and Religious Affairs, Mr. Huang, Jinfa, who was a first-time visitor to DDM, mentioned that the concept of "protecting our spiritual environment" advocated by Abbott President Venerable Guo Dong at the Hester Forum was very inspiring to all. He further echoed the enthusiastic invitation by Venerable Master Xuecheng in welcoming members of the DDM monastics and academic institutions to participate in next year's "Fifth World Buddhism Forum", to be held at Fujian’s Putian City, so as to continue this positive connection in conducting exchanges and propelling the development of Buddhism, contribute towards bringing happiness and benefit to the people.
In hope of comprehending DDM’s Three Types of Education: "Education through Academics, Education through Public Outreach, and Education through Caring Services," the delegation not only listened to an introductive presentation of the Dharma Drum Institute of Liberal Arts, but also did a walk-through of the campus, including the Library & Information Center, the teaching facilities, the dormitories, etc. Four visiting monastic students from the Fujian province also accompanied the delegation on this tour. Strolling through the serene and luminous campus grounds, gazing at the mist-shrouded Guanyin Monastery framed by the mountainous terrain, the entourage was left with a deep impression of DDM’s emphasis on loving care and education, and DDM’s profound aspirations towards the World Center for Buddhist Education.
Texts / Photos : Chang, Yao-Chung (張曜鐘)
Translation : Chang, Cheng-Yu (張振郁),
Editor: Li, Belinda Shi Ying（李詩影）; DDM Editorial Team