To engage youth to learn about Buddhism, Fo Guang Shan Temple of Toronto held a youth temple retreat from September 23rd to 25th. A total of 14 young adults participated.

The opening ceremony was held on the evening of September 23rd. The Abbess, Venerable Chueh Fan, participated with all other Venerables and encouraged all attendees to experience life at the monastery, raise positive energy, comprehend, apply Dharma in their lives, and reduce their negative energy. Fo Guang Shan (FGS) was founded by Venerable Master Hsing Yun, and Master has a strong focus on youth. The learning of Buddhism is to experience the Dharma inwardly and learn how to make oneself happier.

This experience camp is to attract young people who are interested in Buddhism. The activities are planned by Vernon Wang and Rachel Zhang who were former presidents of the University of Waterloo Buddha's Light Community Club. The course content included Introduction to FGS, Buddhism Terminology, Sutra Transcription, Talks on Buddhism, volunteering, meditation, and other wonderful courses and events.

All the classes left strong impressions on the students. Many students were moved to tears during Ven. Chueh Fan’s introduction class to Fo Guang Shan, when watching the footage of Venerable Master Hsing Yun leading the teachers and students in establishing the grounds for FGS Tsung Lin University. Ven. MiaoMu’s class on Buddhist terms introduced the youth to the morning bell and twilight drum and experienced the three-minute joint of palms. One minute in, students immediately saw how hard it was.

After the lunch break, Rachel, a contestant who has participated in the two North American Sounds of the Human World, was invited to teach and sing. During her class, she explained the reason why the Master set up a choir in Yilan and this year’s Sound of the Human World Global Music Composition Competition in Malaysia. Volunteering work that’s planned for youth was cleaning dandelions outdoors, the students enthusiastically and immediately started a detailed search with tools, not wanting to miss a dandelion. Nikki said that she enjoyed the joy of exercise during the walking meditation, and when she was outside doing volunteer work, she felt the satisfaction of giving.

There are two units in the evening Dharma talk. The first class was to discuss the Metaverse and Buddhism, and the second class was to take a closer look at life, allowing students to ask questions as they please. The students discussed everything from Metaverse to the six realms of rebirth, and from sleep quality to the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Kai Li said that she likes this informal, relaxed way of studying together, singing, and asking all kinds of questions as she wishes about the pressure and troubles in daily life. The meditation class was guided by Ven. Man Long. After the day's dynamic activities, everyone had long waited to settle and filter down their hearts. "Through chanting, copying, meditating and reading, you can observe your thoughts.”

There was also an interesting episode during the event. On the first day of the event, it was rare for everyone to get up early. Before the early class at 7 o'clock, the Venerables waited for the students to gather outside the main hall, but no one was there. It turned out that students were in front of the glass door admiring the sunrise. Students never wake up so early, or usually just rush to work every day. They have never found that the sky they are with everyday is this beautiful. It turned out that "discovery" was the highlight of this event.

Translated by Hillary Chen

Edited by Brian Choi

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