On the night of Feb.12 (Eastern Time), over 350 people came to the Fo Guang Shan Temple of Toronto to join the live-streaming event “Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s Memorial Service”, paying homage to the beloved Master.  M.P. Han Dong, Bhante Wajira, BLIA Sri Lanka Chapter director, Venerable Ru Xin, Great Enlightenment Buddhist Institute Society (GEBIS) GTA Director, Venerable Chuan Dao and Venerable Xing Zhao from GEBIS Toronto, Fu Wang, Deputy CEO of GEBIS, Dong Liu, Secretary General of GEBIS, and Dharma Drum Mountain (DDM) Toronto representative Meili Chen made special visits to the temple  to pay their respects to the Master.

M.P. Han Dong said, he is a Buddhist practitioner and was deeply grieved by the Master’s passing. He’d like to offer the sincerest condolences on behalf of the Parliament of Canada. Bhante Wajira, BLIA Sri Lanka Chapter director arrived at FGS Temple of Toronto on the afternoon of Feb.12. He paid respect to the Master with flower offerings and participated in the afternoon chanting service. He is especially grateful for the Master’s compassion and the several occasions when he received the Dharma teachings from the Master. 

Since Feb.6, FGS Temple of Toronto is open daily for everyone to visit and pay their final respects to the Master. Canadian Governments at all levels, regional police and religious communities also paid their respects either in person or through written letters. 

On the morning of Feb.8, Venerable Zhao Xu, Abbot of Buddhist Prajna Temple of Toronto, led nine venerables including Venerable Xin Jue, Venerable Fa Zun visited FGS Temple of Toronto, paying their respects to the Master and joined the Offering Services. Venerable Sheng Zhao from Cham Shan Temple, Ding Salmon and Tony Lai, Peel Region Police officers also came to the temple to pay their respects. 

Mayor Bonnie Crombie, City of Mississauga called FGS Temple of Toronto to offer her deepest condolences. She expressed her appreciation for the Fo Guang Shan Founder Venerable Master Hsing Yun and paid special tributes to the Master.

On the afternoon of Feb.10,  Jin-Ling Chen, Director General of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office Toronto and representatives visited FGS Toronto to pay respects to the Master with flower offerings. DG Jin-Ling Chen expressed that Ven. Master Hsing Yun made great contributions to Taiwan as well as the world, especially to Toronto, he was a great spiritual leader. 

On the morning of Feb 11, M.P. Rechie Valdez visited FGS Temple of Toronto to pay respect to the Master with flower offerings. She offered her deepest condolences and shared that Ven. Master Hsing Yun is highly respected not only in the Buddhist communities, but also among international communities. His commitment for peace, humanity and promoting Buddhism will have lasting impacts worldwide. 

Senator Victor Oh and his wife Rosa, visited FGS Temple of Toronto on the afternoon of Feb. 11 to pay respects to the Master. He praised the Master for spreading Buddhism and promoting Chinese culture in Canada, and thanked the Master and his disciples on behalf of the Senate of Canada.

Mayor Frank Scarpitti, City of Markham, visited FGS Temple of Toronto on the afternoon of Feb.11. He joined the afternoon chanting service. Mayor Scarpitti mentioned in the letter that Venerable Master Hsing Yun, for the past over half a century, transformed the world through Humanistic Buddhism, and wherever he went, he made a profound impact. The Master led the Groundbreaking Ceremony in 1994, which marked the beginning of construction of the Fo Guang Shan Temple of Toronto, which also is the start of Humanistic Buddhism in Toronto communities, and eventually led to the establishment of Markham Buddha’s Light Centre. Our community will be forever grateful for what he brought to our city and his legacy will always be remembered.

In addition, M.P. Paul Chiang expressed in letter, “We will always remember Ven. Master Hsing Yun's lifelong dedication to the practice and promotion of Humanistic Buddhism. The philosophy of Humanistic Buddhism and the teachings help us understand our true nature, realize the importance of bringing joy, peace, compassion and wisdom into our daily lives. It inspires us to examine not only how we can improve our personal lives but encourage us to strive to transform ourselves into compassionate beings to unite together to improve the world and everyone's life.”

MPP Nina Tangri sent a letter stating that Venerable Master Hsing Yun's passing is a loss for people all over the world, and she expressed her sincere condolences to every Fo Guang members.

Venerable Bhante Saranapala from Sri Lanka was not able to visit FGS Temple of Toronto in person because he was propagating Buddhim in Bangladesh. He posted a special message on social media to pay respects to the Master. In the message, he said Ven. Hsing Yun is a legendary leader who made great contributions to millions of people around the world and we will keep his light to illuminate the world through his teachings.

Dr Joseph Wong, Founder and Chairman of Yee Hong Foundation, met Ven. Master Hsing Yun in 1996, he wrote a special article to pay respect to the Master: “A bright star has dimmed with the passing of our respected Venerable Master Hsing Yun. The Master’s lectures, writings and teachings made the world a brighter place. Whether you are a Buddhist or not, you are inspired by the Master’s passion and devotion to find the true meaning of life and to find purposeful happiness. We have all benefited from his time on earth.”

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