On October 12, 2024, Venerable Hui Zhao, Deputy Abbot of Fo Guang Shan Monastery, visited Fo Guang Shan Toronto to deliver an enlightening lecture on The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch. Drawing on Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s interpretation in The Complete Works, the event attracted nearly 400 participants from Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Detroit, and beyond, with many joining online.

Venerable Chueh Fan, Abbess of Fo Guang Shan Temple of Toronto, warmly welcomed the attendees, emphasizing the significance of Venerable Hui Zhao’s visit. She highlighted how this opportunity to listen to the Dharma was particularly meaningful as it coincided with preparations for the upcoming Triple Gem Refuge and Five Precepts Ceremony.

Venerable Hui Zhao brought the teachings of The Platform Sutra to life through vivid, humorous storytelling that made the profound wisdom of Ch'an Buddhism easy to understand and engage with. He encouraged attendees to cultivate confidence in both themselves and the Dharma,explaining:
“Compassion is Avalokiteshvara, joyful giving is Mahasthamaprapta, purity is Shakyamuni, and uprightness is Amitabha.”

His message extended beyond theoretical knowledge, urging participants to incorporate Ch'an practice into their daily routines by shedding discrimination, ignorance, and attachments, and embracing their true nature. Asa gesture of goodwill, he distributed thousands of sacred images of Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, inviting attendees to share these blessings with others to inspire more people to walk the path of purity.

Venerable Hui Zhao explored key Ch’an principles from The Platform Sutra, particularly “non-abiding, non-thought, and non-form, ”which help practitioners free themselves from worldly attachments and reconnect with their pure minds. Quoting Venerable Master Hsing Yun, he reminded participants that the ultimate goal of Buddhist practice is to achieve enlightenment and liberation from suffering—not to pursue worldly recognitionor material gain.

He emphasized that true practitioners should cultivate compassion, patience, and a heart for teaching, focusing on self-reflection rather than judging others. “Only by looking inward,” he said, “can we eliminate afflictions.”

In his closing remarks, Venerable Hui Zhao urged the audience to “open the Buddha’s wisdom” by embracing self-reliance through the Dharma and affirming their belief that “I am Buddha.” He emphasized that by infusing daily life with peace and joy, practitioners embody the essence of Humanistic Buddhism, which benefits both self and others, following the path of “awakening oneself and awakening others.”

Following the lecture, Venerable Hui Zhao and Venerable Chueh Fan led a special recognition ceremony to honor 35 benefactors who have supported Fo Guang Shan Toronto since its founding in 1991. Abbess Chueh Fan expressed deep gratitude for their contributions, noting that their generosity had allowed the light of Humanistic Buddhism to shine worldwide The ceremony, originally planned earlier but postponed due to the pandemic, marked along-awaited moment of recognition.

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