Buddha’s Light Scouts
Buddha’s Light Scouts was first established on 21st August 2000 in Taiwan. Since then, groups have been set up in various Fo Guang Shan temples all over the world, operating under the umbrella of Buddha’s Light International Association.
There are currently four Buddha’s Light Scout groups, namely in the states of NSW, WA, QLD and VIC, and the only Buddhist based Scout groups in Australia.
Our vision is for children to learn and develop in a happy and family-orientated environment with Buddhist values and ethics, and cultivate the practice of the Three Acts of Goodness, that is ‘Do good deeds, say good words, think good thoughts’.
Buddha’s Light International Association
Buddha’s Light International Association (BLIA) is an international people’s organization which was established on 16 May 1992. Members of BLIA have a common religious belief and a passion for service and dedication. They not only seek for the fulfillment of spiritual liberation and wisdom of life, but also have the common goal of building a society of harmony and welfare, and the world of peace and mutual respect.
Since its inception, more than 170 chapters have been established in more than 60 countries on the five continents, with over a thousand branches of millions of members.
In 2003 after the review by the United Nations, BLIA officially became a member of the ‘United Nations Non-Governmental Organization’ (NGO). Over the years, it has proposed ‘Joy and Harmony, Oneness and Coexistence, Respect and Tolerance, Equality and Peace, Nature and Life, Wholeness and Freeness, One Truth for All, To Resolve and To Develop, Self-Awareness and Practice the Buddha’s Way, Change the World and Benefit Humanity, Bodhisattvas and Volunteers, Environmental and Spiritual Preservation’ as keynote speeches. Advocating the thinking of ‘Earthman’ has become the value of universal pursuit and the minds of contemporary people.
For many years, Buddha’s Light members all over the world have consistently upheld the work creed of ‘giving people confidence, giving people joy, giving people hope and giving people convenience’ by dedicating oneself, and they sincerely hope to move towards a beautiful world of joy and harmony.
Fo Guang Shan and Master Hsing Yun
Master Hsing Yun was born in 1927, in Jiangdu, Jiangsu Province, China. At the age of twelve, he became ordained under the eminent Master Zhi Kai in Nanjing and had undertaken studies at various monasteries and encountered numerous grand masters.
In 1967, he founded the Fo Guang Shan Monastery located in Kaoshiung, Taiwan and has since established over two hundred branch temples in major cities around the world and established Buddha’s Light International Association for lay Buddhists in 1991.
In addition, nine art galleries, twenty-six libraries, more than three publishing houses, twelve bookstores, the Cloud and Water Mobile Clinic, over fifty Chinese language schools, sixteen Buddhist colleges, three Secondary Schools and five Universities have been established.
A Children’s Home, Fo Guang Nursing Home and Fo Guang Shan Charity Trust were also established in 1970, 1975 and 1987 respectively to nurture the young. The Buddha’s Light Television network was established in 1997, and the first Buddhist daily newspaper ‘Merit Times’ was launched in 2000.
For more than a half century, Master Hsing Yun has devoted his efforts to trans-form the world through the practice of Humanistic Buddhism and to realise his vision, “Let Buddha’s light illuminate three thousand realms and Dharma water flow across the five continents”.
Venerable Master Hsing Yun strongly believes that to give young people hope and a bright future, we must give them the opportunity to have a good education. Therefore, one of the four principles of Buddha’s Light International Association is ‘to foster talent through education’. With this vision, many scholarships have been set up over the years to benefit students from poor families so that they may be able to have equal opportunities to be educated.
