English Edition of the Lamp Transmission Record of Humanistic Buddhism by Venerable Master Hsing Yun Launched at Nan Tien Temple in Australia

Sioh-Yang Tan

The inaugural launch of the English edition of the Lamp Transmission Record of Humanistic Buddhism by Venerable Master Hsing Yun was held on 20 June 2026 at Fo Guang Shan Nan Tien Temple in Australia, marking a significant milestone in bringing Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s Humanistic Buddhist thought into the English-speaking world.

The launch was jointly hosted by the Fo Guang Shan Institute of Humanistic Buddhism, Nan Tien Institute, Hsing Yun Education Foundation Australia, and BLIA Sydney. More than 500 scholars and devotees from Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, and other parts of the world joined the event either in person or online.

The ceremony opened with a video tribute, A Life of Venerable Master Hsing Yun, which reviewed the Venerable Master’s life and introduced the background to the Lamp Transmission Record’s publication. In his welcoming remarks, Professor Alistair Noble, President of Nan Tien Institute, noted that, as the first Buddhist tertiary institution in Australia, Nan Tien Institute considered it deeply meaningful to contribute to the birth of the English edition. He expressed the hope that this major work would serve as a bridge for dialogue between East and West, allowing the wisdom of Humanistic Buddhism to take root and flourish in the English-speaking world, while responding to the contemporary search for spiritual grounding and meaningful ways of living.

Most Venerable Hsin Bau, Abbot of Fo Guang Shan, delivered the opening address via video, encouraging all to take the Master’s heart as their own and the Master’s aspiration as their own, and together shoulder the mission of propagating the Dharma for the benefit of all beings. Venerable Tzu Hui, special assistant at the Fo Guang Shan Founder’s Quarters, also remarked that the Lamp Transmission Record is a torch of the Venerable Master’s thought: illuminating the path of cultivation for Buddhist practitioners, and opening a gateway for readers around the world to understand Humanistic Buddhism.

The keynote lecture, “The Significance and Academic Contributions of the Lamp Transmission Record of Humanistic Buddhism by Venerable Master Hsing Yun,” was delivered by Professor Cheng Gongrang, Professor at Shanghai University and Honorary Professor of the Fo Guang Shan Institute of Humanistic Buddhism. Professor Cheng pointed out that the work draws upon the fundamental spirit of the traditional Buddhist lamp transmission records and carries forward the Buddhist ideal of “transmitting the lamp.” He noted that it reflects the Venerable Master’s integration of prajñā wisdom and skilful means. Far from being merely a subject of Buddhist academic study, it also presents Buddhism’s practical wisdom in response to the realities of the modern world.

Venerable Miao Guang, Deputy Chancellor of Fo Guang Shan Institute of Humanistic Buddhism and chief editor of the English edition, then introduced the translation process and editorial features of the work. Produced through close collaboration between the Institute of Humanistic Buddhism and Nan Tien Institute, the translation underwent careful word-by-word consideration and repeated revision in order to remain faithful to the original teachings while also speaking naturally to English readers in their own linguistic and intellectual context. Venerable Miao Guang emphasised that to receive the lamp transmission does not depend on one’s language or cultural background, but on whether one is willing to take up the vow of Dharma propagation entrusted by the Master. Whether monastic, scholar, or lay member in a study group, this Dharma treasure extends an invitation to every reader who is ready and willing.

The lamp-lighting ceremony for the English edition of the Lamp Transmission Record was jointly officiated by Abbess Manko, Professor Cheng Gongrang, Professor Alistair Noble, and Venerable Miao Guang. Distinguished guests witnessing this historic occasion included Professor Stephanie Travagnin of SOAS University of London, Professor Jizhang Yi of the University of Toronto, Venerable You Deng, Advisor to the Humanistic Buddhism Research Centre at the University of Malaya, Dr Cecile Manikan, Director of the Humanistic Buddhism Centre in the Philippines, and Venerable Juewei, Director of the Humanistic Buddhism Centre at Nan Tien Institute, among others.

Coinciding with the 60th anniversary of Fo Guang Shan and the centenary of Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s birth, a workshop on the Lamp Transmission Record of Humanistic Buddhism by Venerable Master Hsing Yun and the 12th Symposium on Humanistic Buddhism were held concurrently to deepen academic research in contemporary Buddhism. Education and training for BLIA executives across Oceania were also offered, with certificates of completion awarded by Nan Tien Institute to participants who completed the full program.

As the Lamp Transmission Record itself reveals, to receive the lamp transmission is not about becoming a certain kind of person but about taking up the work entrusted to one. The launch of the English edition was therefore not only the publication of a major Dharma text, but also a sincere invitation to the English-speaking world: to pass on the lamp of Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s wisdom through every practitioner willing to shoulder its mission, illuminating a wider world.