Buddhist Examination in Chinese and English Deepens Dharma Learning in the Philippines

[Merit Times News Agency, Manila, Philippines]

The 2026 Global Buddhist Examination was held on August 2. To encourage more non-Chinese-speaking devotees, friends of Fo Guang Shan, and second- and third-generation members of the Fo Guang community to study the Dharma, Buddha’s Light International Association (BLIA) Philippines coordinated with BLIA Chunghua Headquarters to offer the Buddhist examination in English in the Philippines. By overcoming language barriers, the initiative enabled people from diverse linguistic backgrounds to deepen their understanding of Buddhist teachings through study and examination.

A total of 125 participants in the Philippines took part in the examination, including 55 in the Chinese-language examination and 70 in the English-language examination. Some BLIA members gathered at the Prajna Hall on the fifth floor of FGS Mabuhay Temple to sit for the examination. Through regular study and pre-examination review, participants assessed their progress in Buddhist learning and further deepened their understanding of the Dharma.

In preparation for the Global Buddhist Examination, BLIA Philippines, led by President Lin Mei-Hsuan, actively encouraged members to study the examination materials. On July 31, members gathered for a special review session, studying together and exchanging insights as they prepared for the examination.

Various BLIA chapters also incorporated preparation for the examination into their regular study groups. Guided by monastics, members studied and discussed the Lotus Sutra each week. In this way, the Buddhist examination became more than a one-time assessment; it served as an opportunity to inspire members to continuously listen to, contemplate, and study the Dharma while cultivating right understanding and right view.

At the BLIA Quezon SubChapter, Venerable Jue Ci guided members in diligent study of the Buddhist teachings. Through group reading and discussion, participants strengthened their understanding of the principles contained in the sutras.

The examination also brought outstanding results. BLIA Philippines Supervisor Angela Yap achieved a perfect score in the Chinese-language examination, while her daughter, Jennie Yu Bias, earned a perfect score in the adult division of the English-language examination. The mother and daughter took the examination in Chinese and English respectively, and both received perfect scores, demonstrating how Dharma learning can transcend both language and generations.

Yeh shared that the Global Buddhist Examination is one of the activities she looks forward to with the greatest anticipation each year. For her, the examination is not merely an opportunity to assess what she has learned, but also an important means of deepening her faith and cultivating wisdom.

“Through studying the principles of the Dharma, I cultivate right understanding and right view, strengthen my faith, and transform my tendency toward complacency into greater diligence,” Yeh said.

She described the Global Buddhist Examination as a meaningful activity and expressed her hope that it will continue to be held in the years ahead, enabling more Fo Guang members to deepen their Dharma practice and cultivate wisdom through continued study.

By offering the Buddhist examination in both Chinese and English, BLIA Philippines has not only provided Chinese-speaking devotees with an opportunity to deepen their understanding of Buddhism, but has also created a more accessible avenue for non-Chinese-speaking devotees, friends of Fo Guang Shan, and second- and third-generation members of the Fo Guang community to learn the Dharma.

Through the localization of language, Buddhist teachings can transcend linguistic and generational barriers, enabling more people to study the sutras, participate in the Buddhist examination, and apply the wisdom of the Dharma in their daily lives.