Sharing from the Chief Editor on Complete Works
For more understanding of the “Complete Works of Venerable Master Hsing Yun”, the chief editor of Fo Guang Shan (FGS) Headquarters Humanistic Buddhism Research Institute, Miss Tsai Meng-Hwa arrived at FGS South Island New Zealand (NZ) on 19 July for a sharing session of her experience with Venerable Master Hsing Yun. The event was attended by FGS NZ Abbess Venerable Manshin, FGS South Island Minister-in-Charge Venerable Jue xi, Venerable Zhiwu, Buddha’s Light International Association (BLIA) South Island NZ Deputy Presidents James Low and Ding Lihson, Committee Directors Tracy Chen and Cao Qian, alongside nearly 50 attendees applauded and had great fun at the evening’s event.
Editor Tsai expressed that she was fortunate to be able to participate one of the largest editorial project in her career as more than a hundred people were in the team editing 12 main categories of the collection which took a year to complete. Venerable Master Hsing Yun published his first book “Soundless Singing” at the age of 23 and has more than 500 books published seventy years later. The collection obviously had been a success with the assistance of Venerable Master himself.
One question was asked, “When Venerable Master was ill and has to go for surgery, what inspiration made the team completed the project?” Tsai answered, when the team saw how Venerable Master was working hard with hundreds of books authored by him all his life, and he was doing it full of joy, this perseverance made the team push harder to publish the “Complete Works of Venerable Master Hsing Yun” before the deadline of 16 May 2017, which also marks the 50th anniversary of Fo Guang Shan.
Tsai shared her experience where she wanted to change from editing work and asked Venerable Master, but there was no reply but to ask her to continue editing. But what have had her stayed in editing besides encouragement from the Venerable Master was when she met with an entrepreneur which editor Tsai once helped her to give directions to the Cultural and Educational Square at FGS Headquarters. Because of Tsai’s help, this entrepreneur recommended a set of books because this set of books saved this entrepreneur’s life when she was depressed and nearly committed suicide. Because of this set of books, the entrepreneur started her life again. It is not known by the entrepreneur that the books were edited by Tsai, but because of this, Tsai knew that she should continue editing and she has been more energised than ever. The chief editor also explained that the Complete Works has four main points: To trace the Original meaning of Buddhism, to establish directions and development of Buddhism, to share the teachings of Buddha to everyone and to have a Pure Land in the human realm.
Meng-Hwa praised FGS NZ in having 26 sets of the collections and how she could witness the excellence in the management of FGS and the support of BLIA members, turning the temple into a solemn human pure land. She continued that Venerable Master will donate 5,000 sets of the Complete Works to schools and libraries all around the world and wish that everyone could unite and join in this charity.
This session gave more understanding of the Complete Works to the people of Christchurch and the content record of Venerable Master’s life. The Complete Works have gathered touching stories and precious information. The crowd applauded when BLIA Oceania Fellowship Deputy Committee Director Dolly Tsai wholeheartedly sponsored ten sets of the Complete Works and at the same time, many also help donated to help Venerable Master in fulfilling his charity sets.
Abbess Manshin concluded with the thick and thin of Venerable Master’s life and all members should put more valuable contents in their daily lives. Abbess then tanked Chief Editor Tsai for sharing her story and encouraged the public to read the life long history of Venerable Master Hsing Yun in the Complete Works where luck and answers of life to unlock shackles of trouble could be found.