On Father’s Day, Fo Guang Shan (FGS) Chicago hosted a special symposium titled “Faith and Legacy.” The event featured six children of BLIA executives, each at different stages of life, sharing heartfelt stories about their fathers and how their parental guidance helped pass down the torch of faith.
Head Priest Venerable Jue Lin opened the session by describing a father’s role as a protector, companion, role model, and moral guide. She encouraged the assembly to repay their parents’ kindness by transcribing sutras, chanting, practicing repentance, making offerings to the Triple Gem, adopting a vegetarian diet, and engaging in charitable acts to dedicate merit toward their parents’ longevity and well-being.
Fo Guang Families: Inheriting the Faith Sam Haverkos represented a local English-speaking Fo Guang family. Having grown up in the temple alongside his three siblings, Sam now assists with Dharma instruments and serves as a youth altar attendant, while his mother volunteers in the kitchen. During the pandemic, his father represented the BLIA in community outreach. Sam noted that his father’s compassion, courage, and perseverance have become the essential foundation of his own life.
Celine Wang (Bin-Xin), the convener of the Chicago YAD, reflected: “The monastics have witnessed our growth from children to young adults, just as we have witnessed our parents’ spiritual elevation.” For Celine, FGS is a second home, and she aspires to inspire others through the philosophy of Humanistic Buddhism.
The Depth of Parental Sacrifice Katherine Chou Noble, daughter of Chapter President Mai-Ping Chou, expressed deep gratitude to the temple. “Seven years ago, it was the Dharma that helped my parents through the pain of losing a son,” she shared. “Fo Guang Shan gave their lives new meaning, transforming grief into the strength to help others.” She noted that her once-stern father now beams with kindness in every BLIA photograph.
Mickey Sheu, now a father of three, reflected on the immense sacrifices of fatherhood. He recalled how his father provided unwavering support when he chose to study at Stanford Divinity School to become a Christian minister. Mickey vowed to pass this spirit of gratitude and family legacy to the next generation.
Mentors and Role Models Dr. Yi Huang, a recent PhD graduate in Economics, shared her luck in having a mentor who treated her like a daughter. Her 75-year-old professor never lost his thirst for knowledge. As she begins her career as a professor, she hopes to inherit his patience, wisdom, and sense of responsibility to guide her own students.
Dr. Ai-Ru Cheng, a professor of Economics at Northern Illinois University, recalled her father’s dedication. Despite being a civil engineer for major infrastructure projects in Taiwan, he personally cared for his parents—teaching himself to give injections for his grandmother and assisting his grandfather with stroke rehabilitation. “Filial piety was my father’s faith,” she remarked. “Through his example, it became my faith too.”