Fo Guang Shan (FGS) Chicago and the BLIA Chicago Chapter co-hosted an online lecture as part of the “Faith and Legacy” series, featuring Head Priest Venerable Jue Lin on the topic “The Study of Life and Death in Humanistic Buddhism.” Nearly 100 BLIA members from across the United States joined the session to gain a proactive and positive perspective on life’s greatest mystery, learning to “leave love in the world” and transition peacefully according to their vows.
Venerable Jue Lin, a disciple of FGS founder Venerable Master Hsing Yun, has propagated Humanistic Buddhism across the East and West Coasts of the U.S. for nearly 30 years. She quoted the Master’s teaching: “To see through the truth of life and understand the meaning and value of living is to ‘be liberated from life’ (Liao-sheng). To understand the world after death and face the future with confidence and hope is to ‘transcend death’ (Tuo-si).”
While many wish to transcend life and death, the topic of aging, sickness, and mortality often brings feelings of pain, helplessness, or taboo. “The Study of Life and Death in Humanistic Buddhism” and FGS’s “Hospice Care” aim to help the public understand the true essence of life—that life is undying and can be managed sustainably.
“Life is profound and difficult to understand, yet it boils down to two topics: birth and death,” Master Hsing Yun once said. He explained that Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva’s mission to relieve suffering addresses the issues of living, while Amitabha Buddha’s guidance to the Pure Land addresses the issues of dying.
During the hour-long lecture, Venerable Jue Lin utilized her personal experiences and cases from Dharma services to illustrate her points. She used the metaphor of prayer beads to represent the cycle of rebirth, with the “consciousness” (Vijnana) acting as the string that connects them. Drawing from the Sutra of Forty-Two Chapters and Fo Guang Vegetable Root Talks, she explained complex concepts in an accessible way.
The lecture addressed fundamental questions: Where does life come from? Where does it go after death? Venerable Jue Lin discussed the essence of life’s “substance, characteristics, and function,” Zen perspectives on mortality, the cycle of karma, and the true meaning of liberation. She also covered the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination, the equality of birth and death, and how believers should approach hospice care and mortality. The session concluded with a Q&A segment to resolve the audience’s doubts about the afterlife.
Venerable Jue Lin encouraged the participants to create happiness in every present moment, cultivate good affinities, and let go of the ego. By doing so, one can face impermanence without fear. She urged everyone not to wait until they are overwhelmed by illness to face death, but to actively set goals and care for life while healthy and clear-minded. By leaving a legacy of love and following one’s vows, one can transform afflictions into Bodhi and grief into hope.