In Song and Craft: Fo Guang Shan Chicago Commemorates the 3rd Anniversary of Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s Passing
The Fo Guang Shan Chicago Buddhist Temple held a series of memorial events to commemorate the third anniversary of the passing of its founder, Venerable Master Hsing Yun. Following the morning “Light Offering Dharma Service and Birthday Gratitude Assembly,” the temple hosted a special program titled “A Bowl of Yangzhou Dumplings — Remembering Venerable Master Hsing Yun Through Music and Hands-on Experience.” The event drew nearly 70 devotees from diverse cultural backgrounds, who gathered to honor the Master’s compassionate lifelong mission of Humanistic Buddhism.
During the Light Offering Dharma Service, the assembly chanted the Universal Gate Chapter of the Avalokitesvara Sutra. Abbess Venerable Yong Han encouraged everyone not only to light lamps for themselves but to vow to pass that light and warmth on to others.
The service was followed by a Sounds of the Human World concert, inviting devotees to remember the Master through music. Emily Ho, a doctoral candidate in flute performance at the University of Iowa, performed “Hsing Yun’s Poems” and “My Vow” on the piano, accompanied by Venerable Yong Han’s moving recitation of the lyrics. The blend of music and spoken word beautifully reflected the depth of the Master’s grand vows. Vocalist Jui-Fang Cheng then performed “Ode to the Master.” This was followed by an ensemble performance of “Lighting the Lamp” and “Buddha’s Light Shining on All Four Seas,” featuring Emily Ho and her musical peers, Cheng-Liang Chang and Erik Javier López Reyes, on flute and bassoon. Their soaring melodies beautifully conveyed the spirit of passing the light from lamp to lamp. Emily Ho shared that preparing for the concert began months ago with meticulous repertoire arrangement, adding that her friends even drove four hours from Iowa in the early hours of the morning to offer their music as a tribute to the Master.
The second part of the event featured a hands-on activity led by Venerable Miao Wei, where attendees made traditional “Yangzhou Dumplings” as a simple, heartfelt way to remember the Master. Pointing to the large mural of the Triple Gem Mountains at the back of the Main Shrine, Venerable Miao Wei explained that the Buddha Museum, the Sutra Repository, and Fo Guang Shan are more than just magnificent architecture—they represent a light lit by an elder over a lifetime to bring the Dharma into the human world. Attendees then crafted the dumplings together, turning their gratitude into action and vowing to carry forward the Master’s compassionate vision.
To conclude the event, the entire assembly held up their handmade dumplings and sang “My Hometown is Fo Guang Shan,” led by Emily Ho in sign language. The room was filled with warmth and gratitude. Paul Kanter, a member of the English Sub-chapter, remarked that honoring the Master through music and dumpling-making was a deeply touching experience that highlighted the temple’s thoughtful hospitality. Lay devotee Chin Chang, who attended with three generations of her family, expressed that the event not only purified the mind but also allowed them to feel the temple’s deep care and blessings for its community.