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二月二十六日至二十八日，萬佛聖城同時有漢堡大學學生來訪和長青大學的活動。由約翰羅吉斯神父帶領的漢堡大學學生一行四十人，利用此次參學的機會，希望能多瞭解寺廟生活與佛教的精神。為了幫助學生對聖城有真實的認識和多方面的認知，法界佛教大學代理校長阿比納博士安排了多項活動，包括靜坐、佛教導論介紹（易象乾博士）、與僧眾的討論會、萬佛寶殿的佛事及設備簡介等等。
來訪的學生中，大多數並非佛教徒，為了結合課堂所學與實際寺廟生活的體驗，他們提出許多問題，希望能與出家眾討論。對於佛教的各項佛事，他們印象非常深刻，雖然早晚課誦跟不上住眾的速度，也不知道其中的意義，但是他們卻能感受到咒語強烈的攝受力。學員們暫離塵囂，帶著現實生活中種種問題與創傷，能在佛陀大海般的智慧中得到頓時受用，實在是令我們同感欣喜。以下是一位漢堡大學學生的感言：
小時候我總想著，將來老的時候要住在寺廟裡。當時自己明白什麼是重要，什麼是真實，一個人選擇一個有助於與真實合一的環境是很自然的；不過我知道沒有任何人會有同感，或想做同樣的事。多年來居住在這個對精神層面沒有認知的社會裡（並且視宗教願力為非常神經性的），我對於什麼是人生中的真實與重要意義起了疑惑。將來我仍會去參訪一間寺廟，但目前想儘量多觀摩，希望能找到一些可依循的道理，用於現實生活。
我到萬佛聖城發現的第一件事是：它與外在世界是截然不同的！並不是人們所做的事不一樣，而是這裡充滿了真誠。在社會裡樣樣事情都是不真、不真又不真，而這裡的人與事卻是那麼實在。在學校和辦公室內那些虛妄而令人羨慕的事情，在此地沒有發展的地方，競爭、諂媚、虛偽、貪婪都不存在。
我心中仍有疑惑，不知道自己是否會永遠住在寺廟內，不過我確信自己會再來。此刻我覺得自己的人生沒有什麼意義。
（註：這裡的食物是我吃過最好的。）
長青大學是針對老年人，提供他們研習佛教修行與思想的機會。這次的活動是應九二年十月的討論會之後，其中十五名學員主動要求，因此舉辦了三天淨土禪的活動，活動中史提芬斯提納教授以他的佛學涵養與行持體驗，導引學員們深入放下身心、去除妄想的練習，聖城的法師也加入現身說法。禪定由持戒而來，要恢復人人本具清淨的佛性，是要從日常生活守規矩下工夫的。此次並有一場「現代倫理觀」的聯合討論會，由約翰羅吉斯神父、萬佛聖城出家眾、魏斯曼博士、阿比納博士、提納教授，共同解說與答覆問題。年長的長青大學學員，見到美國青年來萬佛聖城學規矩及孝順的觀念，很高興地表示，他們確實做到了敬老。
這次美國年青人與老年人的同時來訪，都希望能更深一層了解佛法，對於人生真理追尋的渴望，使他們在活動結束時，紛紛寄望能利用暑假，以更多的時間投入這樣的生活。這兩項活動的愈來愈頻繁，正顯示出佛法在西方的種子已正在萌芽。
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From February 26 to 28th, the Sagely City of Ten Thousand Buddhas conducted a program for students of Humboldt State University in conjunction with an ElderHostel Retreat. Led by Father John Rogers, a group of forty students came from Humboldt State University wishing to learn about life in a monastery and the spirit of Buddhism. In order to let students gain a broader understanding of life at the Sagely City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, Dr. Snjezana Akpinar, Chancellor pro tem of Dharma Realm Buddhist University, organized various activities including: Meditation, General Introduction to Buddhism (by Dr. Ronald Epstein), Discussions with the Sangha, Introduction to the Ceremonies and Facilities in the Hall of Ten Thousand Buddhas, and others.
Most of the visiting students were not Buddhist. Attempting to combine their classroom learning with the actual experience of monastic life, they raised many questions that they were anxious to discuss with the monks and nuns. The various Buddhist practices left deep impressions on them. Although they barely kept up with the City's residents in the Morning and Evening Recitations, and did not understand what they were chanting, they could sense the attractive power of the mantras. Temporarily leaving behind the mundane world, the students had brought along the troubles and hurts they experienced in their daily lives. To our great delight, many found immediate relief in the great sea of the Buddhas' wisdom. One student's impressions are given below:
When I was younger, 1 assumed that 1 would end up in a monastery of some sort. At that time I knew what was important - what was real - and it seemed natural that one would choose the environment most conducive to becoming one with that reality.But I knew no one who shared my feelings and inclinations in that way and so, over the years, living in a society that doesn't recognize that man has spiritual dimension (and that looks on a monastic vow as highly neurotic), I began to doubt my understanding of what was real and important in this life. I knew that I would still visit a monastery some, day but now it would be more to see if I could find some useful practice or perspective to take back, to my life in the world. The first thing I noticed when I got here was how different it was from the world outside. Not the things that people did so much as just the fact that realty reigned. Everything in our society is based on illusion upon illusion upon illusion. People and things had substance here. The things that are admired at the university and in the workplace are not admired here - have no place. Competition, flattery, pretense, greed - are all absent.
I still have doubts. I don't know for certain if I will end up in a monastery forever. I do know that I'll be back. I know that the rest of my life seems of little meaning right now.
P.S. The food was the best I ever had.
Elderhostel provides a chance for the elderly to investigate the theory and practice of Buddhism. This time, the retreat was organized as a follow-up to the Elderhostel Workshop held in October 1992, at the request of fifteen participants from that workshop. During this three-day retreat which focused on Pure Land and Chan practice, instructor Steven Tainer shared his personal experience of Buddhist practice, and guided participants to practice letting go of the body and mind and getting rid of distracted thoughts. Dharma Masters at the Sagely City of Ten Thousand Buddhas also shared the teachings of Dharma. Concentration is based on keeping the precepts. In order to realize the originally pure Buddha-nature, we must follow the rules in daily life.
The weekend also included a seminar for both groups on "Ethical Dimensions of the Modern World," with Father John Rogers, Dharma Masters from the Sagely City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, Dr. George Weissman, Dr. Akpinar, and Steven Tainer leading the discussion and answering questions. Seeing the university students learning about ethics and filiality at the Sagely City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, the senior students of Elder Hostel remarked that they really did learn how to respect elders!
The students and seniors both came hoping to gain a better understanding of Buddha Dharma. Anxious to search for the truth in life, many of them hope to return this summer to spend more time exploring this lifestyle. As these two programs become more and more common, it shows that the seeds of Buddhism are now sprouting in the West.
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