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在新世紀開始的五月一日，萬佛聖城建立了一個新的里程碑。法界佛教大學頒贈第一個榮譽博士學位給湯姆‧麥克米倫博士。
湯姆麥克米倫博士是曼都仙諾社區大學一位廣受愛戴的教授，也是一位令人敬仰的基督教牧師，也是宗教等各個文化層面溝通的一座橋樑，他今年將退休。
比丘尼恆賢師說，自古以來，真實的教育很難同時具足所有的因緣，尤其是師生之間的信賴；然而在麥克米倫博士這兒都具足了，包含師生的互信及其他許多條件。例如頒授典禮中的學生代表莎拉‧白卡克，因為喜歡這位老師，而帶著威脅的口氣說：「我希望您不要放棄教學；如果您放棄，我也要放棄做學生！」
麥克米倫教授的同事馬丁‧維荷文博士形容麥克米倫教授既是一位學者，又是一位實踐自己的信仰的修行者。維荷文博士表示，「小心那個拿著一本書的人」這句話，不能套用於博學而慷慨的麥克教授身上，從他豐富的藏書及借書未還的人可以得到證明。
麥克米倫博士說他打算退休之後要學習中國書法。最近他學了兩個中國字：「知音」。知音的意思，是形容朋友之間互相瞭解對方所奏的音樂，而彼此共鳴。他相信這種互相瞭解而引起的共鳴，可推而廣之，用於文化、社區及宗教上，如基督教與佛教。毫無疑問的，麥克米倫博士將會繼續做各種不同聲音的橋樑。
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A landmark event took place at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas on May 1 of this new millen- nium. The Dharma Realm Buddhist University presented its first honorary doctorate to Dr. Tom MacMillan.
A prized professor at the Mendocino Community College, a respected Baptist minister and a bridge between many cultures—religious and oth- erwise, Dr. MacMillan will enter retirement this year.
Ever since ancient times, the requisite condi- tions of real education has been difficult to convene, especially the mutual trust between a teacher and his students, Bhikshuni Heng Hsien Shi noted. With Dr. MacMillan, however, the requisite conditions, trust and much more were in place. For instance, Sarah Babcock, a student representative at the award ceremony, threatened out of fondness, "I hope you're not quitting teaching. If you are, I am quitting being a student!"
Dr. MacMillan's peer, Dr. Martin Verhoeven characterized Dr. MacMillan as both a scholar and a practitioner of his faith. Dr. Verhoeven noted that the phrase, "Beware of the man with one book" does not apply to the well-read and generous Dr. MacMillan, as evidenced by his large col- lection of books and people who have borrowed and not yet returned those books.
Dr. MacMillan announced he plans to learn Chinese calligraphy upon retirement. Recently, he learned the two Chinese characters, 知音
zhi yin, that describe friends who hears each other's music and resonate with each other. He believes the resonance of understanding can reverberate among cultures, communities and religions such as Christianity and Buddhism. No doubt, Dr. Tom MacMillan will continue to serve as a bridge for different voices.
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