|
台北駐舊金山經文處處長李世明於三月十七日前往舊金山以北，兩小時車程處的達摩鎮萬佛聖城，拜會方丈恆律法師，並參觀萬佛聖城附設中小學，以及妙覺山國際哲學倫理研究院預定興建地。
李世明處長抵達萬佛聖城當天，正值觀音七法會，因此方丈恆律法師在簡短的開示之後，便邀請李處長和參加觀音七的百餘位善信齊聲念誦＜觀世音菩薩普門品＞，並一同禮佛、繞佛，功德回向世界和平，減少災難。
李世明處長也前往萬佛聖城妙覺山國際哲學倫理研究院約十八公頃的預定地，位於萬佛聖城東邊妙覺山下未開發區。這座研究院的興建計劃包括大雄寶殿、藏經閣、教室、齋堂、寮房等，成立的宗旨在增進對各宗教的研究與了解，並促成宗教間的對話與合作。目前正在招募建築等方面的專業人才，預計兩年內完成施工藍圖。
國際哲學倫理研究院興建計劃歷經多次公聽會，終於在去年底獲曼都仙諾郡政府批准興建，讓萬佛聖城開山祖師上宣下化老和尚的遺願終於有機會完成。在美伊開戰的前夕，看到基督教文明與回教世界的衝突造成全球各地不安，李世明處長表示對國際哲學倫理研究院的宗旨非常贊同，並認為萬佛聖城風景優美，占地廣袤，這項計劃的發展前景相當看好。
一連三天「佛教與天主教的對話」研討會在萬佛聖城舉行，由天主教舊金山教區的主教韋斯特（Bishop John Wester）帶領十餘位神父、修女前往萬佛城，和佛教界的恆實法師、恆律法師等人共同探討如何透過宗教間的合作，推動世界和平。韋斯特主教將在萬佛城內主持望彌撒，並對宗教人士發表演說，李世明處長認為如此促進宗教合作之活動，應多舉辦，他個人十分支持。
李處長也參觀了萬佛城附設的培德中學、育良小學，和學生們共進午餐。李處長表示這樣提倡忠孝仁愛，注重道德倫理的中英雙語教育，在海外是很難能可貴的，他希望灣區人士能夠有機會多認識這所學校。
|
|
Director General Matthew S. Lee of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in San Francisco came to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas (CTTB) to visit the Abbot, Dharma Master Heng Lyu, on March 17, 2003. He also toured Instilling Goodness Elementary School, Developing Virtue Secondary School, and the proposed site for the construction of the International Institute for Philosophy and Ethics(IIPE) in CTTB.
The Guanyin recitation session was going on the day Director General Lee arrived at CTTB. After a brief talk, the Abbot invited Lee to recite the Guanshiyin Bodhisattva Universal Door Chapter with the assembly of over one hundred participants. They recited in unison, then bowed to the Buddha, circumambulated the Buddha, and dedicated the merit and virtue to world peace in the hope that disasters throughout the world can be alleviated.
Director General Lee also went to see the proposed 18-acre site for the International Institute for Philosophy and Ethics. The site is located at the base of Wonderful Enlightenment Mountain on the east side of CTTB. The construction plan of IIPE includes a Buddha Hall, library, classrooms, kitchen, dining hall, dorms, and so on. The purpose of IIPE is to enhance the research and understanding of major religions in the world, and to facilitate the dialogue and coorperation among religions. IIPE is currently recruiting professionals of various backgrounds for this construction project, whose architectural design phase is to be completed in the next two years.
The IIPE project was finally approved by the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors at the end of 2002 after many public hearings. Thus one of the wishes of Venerable Master Hsuan Hua, the founder of CTTB, can now be fulfilled. Seeing the worldwide unrest caused by religious conflicts, Director General Lee spoke favorably of IIPE project just as the war on Iraq began. He remarked that the City’s beautiful scenery and abundant open space provide good conditions for the development of IIPE.
A three-day Buddhist Catholic Dialogue seminar was held the same week as Director General Lee’s visit. The Bishop of the San Francisco Archdiocese, Rev. John Wester, led a group of 15 Catholic leaders to spend a weekend at CTTB. They exchanged views with Buddhist representatives including Dharma Masters Heng Sure and Heng Lyu on how to promote world peace through the cooperation among religions. Bishop Wester also held Mass and delivered a public talk at CTTB. Director General Lee pointed out that inter-religious events such as this should be held frequently, and he fully endorsed it.
Director General Lee also toured Instilling Goodness Elementary School and Developing Virtue Secondary School at CTTB and had lunch with the students. He hoped that people in the San Francisco Bay Area could know more about these two schools which promote the virtues of service, filiality, kindness and compassion; emphasize ethics and character; and provide a bilingual English/Chinese education. Schools like these two are rarely found and highly commendable.
|
