Tung Lin Kok Yuen, Canada Society (TLKYCS) is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year with a series of public events. The highlight of the celebration is the seven-day Yogacara (Yankou) Dharma Assembly, taking place from 2–9 June, with a special anniversary ceremony scheduled for 9 June. The events are designed to promote TLKYCS’s religious and cultural values to the public.
The Yogacara Offering, which has been practiced in China for more than 1,000 years, draws practitioners’ compassion to the realm of hungry ghosts. Through the practice of mudras, mantras, and visualization, practitioners make compassionate offerings to guide the hungry ghosts toward refuge in the Triple Gem—the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha—and onto the path toward buddhahood.
Venerable Tsang Chit, abbot of Tung Lin Kok Yuen in Hong Kong and Canada Society, traveled to Vancouver to oversee the Dharma Assembly. He emphasized TLKYCS’s commitment to strengthening community outreach and religious care efforts.
TLKYCS has spent the past three decades building a solid base of members and establishing community connections with universities, senior care homes, healthcare institutions, and charitable organizations. With a growing team, TLKYCS is now looking to enhance its community services through religious care.
TLKYCS hosted a “Buddha’s Birthday Assembly and Open Day” in mid-May to celebrate the birth of Shakyamuni Buddha. Activities included guided tours and stalls to introduce the public to the garden’s religious, historical, and cultural significance. This week, the Yogacara (Yankou) Dharma Assembly aims to benefit all sentient beings through Buddhist practice. A series of short videos have been produced specifically to introduce the meaning and significance to the community.
Previous events organized by TLKYCS have included notable lectures and assemblies, visits from respected masters and teachers, such as Thich Nhat Hanh, Ven. Hin Hung, senior fellow of Center for Buddhist Studies at the University of Hong Kong, and Ven. Prof. Dhammajoti from the Buddha-Dharma Centre of Hong Kong. The organization has also hosted the American Buddhist academic Dr. Reggie Ray and the French monk, photographer, and author Matthieu Ricard.
This month, Ven. Hin Hung will deliver a lecture at TLKYCS on the Diamond Sutra, sharing his journey with teaching the Diamond Sutra, which began 30 years ago, igniting a lifelong exploration of its wisdom and compassion through research, practice, and teaching. Ven. Hin Hung will also be joining a panel on Buddhist counseling during his visit.
Founded in 1994 by Robert H. N. Ho, TLKYCS aims to carry forward the vision of promoting Buddhism internationally, as envisioned by his grandmother, Lady Clara Ho Tung. Over the years, the organization has engaged in various philanthropic activities, including education, medical care, and disaster relief.
The organization also created Buddhistdoor International, which later became Buddhistdoor Global, this English-language online Buddhist journal—now available in multiple languages—in Vancouver in 1995 under the direction of Robert Hung Ngai Ho (何鴻毅居士). At the time of Buddhistdoor’s founding, the internet was only just beginning to gain widespread support, showcasing Mr. Ho’s foresight in spreading the Dharma through the World Wide Web.
Today, Buddhistdoor Global—also known as BDG—continues Mr. Ho’s vision by “providing a diverse range of English-language Buddhist content to the world, centered on the Dharma and dedicated to serving Buddhist communities and helping practitioners navigate their spiritual path.”
TLKYCS is planning other lectures, exhibitions, and events to celebrate its 30th anniversary. More details about the Society’s activities and history can be found on the TLKYCS website.
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東蓮覺苑慶祝30周年辦系列活動 未來發展將走入社區加強探訪工作 (Mingpao Canada)
Tung Lin Kok Yuen, Canada Society
About Us (Buddhistdoor Global)
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