Lectures & Upcoming Events
LECTURE: How Do We Wake Up to Truth? A Buddhist–Christian Dialogue
How do we come to truth—not as an abstract idea, but as a reality that reshapes how we live? This lecture brings the Christian thinker Kierkegaard into conversation with Huineng, a founding figure of Chan/Zen Buddhism. Though separated by culture and tradition, both question gradual, step-by-step approaches to truth. Through Kierkegaard’s “leap” and Huineng’s “sudden,” the lecture explores how truth can arrive as a moment of radical awakening—one that reorients the whole self and transforms lived experience. DATE: Tue, March 17, 2026
SPEAKER BIO Dr. Jizhang Yi (Postdoc, Harvard; PhD, U of T) is Founding Director of the Institute for Humanistic Buddhist Thought & Practice. He is a scholar of comparative philosophy of religion, focusing on truth, selfhood, and ethical–religious transformation across Buddhist and Christian traditions.
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Past Events
This lecture explores how Humanistic Buddhism bridges the gap between transcendence and humanity, faith and reason, individual growth and collective well-being.
Humanistic Buddhism offers a modern path that bridges spirituality and daily life—a Middle Way between humans and religion. Rooted in the Buddha’s teachings and reinterpreted by Venerable Master Hsing Yun, it reminds us that compassion, wisdom, and awakening are not beyond the world but are realised through our relationships, actions, and shared humanity.
This event is intended for anyone interested in Buddhism and Chinese culture, as well as for those from diverse religious backgrounds seeking to deepen their understanding of religious truth through cross-cultural and interreligious dialogue. It warmly welcomes students, professors, staff, scholars, and members of the wider public both within and beyond the University of Toronto.
DATE: Wed, December 3, 2025
WHERE: Trinity College, Combination room
TIME: 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
SPEAKER BIO
Ven. Miao Guang served as the personal English interpreter for Venerable Master Hsing Yun, the founder of the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Order, who taught and spread the Dharma across all five continents for over 5 decades. She is currently serving as Deputy Chancellor for International Affairs at the FGS Institute of Humanistic Buddhism in Taiwan, which focuses on research and studies of Humanistic Buddhism, localisation, and the acculturation of Fo Guang Shan temples worldwide.
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With the Venerable Chueh Fan, Abbess of Fo Guang Shan Temple of Toronto, ordained by Venerable Master Hsing Yun and founder of Fo Guang Shan Monastery. This lecture explores Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s chapter “My Understanding of Humanistic Buddhism” from Humanistic Buddhism: Holding True to the Original Intent of the Buddha. Master Hsing Yun presents Buddhism as both faithful to the Buddha’s original teachings and deeply engaged with the realities of human life. Humanistic Buddhism emphasises compassion, wisdom, and moral responsibility, guiding practitioners to bring spiritual values into society. For students of theology, this discussion highlights how Humanistic Buddhism offers a framework for ethical living, interfaith dialogue, and global responsibility, enriching our shared pursuit of meaning, justice, and human flourishing in today’s world. DATE: Wed, October 8, 2025 SPEAKER BIO
Venerable Chueh Fan has served as the Abbess of Fo Guang Shan Temple of Toronto since 2019. Ordained in 1991 by Venerable Master Hsing Yun, founder of Fo Guang Shan Monastery, she has devoted over 35 years to monastic life and Buddhist service. Originally from Malaysia, she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Governmental and Nonprofit Accounting and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from California State Universities. Her leadership has included key appointments at Hsi Lai Temple and Guang Ming Temple, with a steadfast commitment to applying Dharma in contemporary life and advancing the bodhisattva path.
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