The Heart Sutra in Our Daily Life and Diamond Sutra: The Secret to Success were published by Route Culture, both of which became bestsellers in the first week. Generosity, Honesty, and The Wisdom of Tolerance 2: A Good Cultivation for the Mind published by Phoenix Publishing and Media Group also received wide acclaims. This shows that the power of words can enable the Dharma to keep up with the steps of time and remain compatible with the human minds of every era. An endless array of guests greeted me throughout the year. Be it public figures, scholars, professionals, or virtuous ones, I always gave a warm welcoming and a good farewell. In particular, devotees Tzu Fang (Sun A-hsing), Tzu Yin (Yang Chu-lian), and Tzu Zhi (Chen Hsiu-zu) who have followed me since early times, came to visit me at Fo Guang Shan. Ever since I was invited to Kaohsiung from Yilan to give Dharma lectures in 1953, they have followed one master and one path. Although we have not met for many decades, I was still able to call them by name. Fifty years ago, when I traveled between the south and north, leading the Yilan Buddhist Chanting Association while constructing the Kaohsiung Buddhist Hall, they were still young ladies. They were willing to devote their time to the newly established Kaohsiung Buddhist Hall. Not only was it an extraordinary effort by them, they were also witnesses to the hall’s establishment.

The Fo Guang Ancestral Temple – Dajue Temple in Yixing has entered its second phase of construction. Enshrined within the majestic Great Hero Hall is a jade Buddha statue that is flanked by a fragrant wooden pagoda, and colored jade carvings of the Eastern Lazurite Pureland and Western Ultimate Bliss Pureland. The entire temple stands in the middle of Lion Mountain, Whale Mountain, and Yuanbao Mountain. In addition of the Cloud Lake and ocean of bamboos, the broad and majestic scenery is also a beautiful sight of Jiangnan. For this I especially composed a verse, “A dual world of One Buddha and Two Pagodas. Three-faced white jade the knower of the secular world. Hundreds and thousands of monastic and lay disciples cultivate merit and wisdom here. Pilgrims come from the Five Continents, and the Seven Classes and Ten Directions.” In the near future, a relief of Buddha’s life, statues of the Eighteen Arhats, and a multi-jeweled Buddha pagoda will also be under construction.

With gratitude to all the support, since its opening, Jian-zhen Library in Yangzhou has been praised for its speakers at the Yangzhou Forum, as well as the orderly venue. Daming Temple in Yangzhou is the place where Venerable Master Jian-zhen lived. In November, the Yangzhou City Government organized a homecoming ceremony for the return of Venerable Master Jian-zhen’s statue to Jian-zhen Library from Japan’s Todaiji Temple. This was indeed another milestone in the history of cultural and Buddhist exchange for China and Japan.