佛慈悲偉大的佛陀！感謝您
佛陀紀念館在南北傳高僧大德、及現場與會大眾的見證下
終於要在台灣高雄縣安基了
是您的佛牙，給我們信心；
是您的佛牙，給我們榮耀；
是您的佛牙，給我們真理；
是您的佛牙，給我們依靠。

慈悲偉大的佛陀！
從今天起，您安基典禮以後
我們誓願奉行您的遺教，
我們誓願發揚您的真理。
從今天起，讓我們都能做到
說好話、做好事、存好心的「三好」，
讓我們都能實踐　持淨戒、修禪定、用智慧的「三學」。
慈悲偉大的佛陀！
我們的家庭缺乏真愛，
我們的社會風氣敗壞，
我們的人心褊狹嫉妒，
我們的世界動亂不安。
希望您給我們全民信心希望，希望您提昇我們的道德人格；

慈悲偉大的佛陀！
從今天安基起，
我們不侵犯別人的安全，
我們不佔奪別人的財富，
我們不毀謗別人的名譽，
我們不破壞別人的好事。

佛陀！慈悲偉大的佛陀！
祈求您的佛牙舍利，
發揮您的慧光，展現您的威力，
賜予我們智慧慈悲，
賜予我們信仰力量，
讓我們明天會更好，
讓我們未來更美妙。

慈悲偉大的佛陀！
因為您的佛牙舍利長駐台灣，
讓佛光從此永普照，讓法水從此永長流。

慈悲偉大的佛陀！請您接受我們的祈願；
慈悲偉大的佛陀！請您接受我們的祈願。

　　今天是佛陀紀念館安基典禮的日子，有人問：「為什麼叫安基典禮？」其實，大地不要我們「動它」，土地也不要我們「破它」，在這個舉世動盪的時代，全世界的人都渴望「安定」，我們為佛陀紀念館舉行「安基典禮」，這就是最主要的意義。

　　佛陀紀念館的建設，和政府建高鐵、建捷運有著同樣的意義；不同的是，建高鐵、捷運是「硬體的建設」，佛陀紀念館則是「精神的建設」。在社會經濟蕭條的現代，我們請佛陀來助一臂之力，以建設佛陀紀念館的因緣，僱用員工、採購建材，以增加就業機會、創造商機來挽救台灣，用此積極的方式來建設社會，淨化人心。

　　有人問，建一座佛陀紀念館需要花費多少費用？佛光山沒有恆產，沒有餘款，我們只有「心」，我們只想把心奉獻給佛陀，奉獻給十方大眾。台灣人物質生活都很富有，就是缺少精神力量，缺少智慧，缺少慈悲，缺少信仰。說到救濟，與其給他一碗飯吃，不如教他一技之長。所以佛陀紀念館是教育的、是信仰的、是奉獻的、是積極的。這是我們對慈善事業與宗教事業的理念。

　　自從發起建造這座佛陀紀念館以來，便獲得海內外所有功德主及各界人士的熱烈響應，尤其，獲得高雄縣楊秋興縣長及地方人士全力協助，並承國內具有豐富經驗的中興工程顧問公司規劃，旅美著名雕塑家郭選昌先生設計，和旅美畫家李自健先生提供意見，聚集了無限的好因好緣，未來，一定能將此吉祥善緣散播到全世界。

　　這座以佛陀為造型的寶塔，初看時不是佛，看久了就是佛。所謂：「是佛非佛，非佛是佛；無相之相，才是佛相。」佛陀是無量相，從前後左右、四面八方來看，都是佛陀。佛陀法身本來就是「遍滿虛空，充實法界」。

　　此塔是寶塔，寶塔乃象徵佛法之意，佛法是「橫遍十方，豎窮三際」。但是，此塔又非塔，「非塔之塔，才是寶塔」。看到最後，心中有佛法了，煩惱會減少，福慧會增加，人格會擴大，生命會昇華。

　　佛像是代表崇高偉大，寶塔是代表法化無邊；這座「偉大與崇高」的佛陀紀念館，右邊是正覺山，左邊是恆河，兩邊分建祇園精舍與竹林精舍，代表佛陀在印度南北弘法的基地。佛塔共高一三○公尺，塔內有多所博物館、圖書館、展覽館，可容納萬人的集會堂，設有三六○度立體動畫電影院，從佛陀成道、說法、托缽、傳入中國，建立四大名山、八大宗派，乃至開鑿雲岡、龍門石窟、敦煌壁畫，而後到台灣，進而佛光普照、法水長流至全世界。塔的四週有副塔八座，乃「八正道」之義；塔成四方形，象徵佛陀初轉法輪所宣說的「四聖諦」；廣場可以容納十萬人以上。這是一座融合古今與中外、傳統與現代的建築物，我們盼望它不僅成為世界歷史上的傑作，更希望它成為全世界人類的精神指標與堡壘。

　　今日安基，無限未來。恭祝大家妙心吉祥！

Today is a day for the Foundation Settlement Ceremony for the Buddha’s Memorial Hall. Some may wonder why we call it foundation settlement instead of ground breaking. The truth is, earth does not need us to move it or break it. In an era of chaos and insecurity, the whole world is hoping to settle down and find stability. Therefore, we are conducting a ceremony for the foundation settlement of the Buddha’s Memorial Hall for this very purpose.

The construction of the Buddha’s Memorial Hall is equally significant as that of a nation’s railway and monorail network, but what is different is that a railway or monorail network are physical constructions, while the Buddha’s Memorial Hall is a spiritual construction. As the economy continues on its downhill, we have the Buddha to help us. By offering more job opportunities and building material consumption for its construction, there will be more business opportunities in Taiwan. Through this, a better society is also being constructed and the human minds purified.

Someone has asked the question, “How much will the construction of Buddha’s Memorial Hall cost?” Fo Guang Shan does not keep a consolidated fund, all that we have to offer is our mind, and with this mind, we make the most sincere offering to the Buddha and all living beings. The people of Taiwan enjoy a materially abundant life, yet they lack spiritual strength, wisdom, compassion and religious faith. When it comes to charity, it is better to teach someone a skill to survive than just a bowl of rice to keep him full for one meal. Therefore, the Buddha’s Memorial Hall is built with educational, religious, contributive and positive purposes. This is our ideal for charity and religious affairs.

Even since the project for the Buddha’s Memorial Hall was initiated, active support has been offered by our friends and devotees from the whole world. In particular, Kaohsiung County's Magistrate – Yang Chiu-hsing and people of the county have shown very positive attitudes towards the project. This project will be carried out by Sinotech Engineering Consultants, with design done by world famous sculptor Xuanchang Guo from China accompanied by ideas contributed by Chinese artist Li Zijian who now lives in the US. Having been blessed with such wonderful conditions, this project will surely spread its virtuous conditions and prosperity to the whole world in the future.

This stupa adopts the Buddha’s physical outline, at first glance, it may not look like the Buddha, but after taking a longer look at it, a Buddha within will be seen. As a phrase goes, “That which isn’t the Buddha is the Buddha, that which is the Buddha isn’t the Buddha. The form without form is the truth form of the Buddha.” The Buddha has boundless forms, to look at this stupa from the front, back, either side or any angle, a silhouette of the Buddha can always be attained, because the Buddha’s Dharmakaya has always been omnipresent in the dharma world.

This is a stupa, and a stupa signifies the Dharma, while the Dharma is that which pervades all worlds and transcend the space of time. On the other hand, this is also not a stupa, one that is not a stupa is called a pagoda. In the end, this stupa will offer you the wisdom of Buddhism, enable you to decrease your defilements and nurture a bigger heart and better life.

A Buddha’s statue represents loftiness, while a stupa represents boundless Dharma. This lofty and majestic Buddha’s Memorial Hall will be accompanied by the Samyak-Sambodhi (The Great Awakening)Mountain on its right and Ganges River on the left. A Jetavana Grove and Venuvana-vihāra will be constructed on either side of the Hall to represent the bases for the Southern and Northern Schools that were found after the Buddha’s nirvana. The Memorial Hall is 130 Meters tall, housing various museums, libraries, galleries and a multi-purpose assembly hall which accommodates over ten thousand people. A three-dimension theatre is also included to show stories and documentaries of the Buddha’s enlightenment, his years of teachings, how Buddhism passed into China, the establishment of the Eight Schools and Four Main Mountains, its passage into Taiwan and how the seed of Dharma was then spread through out the entire globe. The eight smaller stupas surrounding the main building represent the Noble Eightfold Path, while the square base signifies the Buddha’s very first teachings on the Four Noble Paths, and the open ground in front of the Hall is big enough for an audience of one hundred thousand. This is a building that combines the ancient and modern, the traditional and the contemporary. We hope for it to not only be a masterpiece in world history, but also a spiritual target and fortress for all mankind.

Today’s Foundation Settlement Ceremony is for a boundless future. May a wondrous heart bring great wealth and good fortune.

　　【記者永海高雄報導】佛光山十日上午十一時在如來殿召開「佛陀紀念館安基典禮記者招待會」，由佛光山開山星雲大師及高雄縣楊秋興縣長共同主持。安基典禮，將於十二日上午八時三十分，在佛光山比鄰的擎天神廣場上舉行，預計當日將有南北傳二十幾個國家的僧伽暨信徒代表五萬餘人參加祝賀。

　　星雲大師表示，佛陀紀念館以「安基」為典禮，主要是大地不要我們「動它」，土地不要我們破它，在這個舉世動盪的時代，全世界的人都渴望「安定」，因此以「安基典禮」舉行佛陀紀念館的興建之始。

　　佛陀紀念館的建設，和政府建高鐵、捷運有著同樣的意義；不同的是，建高鐵、捷運是「硬體建設」，佛陀紀念館則是「精神的建設」，在社會經濟蕭條的現代，請佛陀助予一臂之力，以建設佛陀紀念館的因緣，僱用員工、採購建材，以增加就業機會、創造商機來挽救台灣，用此積極方式來建設社會，淨化人心。

　　若問佛光山將拿多少錢來建佛陀紀念館，實在說，佛光山沒有錢，佛光山有的是「心」，有多少心，就能做多少事；「佛陀紀念館」也不只是佛光山的，它更是全民大眾的，是法界眾生所共有的。

　　楊秋興縣長則表示，很歡喜見到「佛陀紀念館」即將舉行安基典禮，這是他上任以來，佛光山首件獻給高雄縣政府的禮物。高雄縣未來將朝觀光事業發展，「佛陀紀念館」的興建，是給台灣社會帶來就業機會的及時雨，因此，高雄縣政府將在佛光山的東面，高屏溪的河岸上，闢建自然生態園區，以積極的方式朝文化觀光與佛陀紀念館相互輝映；同時對大樹鄉統坑溪溝的整治，亦會加倍用心，引來清淨豐沛的水源，讓環境更加優美舒適。

　　法會內容有：南北傳佛教高僧暨一百零八眾法師，以爐香讚恭迎佛牙舍利由佛光山如來殿至佛陀紀念館基地安座。屆時將有奏樂、鳴鐘鼓、唱三寶頌、念佛、繞壇、灑淨、安基、獻香花、回向等儀式。之後，頒發南華大學榮譽博士學位與泰國頌樂拍布代理僧王 PHRABUDDHA-CHINA YONG；代理僧王亦代表致贈佛陀舍利與佛光山。典禮結束後，將有萬人園遊會，包括各地精美食品、禮物與餘興節目表演等。(2003/1/11)

　　將成為全球最大佛教文教新建築的佛陀紀念館，昨天(2003/1/11)正式在佛光山舉行「安基」典禮，佛光山開山星雲大師會同立法院長王金平、高雄縣長楊秋興、天主教樞機主教單國璽、泰國代理僧王頌樂拍布達勤那旺上座比丘、美國紐約東禪寺住持浩霖長老、錫蘭大派的首座佛護長老和一貫道總會理事長王昆德、佛光山信徒代表吳伯雄等，世界各地信眾近五萬人參加這場歷史盛會。