Everyone Called Me "Venerable Yilan"
In 1953, Venerable Master Hsing Yun established the Yilan Buddhist Chanting Association, which utilized Dharma propagation teams, Buddhist choirs, tutoring classes, and reading groups to attract large numbers of youth to come learn and practice Buddhism. In turn, these youth helped promote Buddhist teachings with impromptu singing performances, paper-made props, and slideshows. Venerable Master will never forget the sound of the horn of the Dharna propagation teams, which shouted "Our Buddhism is here!" in Taiwanese; not only did it serve to lift his confidence in the propagation of Buddhism, but also signified the rapid spread of the Dharma.
In addition to propagating Buddhism in prisons, military camps, factories, radio stations, schools, and the countryside. Venerable Master also organized village gatherings and Buddha's bithday celebration parades, as well as established a cinic to provide emergency relief during winters. Whenever there was a typhoon, he was first to arrive at the disaster area to provide relief to victims. In the ten years that he spent at Yilan, the people called him "Venerable Yilan." To express their gratitude for Venerable Master's many contributions, the Yilan County Magistrate and Mayor conferred to him the titles of "Honorary County Citizen" and "Honorary City Citizen," as well as presented him with the Key of the City during Yilan city's 70th anniversary celebration in 2009.
Creative Celebration: Buddha's Birthday
Whereas traditionally, Vesak Day (Buddha's birthday) celebrations have always played an import role in the lives of Buddhists in South and Southeast Asia, the Taiwanese have always celebrated the birthdays of local and folk deities, but left the celebration of the Buddha's bithday to Buddhist temples.
While he was at Yian, every year on the Buddha's bithday, Venerable Master organized grand celebrations which induded activities such as pormances depicting the ife of the Buddha, costume parades, and offering ceremonies in order to increase public awareness. In 1958, Venerable Master Hsing Yun was the first to celebrate the Buddha's bithday with a parade of one hundred floats, which was attended by thirty thousand people. With a total population of fifty thousand people at the time, it can be said that every alley of Yilan was filled with people and the atmosphere was festive.
