Academic Year 2026–2027 Begins with Amitabha Triple Contemplation Dharma Service
News Bulletin No. 28
By: Ghealyn Rose Undang | Contributor: Asst. Prof. Maru B. Percela, MA
Tagaytay City, Philippines — August 17, 2026 — Guang Ming College opened Academic Year 2026–2027 with an Amitabha Triple Contemplation Dharma Service on August 17, 2026, at the Meditation Hall of the Academic Building. The gathering brought together approximately 200 members of the GMC and Fo Guang Shan communities, including Venerables, faculty, staff, students, devotees, and members of the Buddha’s Light International Association (BLIA).
The service began with a Dharma talk by Venerable Yung Guang, Head Abbess of Fo Guang Shan Philippines. In her message, Venerable Yung Guang emphasized the value of beginning the academic year with contemplation and prayer. She encouraged students to recognize the opportunities they have received and to cultivate positive qualities as they begin another year of learning, growth, and service.
Venerable Yung Guang also introduced Venerable Hui Si, Director of the Fo Guang Shan Meditation Hall, who presided over the Amitabha Triple Contemplation Dharma Service.
Fo Guang Shan monastics led the Dharma Service. Members of Guang Ming Bodhisattva, the student organization for Buddhist Studies, contributed significantly to the event. Drawing on the skills and discipline they developed during the recent FGS monastic retreat, the students served as shrine attendants and helped prepare and organize the venue.
The Dharma Service allowed the community to pause, reflect, express gratitude, and set positive intentions for the new academic year. More than marking the beginning of another school year, it emphasized the importance of approaching learning with mindfulness, gratitude, and responsibility.
Scholarship Spotlight: Honoring Gratitude with the Master Hsing Yun Scholarship
The afternoon also featured the 2026 Guang Ming College “Master Hsing Yun Scholarship” Awarding Ceremony, which recognized the continued support extended to GMC scholars.
The awarding was integrated into the Dharma Service initiated by Fo Guang Shan Philippines to recognize the generosity and support of its benefactors. During the ceremony, scholarship recipients received their awards from members of the Fo Guang Shan Board of Trustees and BLIA representatives.
For the scholars, the ceremony represented more than receiving financial assistance. It provided an opportunity to recognize the people and communities whose generosity makes their education possible. It also reminded them of the responsibility to make meaningful use of the opportunities they have received and, in time, to extend the same spirit of service and generosity to others.
GMC alumni who now serve as faculty and staff also prepared a special performance for the community and scholarship benefactors. Their participation reflected a meaningful cycle of gratitude, with former beneficiaries of educational opportunities now contributing to the formation of a new generation of students.
Their presence also reminded everyone that education extends beyond individual achievement. The opportunities made possible by benefactors’ support can enable students to pursue their aspirations, contribute to their communities, and eventually become sources of support and inspiration for others.
Through the Amitabha Triple Contemplation Dharma Service and the Master Hsing Yun Scholarship Awarding Ceremony, Guang Ming College began Academic Year 2026–2027 with prayer, gratitude, and renewed commitment. The gathering reflected the College’s continuing partnership with Fo Guang Shan Philippines and BLIA and reaffirmed its commitment to education grounded in character, compassion, and service.