The Buddha's Light International Association (Chinese: 國際佛光會; pinyin: Guójì fóguāng huì; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kok-chè Hu̍t-kong ē, commonly known as BLIA, is a Buddhist monastic and lay organization. BLIA was established by Venerable Master Hsing Yun in 1992. The organization is associated with the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Order, the largest Buddhist organization in Taiwan.
BLIA is an organization of monastic and lay Buddhists in which Humanistic Buddhism is practiced in everyday life. It is essentially an embodiment of cultivation that entails the participation in Dharma services and activities that are beneficial to society at large. In addition, BLIA maintains friendly ties with devotees of other sects and religions. With its religious characteristics and the essence of education and cultural activities, BLIA's motivation toward strengthening the faith of people can be greatly enhanced.
In 2003, BLIA was granted the NGO association status by The Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (ECOSOC) and Department of Public Information (DPI) under UN.
Wu Po-hsiung, former chairman of the Kuomintang, is an active member and served as the BLIA's second president.
The world headquarters is located on the Hsi Lai Temple grounds in Hacienda Heights, California.
Read more about Buddha's Light International Association: BLIA Website
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