星云大師：常念菩薩心，青年力

“Buddha’s light shines three thousand circles and Buddha’s dharma spreads in five continents” -- This is the ideal of Master Hsing Yun， the founder of Fo Guang Shan， for a place without noise on the earth. Promoting Buddhism for sixty years， Master Hsing Yun always considers young people as treasures. The FGS Tsunglin University， Punmen Senior High School， Universities with departments of Buddhism and the Buddha's Light International Youth League all embody the wish of Master Hsing Yun to， let the Buddha’s dharma benefit more young people.

“佛光普照三千界，法水長流五大洲”——這是佛光山開山宗長星云大師的人間凈土理想。弘法一甲子，星云大師一直將青年人視若珍寶。從僧眾的叢林學院，到普門中學以及設有佛教學系的大學學府，再到國際佛光青年團，無不體現了星云大師的愿心，即讓佛法惠及更多青年人。

The problems youths are often confronted with， like self-understanding， education and employment， are always kept in mind by Master Hsing Yun. As early as over 50 years ago， when promoting Buddhism in Yilan， he first founded a Buddhist singing group for the youths there and let them learn Buddhism in singing. In the second year after Fo Guang Shan became the place of Buddhism， he initiated a junior college summer camp of Buddhism. In “The First American and Canadian Buddhist Youth Life Camp” on March 22nd， 1996， Master Hsing Yun pointed out that， if someone wanted to know the ups and downs of a country’s future， the youths needed to be understood first， and to know the future development of Buddhism， the performance of youths needed to be seen as well. It can be said that， youths are the hope of Buddhism in the furfure.

對于當下青年人最常面對的自我認識、教育、就業等問題，星云大師時常掛念在心。早在五十多年前，大師于宜蘭弘法的時候，就開風氣之先地為青年人成立了佛教歌詠隊，讓青年在唱歌中學佛。在佛光山開山第二年，又創先河地開辦了大專佛學夏令營。在1996年3月22日舉辦的“第一屆美加佛教青年生活營”期間，星云大師指出，想了解一個國家的未來興衰，先看這個國家的青年；相同的，想知道佛教的未來發展，一樣要看佛教青年的表現。可以說，青年是佛教未來的希望。

The master’s words inspired each youth’s sense of mission to carry forward the dharma and the hope to establish the Buddha's Light Youth League， so as to devote to the popularization of Buddhism. The proposal was immediately supported by the master and was adopted by the “First Session of the Second Council of the Buddha's Light International Association （BLIA）” on April 23rd， 1996. Then， an international youth league attached to BLIA was officially founded. The league set up branch missions all around the world in a trend like prairie fires.

Master Hsing Yun said with relief， “The future of Buddhism is immeasurable. Although the league is one small step for BLIA， it is a giant leap for mankind.”

大師的一席話激發了每位青年對弘揚佛法的使命感，并希望能成立佛教青年社團，從而為光大佛教盡一份力。而此項提案，立即得到了大師的支持，并于當年4月23日在馬來西亞舉辦的“國際佛光會第二屆第一次理事會”中通過。自此，一個隸屬于國際佛光會的國際性青年社團正式誕生。隨后，佛光青年以星火燎原之勢在世界各地相繼成立了分團。

對此，星云大師頗為欣慰地感慨稱：“佛教青年的未來無可限量。佛光青年團雖然是佛光會的一小步，卻是世界人類的一大步。”

Various international youth workshops， life experience camps and voluntary trips held by BLIA， Young Men's Christian Association and Youth League not only offer platforms for the youths all over the world to communicated and learn from each other， but also help them find the direction of life through Buddhism. Youths can develop leadership skills by organizing societies， expand life by taking part in activities， implant Buddhist belief by education and training and promote the value of life by serving the society.

With various activities， the past social ideas of Buddhism gradually changed and the learning of Buddhism among youths sprung up. From 1997 till now， the Buddha's Light International Youth League has had over 200 branch missions in the world. More and more young people join in the teams and make efforts together for the promotion of Buddhism and realization of a place without noise on earth.

從國際佛光會、青年會，到青年團，通過各種國際青年研習會、生命體驗營和公益旅行的舉辦，不僅讓世界各地的青年有了一個彼此交流學習的平臺，更讓他們能以人間佛教建立生活方向，以組織社團培養領導能力，以參與活動拓展生活領域，以教育訓練深植佛教信仰，以服務社會提升生命價值。

隨著各項活動的開展，過去社會對佛教的種種成見逐漸被打破，青年學佛風生水起。從1997年發展至今，佛光青年在全球五大洲已有超過兩百個分團。如今，越來越多的青年人加入到佛光青年的隊伍中，為推廣人間佛教，實現人間凈土而共同努力。