Albert Lin, The Merit Times staff writer
April 21, 2023

Fo Guang Shan donated a set of English edition of "Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts" to the San Diego Public Library. The donation ceremony was held on April 17th, and Venerable Miao Zang, temple director of Hsi Fang Temple San Diego Buddhist Association, represented the donation. Marc Chery, Supervisor of the Humanities Section of San Diego Public Library, accepted the books on behalf of the library. A total of 12 witnesses, including library staff and Fo Guang Shan members, attended the ceremony.

Chery said that the Humanities Section is located on the 4th and 5th floors of the Central Branch of San Diego Public Library, also known as "The Questioning Floor". People who have doubts about life, philosophy, culture can find answers there. The general public who cannot borrow books from university libraries also have the opportunity of deep learning. Chery stated that although the public library has a variety of art collections, the "Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts" is the most outstanding and will enhance the value of the library's art collection.
Marc Chery, Supervisor of the Humanities Section of San Diego Public Library, accepted the books on behalf of the library. photo／The Life News Agency

The San Diego Public Library has been established for over 100 years, with 35 branches scattered throughout the city of San Diego. The Central Branch was completed in 1954, with a total of nine floors. In addition to lending services, it also has special collections rooms, the Sullivan Family Baseball Research Center, an innovation lab. Even more special is that the 6th and 7th floors of the Central Branch are home to e3 Civic High School, a public high school with 500 students in grades 9 to 12. The branches often hold educational and parent-child events to develop the reading culture in the community.

Venerable Miao Zang said that the "Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts" contains 20 volumes in eight categories. The editing and translation work was initiated by Venerable Master Hsing Yun, the founder of Fo Guang Shan, and took over ten years to complete.
The editing and translation work of "Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts" was initiated by Venerable Master Hsing Yun, the founder of Fo Guang Shan. photo／The Life News Agency

Venerable Miao Zang hopes that the "Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts" can help the people of San Diego understand Buddhist art. Venerable Miao Zang also demonstrated some selected entries in the book and introduced the search methods, such as Fo Guang Shan, Bamiyan Buddha, Dunhuang, Angkor Wat, One-Stroke Calligraphy, and Venerable Master Hsing Yun.
Venerable Miao Zang demonstrated the search methods. photo／The Life News Agency

Cherry hopes to invite Buddhist art experts to the library to give speeches and strengthen academic exchanges of Humanistic Buddhism, allowing the public to understand the significance and value of the "Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts".