About BLIA Victoria
The Melbourne chapter of the Buddha's Light International Association — serving Victoria with compassion, culture, education and community service since 1992.
From a small circle of devotees to a Melbourne institution
BLIA Victoria (國際佛光會墨爾本協會) was formed in November 1992 by a group of devotees dedicated to sharing the Dharma — only months after Venerable Master Hsing Yun inaugurated the Buddha's Light International Association in Los Angeles on 16 May 1992. From the beginning, we have been the Melbourne chapter of this international association, sharing its constitution, its values and its worldwide programs.
Over three decades our members have grown into a vibrant community of volunteers across Melbourne. Today our members congregate at Fo Guang Shan Er You Temple in Box Hill and Fo Guang Shan Melbourne in Yarraville, and we are organised into four sub-chapters — East 1, East 2, Northwest and Southeast — together with our Loving Care Group, Young Adult Division and BLIA Scouts.
We are proud co-organisers of the Buddha's Day & Multicultural Festival and Victorian co-organisers of VEGRUN.
What we stand for
BLIA Victoria exists to bring relief and happiness to all — serving the community so that every living being may find peace, joy and tranquillity.
Humanistic Buddhism
Grounded in the teachings of Venerable Master Hsing Yun, aligning Buddhist practice with everyday modern life.
Relief & happiness
Serving the community to help all living beings attain peace, joy and tranquillity.
The Four Givings
Cultivating and sharing confidence, joy, hope and convenience with others.
The Three Learnings
Practising morality, meditation and wisdom to round out personal character.
How we serve
Community & social welfare
Supporting members, aiding marginalised and disadvantaged groups, and offering disaster relief.
Culture & education
Educational programs, reading clubs, and artistic and cultural exchange.
Environmental sustainability
Ecological initiatives such as Vege Plan A and VEGRUN, and taking part in Clean Up Australia Day and National Tree Day, under the theme of coexistence and co-prosperity.
Global harmony
Fostering multiculturalism, interfaith understanding and world peace as part of a UN-affiliated NGO.
以文化弘揚佛法 · 以教育培養人才 · 以慈善福利社會 · 以共修淨化人心
— The four objectives of Fo Guang Shan, set by Venerable Master Hsing Yun
The Three Acts of Goodness
Venerable Master Hsing Yun distilled a lifetime of practice into three simple commitments anyone can keep.
- Do good deeds 做好事 — act with kindness in what we do.
- Speak good words 說好話 — encourage and uplift with what we say.
- Think good thoughts 存好心 — cultivate goodwill in how we think.
Our aspiration
May kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity pervade all Dharma realms;
May all people and heavenly beings benefit from our blessings and friendship;
May our ethical practice of Chan and Pure Land help us to realise equality and patience;
May we undertake the great vows with humility and gratitude.
慈悲喜捨遍法界 · 惜福結緣利人天 · 禪淨戒行平等忍 · 慚愧感恩大願心
Our journey
- 1967
Fo Guang Shan founded
Venerable Master Hsing Yun establishes Fo Guang Shan Monastery in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
- 1992
BLIA inaugurated worldwide
BLIA World Headquarters is inaugurated in Los Angeles on 16 May; in November, devotees form BLIA Victoria.
- 1996
Buddha's Day & Multicultural Festival comes to Melbourne
The festival begins its journey to becoming one of Victoria's longest-running multicultural festivals.
- 2003
Recognised by the United Nations
BLIA is granted special consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
- 2012
Registered charity
BLIA Victoria is registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission from 3 December 2012, the day the Commission opened.
- 2026
30 years of the Buddha's Day & Multicultural Festival
On 26 April, the 30th Buddha's Day & Multicultural Festival — themed “Harmony and Peace” — welcomes more than a thousand guests, community leaders and multi-faith representatives.
A Buddhist voice at the United Nations
In 2003 the Buddha's Light International Association was granted consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and became an NGO associated with the UN Department of Public Information. BLIA is one of the few Chinese-led civil society organisations among the thousands of NGOs recognised by the UN.
At the heart of the UN
BLIA set up an International Affairs Office in 2003 and has liaison officers at the UN in New York, Geneva, Vienna, Bangkok and Santiago.
Women and girls
Every year BLIA takes part in the UN Commission on the Status of Women in New York, hosting parallel forums such as “Hope Through Education: India's Hope Village” (2024) and “A Journey of Lifelong Learning” (2025).
Education changes lives
BLIA's Hope Village project in India raised child school enrolment from under 5% to 95% — the kind of work that advances poverty relief, education, equality and food security.
BLIA across Oceania
Our region's 2026 report to the BLIA World General Conference — a few minutes of what Buddha's Light members across Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific have been up to this year.
Walk this path with us
Become a member, volunteer at a festival or simply come and visit one of our temples. You will be warmly welcomed.