古德曾說︰「人定勝天。」又說︰天時不如地利，地利不如人和。」任何一個事業組織都是眾緣和合而成，但論及發展，則首重其成員的良穴，佛光會當然也不能例外。所以我們應當如何發展佛光會？下面是我對各位會員的期望︰
(一) 希望大家做一個好會員︰一個好會員除了要繳付會費，以充實本會弘法利生的力量之外，還要積極參與本會舉辦的各種活動，藉此開發潛能，廣結人緣，增進辦事效率，同時接引更多新會員，發揚本會佛光普照的宗旨。
此外，身為一個好會員應該發揮佛光人的特色，將佛法運用在日常生活中，敬上慈下，夫妻相敬，創造幸福美滿的家庭生活；在個人工作崗位上盡忠職守，精進不懈；在社區裡，敦親睦鄰，排難解紛；公餘之暇，研習佛法，吸收新知；日常修持時，不斷反省、懺悔、發願、回向。以此精益求精的態度向前邁進，不只個人生活達觀法喜，也能帶動親朋好友學佛，對於會務的推展大有助益。希望大家不僅要以佛光會為榮，更進一步要有榮耀佛光會的心。
(二) 希望大家做一個好義工︰所謂「義工」，就是義務做事，不求報償的人。釋迦牟尼佛本於無數塵沙劫前證悟成道，但為了示教利喜，再入娑婆弘法利生，是宇宙中最偉大的義工；觀世音菩薩遊諸國土，二六時中，尋聲救苦，是世界上最勤奮的義工。佛光會成立五年來，秉承諸佛菩薩慈悲喜捨的胸懷，深入社會，提供各種輔導弘化，或至監獄弘法佈教，或至學校宣導戒毒；抱持「人飢己飢，人溺己溺」的精神，深入山野施診醫療，勇赴災區撫卹難民；本著同體共生的理念，響應環保運動，在烈日曝曬下掃街植樹，在風雨交加下回收廢紙；揭櫫淨化人心的目標，舉辦活動，福慧雙修。
佛光會的活動提供大家來當義工，佛光會的理想需要各位會員具有義工的發心精神來共同完成。希望大家能發揮見「義」勇為的菩薩性格，讓世界更臻美好，這就是佛光會員理想的義工形象。
(三) 希望大家做一個好記者︰這是一個資訊的時代，透過各種傳播工具，大家可以共享佛光會普利世間的成果。例如︰閱讀《佛光世紀》可以增進彼此了解；藉著佛光錄音帶和佛光會手冊，能使社會大眾認識佛光會的精神和意義。在此希望人人都自許為佛光記者，在日常生活中，見到佛光會的好人好事，或自撰文稿，或口述宣揚，或邀請記者採訪，發表於佛光會的刊物及其他報章、雜誌、電視、電臺等傳播媒體，並且自動提供現代因果、人間傳奇及前瞻性、啟發性的文章故事、戲劇音樂等，讓大家共同欣賞。
讓我們訓練自己成為一個好記者，搭建佛光的橋樑，一起攜手為社會做出巨大的貢獻。
(四) 希望大家做一個好幹部︰在佛光會，發心、熱忱、有理想、勇於承擔的會員，往往進一步被推選為分會或協會的組長、祕書、副會長、會長，甚至督導、督導長等職務，負起指導會務、指導會員的重任。也許有些人會說︰「我不想當領導人。」但是，時間會推動大眾成長，歷史會推動大眾向前，如果我們苟且偷安，畫地自限，將何以模範後學，開展會務？所以即使是新加入佛光會的會員，也應該以學習擔任幹部的心情參與其中。
什麼是優良幹部的條件呢？一個稱職、受歡迎的幹部必定懂得以身作則，勇於任事，並且懂得提拔人才，運用集體的智慧與大眾的經驗，策畫各種有意義的活動，將佛光會濟世利民的理念發揚光大，普及社會每一個層面。
怎樣發展佛光會？我希望大家做一個好會員，人人發光發熱；做一個好義工，開發內心的能源；做一個好記者，發現、記錄佛光會及社會上的善人美事；做一個好幹部，推動佛光會的成長。讓我們一起各展所長，將自己化為人間的一股暖流，為人們帶來溫馨和樂，為國家帶來富強安樂。
How to Develop the BLIA
Sages of the past used to say, “When a person is firm, he can conquer the heavens.” They also used to say, “Neither timing nor place is as important as the people involved.”
All organizations are the same in that all of them are formed out of the conditions of the day and the karma among their members. The success of an organization depends wholly on the talents and enthu- siasm of its members. The BLIA is no exception to this rule. If our members are positive and helpful, the BLIA will do well. How then should the BLIA develop? What is it that all of us should do to see that our organization flourishes and succeeds in its goals? In the following sections I will discuss these questions in some detail.
Be a good member
There are many simple things that go into making one a good member of any organization. These things are quite obvious, but they are no less important for that.Agood member should pay his dues on time. He should show up for as many meetings as possible. He should be willing to take on some of the many small tasks required to make BLIA events proceed smoothly. Our ultimate goal is to spread the Dharma to all corners of the world, but don’t forget that we will never succeed in doing that if we are unable to practice the Dharma in our own corners of the world.
Ultimate goals have particular needs. Someone must open the doors, move the chairs, go to the printer, call other members on the phone; and all of us must constantly look for ways to reach out to other people. The BLIA will fulfill its full potential only if all of us willingly and imaginatively seek to fulfill our own potentials within our local chapters.
Once we have learned to participate fully in BLIA meetings, it is important that we take some of that energy into our lives. All of us are representatives of the BLIA wherever we go. We should exhibit Buddhist virtues at all times. We should be respectful of people who are older than us and kind to people who are younger. We should treat our families with unfailing and intelligent compassion. We should do our jobs responsibly, and we should strive to be open-minded at all times. We cannot learn the lessons of life if we approach them with closed minds. And we cannot heighten our emotional responses to the world if we approach it with closed hearts.
Morality, emotion and thought are bound so tightly together, they are almost the same. We can learn through reading and thinking, but we must also learn through living and learning to respond to life in the gentle and compassionate ways that characterized the life of Sakyamuni Buddha himself. Our own examples will do more to attract others to Buddhism than all the words we say, and all the books we ask them to read.
We must contribute
In a very deep sense the Buddhist religion is nothing more than a contribution made to the world by Sakyamuni Buddha. Sakyamuni Buddha did not have to preach the Dharma. Nothing forced him to spend forty-five years walking across India, preaching to all who would listen. He did all of that only because he wanted to contribute to the world. All Buddhists should be fully aware of that fact. Our appreciation of his compassion is based on that fact, and the practice we choose to follow for ourselves should also be based on that fact.
How can anyone call himself a Buddhist if he is unwilling to contribute to others?
Members of the BLIA can contribute to society in innumerable ways. Some people are drawn to teaching, others to writing and still others are drawn to visiting people in prisons and hospitals. We have members who are involved with the environmental movement, with disaster relief and with drug rehabilitation programs. In the end, it does not matter what kind of contribution you make to the world, and strangely enough, it does not even matter if you succeed. It only matters that you try. The result of your contribution may never be clear to you, but if you acted out of compassion and generosity, whatever you did will bring light into this world somewhere.
We must write and share our ideas
This is the age of information. The BLIA, just like every organization in the world, needs to get its message out. We can all be compassionate and patient and kind, and we can all be highly accomplished at meditating and reading the sutras, but our influence will never be great if we do not also produce books, tapes, films, magazines and newsletters. And we can produce all of that only if our members contribute actively to the effort. Not everyone in the world is cut out to be a writer, but all of us can support the efforts made to produce our newsletters and magazines. A newsletter is made up of much more than just the articles that go into it. The same holds true for our tapes and films. There are many jobs that need to be done before a film can be finished or a Dharma talk recorded.
If you come across a good story in your daily life, try to write it down for submission to one of our publications. If you cannot write it yourself, tell someone else about it. We should constantly be trying to make our newsletters and magazines stimulating, and they should be filled with fresh information. Every day thousands of interesting things happen to BLIA members. We ensure that our organization is innovative and up-to-date when we constantly produce new informa- tion reflecting the world today, as it is.
Be willing to take on higher responsibilities
After a year or two of being a participating member of the BLIA, the time may come when it is your turn to take on more responsibility. It is surprising how often people are willing to serve as members but unwilling to serve as leaders. The BLIA needs chapter presidents, vice-presidents, secretaries, treasurers, and the BLIA needs people who are willing to serve in regional organizations. If you find yourself thinking that you don’t want to be a leader, please think again. If all of us were to spend our lives avoiding the complications that go with leadership, there would be no successful organizations anywhere.
If you believe you are not fit to be a leader, ask yourself why. It may very well be that you are living within a self-deluding limita- tion that has a long history, but very little truth in fact. Humanistic Buddhism asks a lot from us. It asks us to join the world and make the best contribution we can. Humanistic Buddhism asks of us, but it also returns what we have given tenfold.
If you do decide to accept a leadership position within the BLIA, what should you do to fulfill your responsibilities?
As soon as you become a leader, other people begin to look to you for direction. What you say is very important, but what you do is even more important. A leader is most effective when he leads by example. You must perform the duties of your office to the best of your abilities. Beyond this, you must encourage the other members of your chapter. One of the most important things a leader does is help others maximize their potential. Help others do what they can do, and look for ways to draw out the talents of your members. Use your own experience and your own best wisdom to aid you in doing this. Try to think of what is best for other people. If you assess others from the point of view of what is best for them, you will find that your decisions benefit everyone. Every person has talents, and every chapter of the BLIA contains people of varied experience. It is the job of the leaders of an organization to employ those talents so that everyone receives maximum benefit.