Early on after Fo Guang Shan was founded, we drafted a series of bylaws. Article 4, Item 22 reads as follows:

The abbot of this temple is the head of the religious order and serves for a term of six years. If reelected, the abbot is allowed to serve one consecutive term. Under special circumstances, and with two-thirds or more in agreement, the abbot is allowed to serve a second consecutive term.

As my second term as abbot was about to expire, I had already begun deliberations on a successor, and when my third term expired, I announced I was stepping down as abbot in accordance with the bylaws. Many devotees came and pleaded with me, asking me to stay, but my mind was already made up. In 1985 I turned the position of abbot over to the Venerable Hsin Ping.

I began serving as abbot of Fo Guang Shan at the age of forty, and those that followed, the venerables Hsin Ping, Hsin Ting, and Hsin Pei, all took up the position around the age of forty, while the new group of Religious Affairs Committee members were all from the “younger generation.”

The transition of leadership for any nation, enterprise, or organization is the real linchpin for sustained management. As long as human beings are involved, we cannot avoid the “win or lose” mentality. The more we get caught up in it, the heavier burden we bear. We should all look upon stepping in or out of office with indifference, because unless we are able to let it go, we cannot live a transcendent and carefree existence.

Do not stay too long in positions of power; give the young people a chance and let them do the job. If they cannot do it well, we, the somewhat more experienced and qualified, will still be around to call for correction and pass on our experience.

Source: Hsing Yun. Four Insights for Finding Fulfillment: A Practical Guide to the Buddha’s Diamond Sutra. Los Angeles: Buddha’s Light Publishing, 2012.