American Pastor Visits FGS Christchurch and Praises Its Creative Architecture

On 7 October, American pastor Kurt Fangmeier visited Fo Guang Shan (FGS) Christchurch, where he was received by Minister-in-charge Venerable Juexi and the Buddha’s Light International Association (BLIA) BLIA member. The pastor was interested in the religious and cultural atmosphere of Christchurch, and had planned a two-week trip to New Zealand specifically to visit FGS Christchurch.

During his visit, Pastor Kurt was impressed by the appearance and artistic atmosphere of the temple. The Vonluteer introduced him to the design and green building philosophy of the temple, and led him to visit the art gallery, the Buddha Hall, and the Time corridor. The pastor praised the designer's creativity and wisdom.

Pastor Kurt wanted to further explore religious issues, such as how different religions can coexist harmoniously and some questions about Buddhism. Venerable Juexi and BLIA members answered his questions. The visit allowed Pastor Kurt to have a deeper understanding of Buddhism. He learned that Buddhism advocates equality for all, especially FGS founder Venerable Master Hsing Yun, which promotes the idea of Humanistic Buddhism to spread joy to the community through various services and beneficial activities, purifying people's hearts and spreading the ideals of truth, goodness, and beauty throughout the community.

Venerable presented Pastor Kurt with two books: "366 Days with Wisdom" by Master Hsing Yun and "2022 BLIA New Zealand Activities Report". Kurt said he would treasure the gifts. He said that even though his trip was brief, he was impressed by the temple's architecture and the service quality of the BLIA members and volunteer, and that he would visit the temple again if he had the chance in the future.