ANZBYC 2021 - Refining the Wisdom of Life One Step at a Time
The 23rd Australia New Zealand Buddhist Youth Conference (ANZBYC) conference entered its second day on 4th July 2021, with 20 Youth Adult Division (YAD) members from NZ attending. The day began with a morning prayer, followed by a morning reading session led by Abbess Manshin.
The second day of the conference was just as exciting as the first. The schedule included a workshop on Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s Aspiration to Young Adults by FGS NZ Abbess Manshin; a panel session on Going beyond today with Faith by BLIA Oceania Deputy Secretary General and Australia-New Zealand Chief Venerable Abbess Man Ko; a panel on Humanistic Buddhism in Action by BLIA HQ Lecturer Eric Chan, BLIA Queensland President Arthur Liu and BLIA West Australia Advisor Natasha Tang; and a talk titled Dear Future Self organised by YAD White Elephant Executive Staff Lenny Fung.
During the Going beyond today with Faith panel session, Abbess Man Ko brought up some questions through animated videos, testing the youths on their knowledge of the world and letting them reflect on whether what the reality of what they can see. In terms of faith, Abbess Man Ko advised the youth to realise the wonders of Buddhism through "hearing, thinking, practicing and validating", mentioning how chanting and meditation are of great benefit to their daily practice. In the workshop on Master Hsing Yun’s Aspiration to Young Adults, Venerable Abbess Manshin reminded the YAD that they are an important part of the lineage in passing on their faith, and thus must always be self-aware and improve their cultivation. They can take the following six points as a guiding compass for their lives: to gain happiness through service, to pass time through diligence, to cultivate morality through patience, to inspire spirituality through austerity, to handle life through joy, and to increase mindfulness through faith.
In the session on Humanistic Buddhism in Action, Dr. Eric Chan, Mr Arthur Liu and Ms. Natasha Tang started a discussion with the youths on several inter-related topics, sharing questions and answers to problems they face in their studies, career and family. BLIA Queensland President Arthur Liu said that when one encounters a challenge in the temple or in BLIA, one must find a way to overcome it. Every challenge is a good opportunity to develop confidence and patience, and by going against the odds, only then can we reach the next level. When Dr. Eric Chan discussed the topic on Recruitment, he reminded the youth that they can achieve higher standards by improving their capability and quality, rather than focusing just on quantity. Advisor Natasha Tang reminded the youth to not only believe in Buddhism, but also to practice it, so that we can understand the true meaning of life.
In addition to listening to the lecturers, there was also an opportunity for the youth to express their thoughts. On the first day of the course, BLIA NZ YAD member Sin Jun spoke on the topic of Who am I? He said that “Apart from my expertise in computer technology, I want to do more meaningful things. Therefore, I go to FGS temple every week to serve people in the community under the guidance of Abbess and the Venerables. Even though I am not a professional, I want to do my best. Don't be afraid to make mistakes, facing and overcoming challenges enable us to grow faster. I am grateful to the many young people I met at the temple who have encouraged and motivated me to overcome obstacles, and have become some of the most valuable people in my life. I wish to increase my confidence in speaking and to be a good leader to lead the YAD forward.
A session was arranged for youths from different cities to share how they have put the concept of Humanistic Buddhism into practice in their local communities. YAD NZ members Mu Yang, Thomas, Ann Joo and Sin Jun shared their experiences of community service in both the North and South Islands of New Zealand, from their regular gardening work at the temple to organising large-scale events such as the 3G4G Festival of Cultural Sharing on Humanistic Buddhism, Sharing Laba Congee to neighbours, Buddha’s Birthday Multicultural Festival, Cherry Blossom Festival Art Salon, Coffee and Chocolate Festival, Light Up the Heart Light Festival, Green Fleet Market Day, etc. They also shared some of the behind-the-scenes work done for ANZBYC 2021 that were executed with attention to detail so as to set a good example on how to enable localisation of Buddhism in New Zealand.