Buddhist Wedding Ceremony of BLIA NZ YAD Members
On 27th March 2021, Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple New Zealand hosted a touching Buddhist Wedding Ceremony for BLIA NZ YAD members Zhen Nam Yoong and Shuang Zhang. There were over hundred people who gathered at the Main Shrine to celebrate and witness the beautiful ceremony.
Abbess Manshin was the celebrant and led the wedding ceremony. Abbess also shared Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s wise words to the couple where to be a good husband, one must bring less money, have dinner at home, always accompany each other, and be humour with each other. On the other hand, to be a good wife, one must remember home is happiness, be a good cook, be hardworking and sparing, and always support the husband. Abbess wishes the bride and groom to build a harmonious family with the strength of faith and become a model couple.
This wedding ceremony was also presented live for the bride and groom’s family and friends who were not able travel to New Zealand to witness their wedding due to COVID-19. The newlyweds’ parents sent through their wishes by video beforehand. They are very grateful to the Temple for taking care of the bride and groom for all these years and supporting them to become who they are today. The groom’s father, Mr Yoong hopes Zhen Nam Yoong and Shuang Zhang respect and supports each other to build a bright future together. The bride’s mother, Ms Liu encouraged them to start a new family with gratitude, improve together in learning Buddhism, and construct a fulfil life.
Director of BLIA Oceania Fellowship Committee Ms Dolly Tsai also sent her blessing through video. She wishes the bride and groom to become an excellent husband and wife to each other, and to walk along the bodhi path and become an outstanding Fo Guang Bodhi couple.
The groom, Zhen Nam Yoong from Malaysia and the bride, Shuang Zhang from Tianjing China, have developed countless good affinities after serving in the Auckland Temple for many years. They showed their deepest thanks to all the attendees; to the Abbess for taking time out of her busy schedule to conduct their wedding ceremony; to the Venerables and BLIA members for setting up and organising the ceremony, and lastly, to the youth group of Auckland Temple for the performances which presented a warm and loving atmosphere for the wedding.
The groom Zhen Nam Yoong said, “Thank you Abbess and Venerables for your guidance and kindness, you have taught me everything with patience; thanks to my parents, they nurture me with right thoughts; thanks to my friends, they cared and encouraged me; thanks to my wife, who share a same faith and language with me, so that we can respect, care and understand each other; most importantly, thanks to Venerable Master Hsing Yun for bringing Humanistic Buddhism into New Zealand, allowing us to construct and fulfil ourselves by serving the community.”
The bride, Shuang Zhang shared that “Parents give life to us, yet Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple has granted us a second life.” She expressed that in this foreign country, Temple is her home. In the Temple, she is surrounded with the unconditional love and guidance by Abbess and Venerables, the support and care from BLIA members, and the close relationship with the youth members. Shuang expressed her gratitude and vowed to continue serving Buddhism and community.