Christchurch Diana Isaac Retirement Village visits FGS South Island NZ
On the 17th of August, 12 retirees from the Diana Isaac Retirement Village in Christchurch visited Fo Guang Shan (FGS) South Island New Zealand, with Craig welcoming their arrival. The person-in-charge Barbara was impressed by the temple on a similar visit several months ago, so she organised for another group to visit the temple again.
Under Craig’s guidance, the retirees strolled through the Fo Guang Yuan (FGY) Art Gallery Christchurch’s exhibits such as Sarah Deans “Flower Potraits”, Dean Buchanan’s abstract “Horizons” Oil Paintings and the ‘Love and Compassion’ Comics Exhibition by Feng Zhi Kai and Feng Yi Yin. They also made a tour along the time corridor and to the main shrine. Besides the temple’s architecture and art, Craig also took the time to explain Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s spiritual philosophy, plus some of the activities held by FGS South Island New Zealand like the recent 3G4G Humanistic Buddhism Festival.
As it was filial piety month, with the Ullambana Festival Dharma function ongoing at the time, the visiting retirees were impressed by the decorations and ancestral offerings on display in the main shrine. Also, they were full of praise for Feng Zhi Kai and Feng Yi Yin’s paintings, because although they were simple, they carried so much depth and influence behind it. While walking along the time corridor, the group was also amazed by the minimalistic yet elegant design that led them to feel the simple joy of Chan Buddhism.
At the end of the tour, the visitors were invited to the Tea House for afternoon tea, and were delighted by the scrumptious vegetarian food on offer. Everyone was full of praise for the wonderful tour, and really enjoyed their afternoon there.