Seeking Termination of Covid-19 Pandemic by “Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva Painting”
On 28th March 2020, New Zealand entered its 3rd day of Level 4 Alert for COVID-19 pandemic with the number of confirmed cases reaching 465. In line with the Lock-down imposed by New Zealand Government, Fo Guang Shan (FGS) South Island Temple residents complied by staying lock-downed in the Temple. For this lock-down period, they did not waste their precious time and instead practised self-cultivation and carried out tidying of the Temple.
On this day, FGS South Island Minister-in-charge Venerable Jue Xi led the residents in tidying the courtyard and the car park, and in sweeping the leaves and carrying out weeding in the Temple surroundings. Cleaning the environment is not only "protecting the environment" but also "protecting and nurturing the purity of our hearts". The act of cleaning can also be taken as the removing of the accumulated dirt covering us, so that, through this effort, our pure selves may resurface again.
In order to make good use of the quarantine time, Venerable Jue Xi formulated a Buddhism Course for the residents and invited Buddha’s Light International Association (BLIA) South Island Committee members to participate in the Course online. In addition, Venerable Jue Xi also led the residents in a Spiritual Art Course on “Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva Painting", allowing the residents to freely develop their creativity in colouring the solemn Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva portraits. These coloured Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva portraits may one day be exhibited in the Fo Guang Yuan Art Gallery. Meanwhile, it is hoped that the "Painted Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva" may bless victims of the Covid-19 pandemic for an early recovery, and the merits in executing the painting may lead to an early termination of Covid-19 pandemic.