Exuding Simplicity, Elegance and Vitality, the Chan Floral Arrangement Pop-Up Exhibition was a Hit at FGS Temple South Island
Fo Guang Shan (FGS) South Island celebrated the annual Buddha's Birthday from April 5th to April 17th 2022. From the first day, devotees and the public, regardless of gender, age or race, eagerly came to the Temple to bathe the Buddha and carried out flower and light offerings. By bathing the Buddha, one also bathed one’s body and mind, and purified one’s soul. The visitors also participated in the striking of the Bell of Happiness to pray for World Peace. At the same time, the public also visited the Water Drop Cafe to enjoy vegetarian food, answering the call to love the Earth by Going Vegetarian. Buddha's Light International Association (BLIA) South Island also set up a service desk in the courtyard of the Temple to provide the public with consultation services and to promote Vege Plan ‘A’.
In order to liven up the Temple, the Abbess of FGS NZ, Venerable Manshin, specially brought flowers from the garden of FGS Auckland on April 5th to prepare for the Thought of a Buddhist Practitioner Floral Arrangement Pop-up Exhibition. The selection of material and flower pot for each floral arrangement had been carried out under the discerning eyes and through the skilful hands of Abbess Manshin. Each completed work was also selected to match the background colour of the space it occupied. Coinciding with A Memorial to Keith Morant – the Songs for Remembrance Painting Exhibition held at the Art Gallery, the natural colours of the floral arrangements were specially chosen to complement Keith’s dazzling oil paintings.
There were a total of 9 flower arrangements on display at FGS Christchurch’s Buddha's Birthday Celebration - Chan Floral Arrangement Pop-Up Exhibition. In addition to appreciating the floral arrangements, the visitors were requested to vote for the floral arrangements most appreciated by them. Visitors could vote on the spot and outstation public could participate in the voting online. Visitors said that the flower arrangements were simple and elegant, rich in content and creativity, and full of vitality, spreading fragrance and the warmth of life in a New Zealand Autumn. Some people also praised the floral arrangements as full of Chan, metamorphosing from simplicity to complexity, and from complexity to simplicity.
During this troublesome time of severe pandemic, in conjunction with the Buddha’s Day Celebration, FGS South Island was able to provide the public with simple and pure floral arrangements, allowing the public to calm their minds, purify their souls, and maintain their righteous thoughts, thus allowing their inner minds to enter into the state of Buddhahood, metaphorically described by A single flower is a miniature of the whole World; A single leaf is a miniature of the Pure Land of Buddha.