Four Generations of Maori Visited Fo Guang Shan Auckland Temple Received Joy From the Wise Words by Venerable Master Hsing Yun
On 30th April 2021, A Maori elderly in her 80s, together with her four grandchildren and two great grandchildren from Papakura, have visited Fo Guang Shan Auckland Temple. It was their first time to visit the Temple. After entering the Front Shrine, Rachel, a volunteer at the temple, greeted everyone warmly and demonstrated the basic Buddhist practice of offering incense to the Buddha.
Despite the grandmother’s difficulty in walking, the family still leisurely strolled around the Temple. They have visited the shrines, spent time at cultural corridor and reading the Dharma words by Venerable Master Hsing Yun. Finally, the family sat around a long table in the Front Shrine to read a book entitled "365 Days for Travellers" by Venerable Master.
Veronica, the Senior Advisor of subchapter 4 of BLIA North Island, introduced the family another book entitled "366 Days with Wisdom," which is also the favourite by many locals. The elderly had chosen the same chapter as her birthday and began reading while explaining to her grandchildren and great grandchildren the meaning behind it. "This is indeed a wonderful book full of wisdom! If I can afford it, I wish I could buy one and take it home”, she said. Therefore, Veronica decided to purchase the book as a gift to the elderly, and hoped that when she returned home, she could share this meaningful gift with her 60 grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The family thanked them and left the Temple in full gratitude.
In New Zealand's diverse communities, it is not difficult to find the harmonious interaction of four generations in a family where they respect and live with each other. The four generations, young and old, had gathered in the Temple and experienced the integration of Buddhism and local culture. This has shown that everyone, regardless of races, can gain something and felt touched upon visiting the Temple. This is indeed Fo Guang Shan's integration with multiculturalism in New Zealand.