Hosting of 2020 Year-end Gathering cum Professor Kuo’s Exhibition Closing Party at FGS Temple South Island
On 19th December 2020, Buddha’s Light International Association (BLIA) South Island hosted the 2020 Year-end Gathering cum Professor Kuo’s Exhibition Closing Party. The party was attended by Fo Guang Shan (FGS) New Zealand Venerable Abbess Manshin, FGS South island Minister-in-charge Venerable Jue Xi, BLIA Directors and 50 BLIA members.
The day’s activities included the Winter Solstice Gatheing Party and the Tea Party for the Closing of Professor Kuo Yen Chiao’s Traditional Chinese Paintings Exhibition. FGS New Zealand Abbess Manshin, BLIA South Island President Bernie, and Professor Kuo Yen Chiao's daughter Louisa Kuo were invited to deliver speeches. Abbess Manshin said that Master Hsing Yun teaches us that the spirit of Humanistic Buddhism is to continue to serve. Because of this mission, we need to do more and more. An organization must be continuously involved with activities so as to maintain its momentum in serving. FGS North and South Islands had accomplished many things in the past few days, including using truck to transfer the exhibits of After a Thousand Miles – Art creation by Wen Jung Hsu World Tour Exhibition from Fo guang Yuan (FGY) Art Gallery Auckland to FGY Art Gallery Christchurch, a journey of 1100 Km and a drive of 26 hours. When the Curator of Christchurch City Art Gallery visited FGY Art Gallery Christchurch on 18 December, he felt incredible that, through the nurturing and guidance of Buddhism, it is possible for the devotees to build and run an Art Gallery of World-class standard, the like of Christchurch FGY Art Gallery; the launching of FGS’s Euro style Lunch Buffet witnessed FGS volunteers’ joyous contribution to serving the local populace. The Lunch Buffet had left the patrons with good impressions of the delicious vegetarian food served and the dedicated services rendered. The above experience taught us that it is important to place our enthusiasm in the right place and use our time to do the right thing, and that to be able to contribute positively is a blessing.
In his speech, President Bernie thanked BLIA South Island members for keeping up with the pace of Venerable Jue Xi in providing services to the local community. Every member of BLIA South Island should act like an ant in the army of ants, regardless of whichever unit he is serving, regardless of whether he is a BLIA Director or merely a long-term BLIA volunteer or even a temporary BLIA volunteer helping in a particular event, he should possess the spirit of ‘giving’ and ‘sacrificing’ advocated by Humanistic Buddhism.
In the closing ceremony of Professor Kuo Yen Chiao’s Traditional Chinese Paintings Exhibition, Professor Kuo’s daughter Louisa Kuo expressed her gratitude to FGY Art Gallery Christchurch for holding the Exhibition to commemorate her father’s 100 years of age. This was the third time Professor Kuo’s works were exhibited in FGY Gallery. When Professor Kuo was alive, he said: “It’s a great honour to have my exhibition at the FGY Art Gallery, and I would like to share the joy with the public.” In the five months of the Exhibition, Louisa was pleased to learn that the local visitors had great admiration for her father’s paintings, and some even claimed to have learnt from the paintings. The Exhibition had indeed received good responses from the local populace. Louisa was very grateful to Gallery Curator Abbess Manshin for the floral arrangements she put up in the exhibition hall on six occasions during the Exhibition. These floral art pieces had indeed added colours and an air of Cha’n to the Exhibition.
Afterwards, BLIA South Island Vice President James Low, Director Kok-wei Low and members Annie Chiang and Chen Xiao Yun shared their personal experiences with the gathering. They thanked FGS South Island for giving them the opportunities to serve the people of Christchurch. Through these services, they were able to establish good bonding with the people, and learn and grow in the process. They were also grateful to FGS temple for giving them the greatest encouragement and care at times when they were most helpless. Finally, temple’s team served the members with delicious winter solstice glutinous rice ball dessert and wished the members a New Year filled with happiness and Dharma wisdom. Venerable hoped that after consuming the glutinous rice balls, members could welcome the New Year with joy!