Middle School students from Mahurangi Auckland visited FGS and experienced meditation

On the 29th of August, under the guidance of the teachers, 46 students from Mahurangi College in North Island visited Fo Guang Shan (FGS) North Island. BLIA members, Nick and Vicky, warmly welcomed the group, showed them around the temple and arranged a unique meditation experience.

Although it was raining during the visit, students still maintained great enthusiasm to the architectural feature and landscape design. In the Front Shrine, Nick started off by introducing what the tour covers, then separated students into two groups to visit the other shrines and galleries. While walking through the cultural corridor, he explained the spirit and the significance of the Three Acts of Goodness and the Four Givings (3G4G) and encouraged students to apply them in their daily life. In the Main Shrine, students curiously asked many questions, such as “how many statues of Buddha are there on the two sides of the main shrine?” and “Why these Buddhas have different images?” BLIA members answered all the questions in detail and also gave an explanation of the operation and the significance of the bell and drum.

Venerable Zhixi was in charge of the meditation session and taught students how to subside their bodies and minds through breath-counting.