The Enlightenment of an Indian Prince Exhibition
The “Enlightenment of an Indian Prince Exhibition” was opened at Fo Guang Yuan Art Gallery 1 on 8th May. The opening ceremony coincided with the Buddha’s Birthday Celebration, where Venerable Abbess Manshin invited Venerable Yunguang; Abbess of Fo Guang Shan Philippines and Chancellor to the Buddhist college there, Len Brown; Auckland Mayor, Jami Lee Ross; Local Botany MP, Phil Goff; Mt Roskill MP, Mr Zhongxing; Head Ambassador of Taipei Economic and Culture Office, Dame Susan Devoy; Race Relations Commissioner, Stephen Xu; BLIA North Island President and Dolly Tsai; BLIA North Island Head Advisor, altogether over 60 people in attendance.
During the ribbon cutting ceremony, cascades of multi-coloured paper Bodhi leaves rained down like a “Bodhi Rain” as the the VIPs were invited to pull on prepared colour ribbons, which received thunderous applause from the audiences. Then the Pilipino casts in the “Prince Siddhartha” play came to celebrate this event with their traditional Indian costumes, offering a perfect photo opportunity with the participants. Their presence have made the exhibition atmosphere to be like a traditional Indian place, making it as if everyone have travelled back in time during the days of the Buddha.
This exhibition offered audiences the chance to bathe the Buddha, learning the stories of the Buddha through questions and answers, stepping over 7 steps of lotus flowers and sit in silent meditation while watching a cartoon movie of the Buddha. It is truly an exhibition that is filled with culture. There is also a model of “Prince Siddhartha’s white steed” in the centre of the exhibition, catching the attention of many audiences to take photos. The whole aura of the exhibition is that of joy and enthusiasm.
During the proceedings the Abbess expressed that these meticulously planned concepts sought to allow audiences to understand the joy of the Buddha’s birth and subsequent life’s story with simple yet poignant presentation. The exhibition also expressed Humanistic Buddhism’s spirit of “3 Good Deeds and 4 Kinds of Giving” hoping to plant wholesome seeds into children’s mind so they can be pure and filled with positive energy.