Buddhism Through Arts- Avenue Magazine Reports

The artworks, the banquets and the charity auction of FGS South Island’s Fo Guang Yuan Art Gallery have received a great deal of positive feedback from the local community; and the mouth-watering vegetarian cuisine of the Tea House has also attracted people of all ages to the Temple. The positive reception of the Christchurch people towards the Temple has caught the attention of the well-known local magazine “Avenues”.

On 11th October, freelance reporter and editor, Ms. Colleen Simpson made a special trip to FGS South Island, hoping shed some light on the innovative approaches FGS South Island has adopted in propagating Buddhism.

The Temple specially organised for BLIA South Island President Almeric Cheng, Director Louisa Guo, FGY Art Gallery Assistant Curator Seeshen Lee, Temple staff member Tracy Chen and Shenghan Lim to help Ms. Simpson with the interview. Ms. Simpson confided that it was her mother’s visit to the Temple’s library and her high commendations of it which have paved way to Ms. Simpson’s interest in and subsequent visit of the Temple, and inevitably to the writing of an article about the Temple for the magazine.

During the interesting interview, Ms. Simpson asked many questions regarding Buddhism; the experiences of propagating Buddhism through art in a Western country; and the conditions leading to the establishment of FGS South Island. President Cheng explained that the establishment and construction of the Temple began with Venerable Abbess Manshin, Taiwanese architects and local architects collaborating to agree on a special architectural style for the proposed Temple.

Ms. Simpson expressed her surprise after learning that Buddhism provides 84,000 ways of practicing the Way, while explaining that in Christianity, there is only one Bible. After the interview, Assistant Curator Ms. Lee took Ms. Simpson around the current “Way of Life Photography Exhibition” and “Helena Egg Art Exhibition”, the Time Capsule, the Buddha Hall and the library.

Before her departure, Ms. Simpson thanked everyone for warmly receiving her, and for allowing her to gain a deeper understanding of the modern and innovative ways of propagating Buddhism, through a pleasant and joyful interview.