2016 Howick “Volunteers Award”
The Howick “Volunteers Award” was held on 30th July. Volunteers receiving awards on behalf of the temple included BLIA members Sally wong, Gu Yuling, Elaine, Shelly, Lin Jiancai, and Steven Goh. This award is held in order to recognise volunteers around Howick to beautify our society.
Afterwards the volunteers gathered in the visitor’s lounge with the Abbess to share the day’s insights. Elaine shared that her duties were cleaning the Ksitigarbha Shrine and tending the children’s Buddhism class. She felt that cleaning the temple ground is also the cleansing the defilement of her own mind, giving her more clarity. Taking care of the young ones helps them to learn about the principals of Three Good Deeds and Four Kinds of Giving of Humanistic Buddhism, and planting of Bodhi seeds.
Sub-chapter 3 Vice-Chair Gu Yuling shared her experience of volunteering at the Main Shrine, which turned her from someone who can’t explain a single about Humanistic Buddhism to someone who have introduced many people to join BLIA, therefore obtaining many skills and wisdom through the experience. In the evening she often encourage others to volunteer at the temple and praising many elder members for their efforts, making them feel happy and wanted. She also quoted: “Fo Guang Shan is a product of team cooperation”, through the process she is proud of her efforts and feels more energetic and younger.
Director Lin Jiancai expressed that he often lend muscles to set up the art gallery for exhibitions with his favourite team mate Steven Goh. For the recent “One Stroke Calligraphy by Venerable Master Hsing Yun” he spent a lot of time and effort to device the best layout and ways of approach. He feels that nothing is impossible if you put your heart to it. One’s true is value is able to carry out their duties and make use of their talents.
The Abbess encouraged everyone to continue their hard work in good team spirit. These experiences can expand our horizons and unite all wholesome energies together to achieve.