Students from Sancta Maria Colleges Visits the Temple as a Part of Their Interfaith Exchange and Offering to Do Chores
On 29th November and 2nd December, over 300 students of the Sancta Maria Catholic College visited the temple as a part of their interfaith exchange program to learn about the spiritual and philosophical ideals of other religions. The groups included year 7 and 8 students led by Cedric Piggin, Assistant Director of Religious Studies Department. They were received by Linda Daniell, BLIA North Island Vice-president, Veron, Sub-chapter 4 Chairperson, Venerables, and other volunteers including Annie, Nick and Wendy, who led the visitors through team tour and religious education.
During the visit, students were organised into different teams at each corner of the temple. They were then guided through a series of activities including learning about significance of the temple architecture, Buddhism’s cultural and educational functions, and how the garden environment can influence the visitors positively through its tranquil atmosphere. They then sat under the cherry blossom trees to practice sitting meditation while experience harmony with nature. This was followed by Q & A session by Linda to teach the students about basic Buddhism. Finally they all watched a cartoon film about the Buddha’s life and made a wish by sounding the wishing bell.
Later Assistant Director Piggin met Venerable Abbess Manshin to thank the temple for arranging this informative and enriching day. It has fulfilled the goal of giving his student better understanding of other religious ideas through personal experiences on temple ground. These personal experiences made the student realised the teachings of “compassion and love” that is shared by both Buddhism and Catholicism. The temple has touched everyone with its tidy and harmonious atmosphere and reminded the students to care for their local community.
The Abbess explained to Cedric the temple’s history of education through art and culture. The temple has cooperated closely with the police, brought the “3 Good Deeds and 4 Kinds of Giving Festival of Culture Sharing” to local schools, and often held many other community and cultural events to spread the message of truth, kindness and beauty in the local area. This is actualising Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s ideals of “Giving” through services to the public, therefore having the effects of religious propagation. The Abbess also invited Sancta Maria to join the “2017 Buddha’s Birthday Multicultural Festival” held between 8th and 9th April.
In the afternoon under the guidance of teacher Ms Maria, 30 senior students offered to trim the temple’s bamboos. Working together they cut down excess bamboos and quartered them into sizes that can be disposed into bags; they were indeed a hard working lot! Ms Maria expressed that since the younger students came to learn knowledge from the temple and now older students come to learn how to serve society by doing chores for the temple.