Everlasting and Strong Faith – Fo Guang Shan (North Island) New Year Blessing and Birthday Celebration

On 7 March 2010, about 80 BLIA members and volunteers attended the New Year Blessings and Birthday Celebration which was held in the dining hall and co-organized by Central and East Two sub-chapters. This celebration is an opportunity to appreciate all of the volunteers for their contributions and hard work as well as to celebrate the birthdays of the members and volunteers whose birthdays are in the months of January, February and March.
New Year blessings were given by the President and Vice-Presidents of the BLIA and Presidents of each Sub-Chapter. BLIA President Dolly Tsai wished everyone a very Happy New Year and shared words of wisdom by Venerable Master Hsing Yun on the preservation of an everlasting and strong faith in the path of a Buddhist Practice, which include: participating in the study groups to learn from the wise and elderly; participating in the temple’s activities in order to make good affinity with others; practice generosity to the self and others; put the ‘Three Good Deeds and Four Givings’ into practice, and to cultivate reading habit to improve knowledge and understanding.
Venerable Manwang spoke about the true meaning of our birthdays explaining that it is appropriate to honour our mothers on that day as they are the ones who suffered to give us life and should be therefore be appreciated. In Ancient China it was custom that the Emperor would set free prisoners to transfer merit to the families enabling them to be born in the Pureland. We too can show our appreciation and transfer merit by doing something good through our thoughts, speech and actions to benefit others.