Fo Guang Shan (North Island) NZ -Renewal of Matrimonial Vow Blessing Ceremony

On 17 October, twenty-five couples, with the ladies holding a bouquet of flowers each and the gentlemen holding a candle each , walked along the Path to Buddhahood towards the Main Shrine. They relived the moment they walked down the aisle when they first tied the knot and were renewing their matrimonial vows today. Accompanied by melodious music, the Master of Ceremony announced every couple’s names as the couples walked into the Main Shrine in order. Everyone was dressed immaculately.

The ceremony was presided by Abbess Manshin and 60 friends and relatives joined in to witness this touching moment. Mr and Mrs Feng, and Mr and Mrs John O’Neil , who came all the way from South Island to participate in this event, led in the recitation of the matrimonial vows in Mandarin and English respectively. The couples then exchanged gifts and signed the matrimonial vows certificates.

On behalf of all the couples, Mr and Mrs Feng expressed their gratitude to the temple for organizing such a meaningful blessing ceremony, and thanked the volunteers for decorating the event’s venue . They thanked each other for their continuous support, care and tolerance; life is a journey of endless learning and all couples should learn to be understanding, sharing joy and woes, and treasure each other as they journey their lives together.

Abbess Manshin humorously described the challenges that couples will encounter when two people of different backgrounds come together. “A loving couple communicates through the heart and not through the volume of the voice; if the heart is close to each other, they know exactly what the other half wants without needing words”, she said. She mentioned Mr and Mrs John O’Neil who have been married for 48 years. They are a living example to every couple.
This memorable ceremony ended on a happy note and everyone brought home many words of wisdom.