IBA South Island New Year’s Eve Celebration

The annual “New Year’s Eve Celebration Dinner” was held on the evening of 22nd January with the prayer service led by Venerable Abbess Manshin along with 160 participants. The V.I.Ps who attended this year’s celebration included key people of Christchurch such as Christchurch City Council board member Mr. Jimmy Chen, patrons from the High Court, local Christchurch artists and various representatives from many organisations.

During the BLIA President Cheng’s address, he said that in the past year, Fo Guang Shan South Island and the Buddhist Light International Association of South Island New Zealand under the lead of the Abbess and the venerables, have allowed the members and devotees to gain so much Buddhism knowledge, and hoped that in the coming days, everyone can continue working together to give back to the Temple and the community. Venerable Abbess Manshin acknowledged that although Christchurch has experienced the large 7.1 magnitude earthquake just a few months earlier, there was no fatality which was a good fortune for the community. The Abbess also mentioned the recent activity propagated by Grand Master Hsing Yun about the “Triad of Goodness” and “Triad of Giving” incorporating with Dharma in the daily lives, and this year there is also the “Pentad of Harmony” which consists of 1. Ease within ourselves, 2. Success in family, 3. Social respect, 4. Harmonious society and 5. Peace within the world. If everyone can base their lives around these concepts, they would find the world a more harmonious place to be in. She then presented everyone with the red New Year’s Scroll of 2011 with the theme “Skillful Wisdom and Enlightened Mind”, to encourage everyone to find and utilise their internal resources.

Following the prayer service, everyone enjoyed a delightful New Year’s Eve dinner in the Water Drop Café and the Dining Hall. At the same time, a multi-cultural performance was underway showcasing numerous talents from hip-hop, singing, and aboriginal Taiwanese dance which were all staged by members of the BLIA and the YAD. It was an evening full of joy, New Year’s Eve atmosphere, rich with laughter and applause. The evening was also accompanied with a special visit from traditional Chinese fictional characters “Fortune God”, giving away candies for good fortune and New Year’s blessing. Concluding the grand evening was a finale singing performance by all of the volunteers, V.I.Ps and YAD members to sing the “Song of Fo Guang Shan” and “Pilgrimage” bringing the last lunar day of 2010 to an end.