Home Blessing - Glenda Hope

President of the English sub chapter division Ms. Glenda Hope invited Venerable Abbess Manshin for a visit to her home in Lyttelton on 23rd January. Along with the Abbess, Venerable Jue Xi, Venerable Miao Yu, Venerable Ru Lian, BLIA members and YAD members accompanied the visit. Ms. Hope’s home is located in the harbour of Lyttelton rich with the history of early Cantabrian settlement. Not only it is a harbour used as a shipment port, it is also a popular tourist attraction with its unique small township atmosphere. As the buildings are built into the hilly landscape, the original form of Lyttelton is still very much preserved despite having residential and commercial activities.

Venerable Abbess Manshin first led everyone through a brief prayer service which was then followed with Ms. Hope sharing with everyone her experience when she attended the BLIA International General meeting in the Fo Guang Shan Headquarter in Kaohsiung of Taiwan. The Abbess also then used the opportunity to explain the Grand Master’s Hsin Yun concept of “Humanistic Buddhism” and its application to everyone present that day as well as to Ms. Hope and six of her friends. She also mentioned the completion of the Buddha Memorial Hall in Taiwan which will be marked with a completion ceremony by the end of this year and suggested Ms. Hope can help organise a group to attend this once in a lifetime experience.

Ms. Hope expressed her appreciation for everyone’s visit and participation for the day and explained that before she became a member of the BLIA, she had only ever had four people visited her home before, after becoming member of BLIA, not only had she learnt new things, new acquaintances; the home visit that day brought her 24 visitors to her home which was a great joy for her. Concluding the visit, the Abbess presented Ms. Hope with a volume of the book “Above Cloud and Water” recorded Grand Master Hsing Yun 50 years hard works on propagating Buddhism, encouraging her to study and understand the compassionate vows of Grand Master, to follow in his footstep so that she can also create some milestones for Buddhism.