2013 BLIA North Island Chinese New Year’s Get Together

On the 24th February, Venerable Abbess Manshin, Venerable Rulian, Venerable Miaoyu, BLIA North Island chairpersons, advisors and regular members, came together at the Prajna Hall in Fo Guang Shan, North Island, in order to celebrate the last day of the Chinese New Year, and bestow New Year’s blessings and well wishes to each other.

Venerable Abbess Manshin and Venerable Rulian were warmly welcomed in by the people of Fo Guang with the “Welcome Song”.

Host Uncle Bang, played a video of Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s New Year’s well wishes for 2013, where the Venerable Master expressed his hope that everyone will prosper, and live under joyful peace from mutual encouragement and support.

BLIA North Island chairperson, Dolly Tsai, spoke of hope for everyone to achieve together with joy, courageously take on responsibilities, have self-expectations to unleash Fo Guang people’s strength, and together contribute to New Zealand with Humanistic Buddhism.

All sub-chapter chairpersons and Youth Adult Division leaders, also bestowed well wishes onto everyone, of hope that all will be filled with Dharma joy, peace, prosperity, auspiciousness, and fulfilment in fortune and wisdom.

Under the cheerful encouragement of Uncle Bang, everyone happily played Chinese riddles, enjoyed dance performances from the Youth Adult Division, and a special Taiwanese Ethnic dance performance from BLIA committee members.

There were many prizes given out during the riddle competition, with the biggest prize being the Fo Guang Electronic Chinese Buddhist Canon. Venerable Abbess Manshin explained of Fo Guang Shan’s painstaking work in re-editing, compiling and formatting these ancient canons. The 40 year labour centered on works around the Agamas Canon, Ch’an Canon and Prajna Canon. The latest edition of the Electronic scriptures has combined all five canons together, which includes the Agamas, Ch’an, Pureland, Prajna and Lotus groups. Fo Guang Shan’s work involving Dharma propagation and education, are thankless tasks that toil away in the background, but without it, how can Buddhism stay in the world? Hence, the major accomplishment of these new texts is to ensure that modern people still get to read, recite and understand Buddhist sutras. Fo Guang Shan may look festive and bustling, but it is not all fun and games. There is much wisdom and philosophy contained within, just as today’s event expresses the spirit of “three good and four giving”, hoping all Fo Guang people can be at peace, be active, be restful, and be busy effortlessly. Therefore, Venerable Master Hsing Yun reminds everyone to strive for Buddhahood, and use the Dharma to propagate Buddhism around all five continents.

The festivities completed joyfully at the courtyard with a group dance and group photo.