Fo Guang Shan New Zealand Online Gathering Spreading Joy and Care to BLIA Members
After the first case of Covid19 Delta virus occurred in the community in Auckland on August 17th, the government quickly announced that the country would enter Level 4 alert lockdown the next day. On the 13th day of lockdown, Abbess Manshin was concerned about the BLIA members and decided to host an online social gathering which was held at 9 am on August 30th. The purpose of the online gathering was to have BLIA members share their ups and downs during the lockdown. 16 BLIA members participated and shared their ups and downs of life in lockdown and how they harvest and grow during this challenging period.
"Venerable Master Hsing Yun told us that there is always a road forward. In this challenging time, I have adjusted myself and learnt how to live with the virus.” The Chief Senior Advisor Han thanked the Temple for having the online gathering session during the lockdown which made her feel less lonely. She also stated that she has enough time to recite the Ksitigarbha scripture at home and spend two hours every day to prepare for the upcoming Buddhist exams. She make her life very fulfilling and meaningful.
Jennifer Liang, Senior Advisor of BLIA North Island Sub-Chapter 1 thanked the Headquarter for recording a series of learning video to help everyone to prepare for the Global Buddhism Exam. Due to the lockdown, the Temple immediately changed the Global Buddhism Exam to an online test for the convenience of everyone. Preparing for the exams brought me back to the days when she was a student. She worked hard at home every day which also deepened her understanding of Buddhism while preparing for the examination.
Pauline Young, the President BLIA North Island Sub-Chapter 2 shared that the biggest challenge and achievement was to encourage members to sign up for the 2021 BLIA World Headquarters Virtual General Conference. She was worried about being rejected and did not want to place the call. In turn, the members were very active in signing up, which made her confident and happy. In addition, as the Global Buddhism exam has changed from a paper exam to an online exam due to the pandemic. She feels very fulfilled as she was helping and guiding many elderly members to access to the internet and familiar with the technology, to ensure everyone can take the exam smoothly.
"I miss the days of serving the public in the Temple, and how happy it is to be able to greet the visitors in the Main Shrine." Jane Jee, Vice President of BLIA North Island Sub-Chapter 2, thanked the Temple for giving her the opportunity to serve the public and making her life valuable.
Yulin Gu, the President of BLIA North Island Sub-Chapter 3 said that although she can’t come to the Temple at the moment, she still feels very grateful from the care she received from the Temple. It is great that everyone works hard together when facing difficulties. During this time, she has more time to recite the Ksitigarbha Sutra and prepare for the Global Buddhism Exam. Through preparing for the exam, the more she read, the more she has purified her thoughts and attitudes.
Sunny Shi, a BLIA members finally agreed to take the online exam with the encouragement of her chapter president, Pauline. She spent almost everyday preparing for the exam which made her very happy and fulfilled. She even feels younger!
Veronica, the Senior Adviser of BLIA North Island Sub-Chapter 4 works from home and participates in training every day to improve her business skills during the lockdown period. Sub-Chapter 4 President Annie Chang said that the sudden lockdown stopped her from going back to the Temple. She feels very bored and unwell. Due to the lockdown, she realised that being able to serve in the Temple is very important for her. As she is facing a lot of challenges at work from the lockdown she relieves her stress by doing gardening.
Abbess Manshin praised the teams for being so hardworking. There are approximately 160 people in both Auckland and Christchurch who signed up for the Global Buddhism Exam. Although the country is in lockdown due to Covid19, everyone is more busy than usual. The wisdom of Dharma enriched lives. A group of people will go further than walking alone. Everyone is very lucky to have Venerable Master Hsing-Yun, Temple, and BLIA to move forward together. Abbess encouraged everyone to become a useful person and to enhance the meaning of their lives through service and dedication.