The New Zealand Fo Guang Academy enjoyed a spring tour，Improving the selfless Love through the Dharma of Nature
On the 15th of September, the spring was bright and the sun was shining. It was a good day to go for a trip. Led by Vernerable Miaokuan, New Zealand Fo Guang College Students and BLIA members went to the north area of Auckland for an outdoor spring break. According to Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s Four “Givings”, which are "Give people confidence", "Give people hope", "Give people joy" and "Give people convenience". Participants were divided into four groups named "Confidence", "Hope", "Happy" and "Convenient".
Passing through the Honey Centre at a rest station, there was a window into a beeheive displaying the cultivation of bees. Covered with pollen on there legs, the bees were busy entering and exiting the structure. Visitors were pleased to find that more than ten different flavours of honey were free for sampling.
At Matakana Village Farmer’s Weekend Market, there were plenty of crops and produced planted and harvested by the village farmers themselves, eggs, honey and homemade jams, desserts and Matakana traditional girls’ bags were on sale. Many kinds of snacks in the market smelled so delicious that everyone could hardly resist. People held a plate of snacks while choosing to listen to the street performers, or sitting on the riverside ladder chatting while enjoy the food, which added a leisure atmosphere to this crowded market. The boutiques of flowers, fragrances, teas, costumes, books and hand-crafted works around the market add some special colours to this small market.
The group went on to the Goat Island in Matakana. Walking on the thick sand, people were attracted by a stubborn and slanted dead wood, the branches were twisted and formed beautiful lines. It was surprisingly to find not all the branches were completely dying, some were still alive with the buds sprouting vigorously. The students sat quietly on the warm sand, soaked up the sunshine and enjoyed the Dharma of nature.
Finally, the team arrived at the Whangateau Hall near the seaside. Looking out onto the large lawn, everyone suddenly felt the peace of mind. Members then sat on the grass and started to share the experience of this spring trip. Venerable Miao Kuan shared a story of “five fingers” which showed that everyone makes different contributions and no one can tell who is the most important, because everyone is crucial to this world! In addition, she mentioned that health and good fortune are two significant things in life. Because people can do nothing without a good health and everyone must know how to accumulate their own merits and karma. After the sharing part, the group played some interesting games-the eagle catching the chicken and the wind blowing, which brought everyone back to there childhood, chasing each other on the lawn on Whangateau Hall and laughing like big children. At the end of this trip, Sister Huang Aiqiong led everyone to do the healthy exercises.Through this activity, everyone not only shared the learning experience in the academy, but also promoted friendship and cohesiveness. We wish to thank the venerable and the Fo Guang Association leaders for planning this wonderful spring tour.