Visit of Teachers from St Thomas High School to FGS South Island
On 9th July 2020, on the recommendation of their friend, three teachers from St Thomas High School Christchurch, visited Fo Guang Shan (FGS) South Island. They were welcomed on arrival by Buddha’s Light International Association (BLIA) South Island Director Kok-Wei Low. Afterwards he took the visitors for a tour of the Fo Guang Yuan (FGY) Art Gallery, the Buddha Hall, the Library, and various sections of the Temple. The teachers were full of praises for the peaceful and elegant Art Gallery, and were very impressed by the exhibits on display there. At the Buddha Hall, the visitors experienced a sense of tranquility and peacefulness. After listening to his life story, the visitors expressed their great respect and admiration for Buddha.
Later in his speech, teacher Paul pointed out that Religious Study is now an important subject in New Zealand High School Education. To allow the students to better understand the various religions, the school management of St Thomas High plans to arrange 70 – 80 students to visit various places of worship to learn and experience firsthand the teachings expounded by each religion. Among these places of worship are the Buddhist Temple and the Mosque. Before parting, Paul expressed his satisfaction with the visit, and confirmed FGS Temple South Island as a suitable place for the learning of Buddhism. St Thomas High will arrange for their students to visit the Temple in the near future for the students to have a better understanding of Buddhism.