人間通訊社

Fo Guang Shan France joined the 34th European Heritage Open Day on 16th-17th September. Over the two days, nearly 800 people visited the temple to learn more about Buddhism and the Chinese culture. Under the leadership of the White Elephant Executive Members, BLIA YAD Paris guided the visitors to participate in a variety of activities. Many of the guests were surprised and commented on the number of talented youths in the Buddhist community.

The European Heritage Days are the most widely celebrated participatory cultural event shared by the citizens of Europe. During this time, numerous monuments and sites that are normally closed or heavily guarded, open their doors to the public. Such places included: TV stations, old prisons, factories, and even the Presidential Palace, Luxembourg Palace and Hôtel Matignon. Many people queue up outside these sites since the early morning in order to visit. Fo Guang Shan France is also one of the many sites open to visitors. Over 90% of the 800 visitors were local French citizens, with many parents bringing their children to learn about the Chinese culture.
Volunteer guides welcomed all the guests into the main shrine to watch a short video to introduce Fo Guang Shan and its four objectives of “propagating Buddhist teachings through cultural activities, fostering talent through education, benefitting society through charitable programs and purifying human hearts and minds through Buddhist practice. After also watching a video of the various activities organised by Fo Guang Shan France, YAD members gave guided tours around the shrine, introducing the jade Buddha in the front and also the Master Hsing Yun’s Dharma words on either side.
Apart from learning about basic Buddhist concepts, the guests were also given a tour around the Fo Guang Art Gallery showcasing many pieces of art. Artist Wu Xuansan’s work is usually people-orientated, so it was very relevant with the theme of this year’s European Heritage Day which is “Youth and Heritage.” Artist Wu Xuansan was also personally onsite to explain his artwork and answer any questions from visitors.

Basic guided meditation sessions were held in the meditation hall, which led to many people expressing interest in joining meditation classes. In the library there were Tea and Chan workshops, with YAD members demonstrating the process of the tea ceremony from appreciation of the tea leaves, brewing the tea to offering tea to guests. Souvenir booklets on Tea and Buddhism were also available for guests to take away, in order for them to gain a better understanding of the tea culture.

The youths also set up stalls to teach the guests traditional Chinese arts such as paper-cutting, origami, Chinese knotting and arts & crafts. Guests were happy to be able to learn something new and take home to share with their friends and family. At the calligraphy stall, Buddha’s Light members explained the meaning and significance of this year’s calligraphy by Ven. Master Hsing Yun, and in the Guan Yin shrine, guests were given the opportunity to challenge themselves and try to write the Master’s Dharma Words with a calligraphy brush. Newsletters on past and upcoming activities were displayed in the corridors, and books such as Master Hsing Yun’s 365 Days for Travellers were available for free distribution. Many guests visited each part of the temple and participated in various workshops, and expressed that Fo Guang Shan France is a very interesting place and they were glad to be able to visit.

On 16th September, Mr. Yann Dubosc, Mayor of Bussy St. Georges also visited the temple to show his support for the event. After seeing the vast amount of visitors, he also arranged for two members of the police to help ensure order and security at Fo Guang Shan France.