Saturday Trip to Fo Guang Shan

Early on Saturday, July 7th, some of the American teachers traveled with Jerry and Ellie Fussell to the Fo Guang Shan Monastery and Buddha Memorial Center.  This Buddhist shrine with a reception center, college, museums, libraries, training center, monastic residential community, exhibition hall, and other facilities is the largest Buddhist temple complex in Taiwan--and it is quite breathtaking. 

Venerable Master Hsing Yun established Fo Guang Shan in 1967 in order to accomplish four objectives:  "to propogate Buddhism, to foster talent through education, to benefit society through charitable programs, and to purify human minds through Buddhist practice."   The inauguration of the new Buddha Memorial Center took place in 2011 and was attended by thousands of devotees.  Five hundred monastics were ordained, and the cultural and historical significance of Fo Guang Shan was again celebrated.

The American visitors became familiar with the many important spiritual teachings of Buddha, including compassion, wisdom, altruism, and equality.  Their tour guide provided the group with rich detail about the history of Buddhism and the underlying philosophy:

Ships sail the ocean path, light shows us the path at night.
Good deeds show us the path of righteousness.
Compassion and intelligence show us the path to enlightenment.

The largest seated bronze Buddha in the world (108 meters high from the base) was a spectacular sight!  The teachers practiced writing calligraphy, sipped tea, and enjoyed a vegetarian lunch with hundreds of other visitors. 

On the way back to Kaohsiung, the group stopped at Cishan, known as the "Banana Kingdom."  They visited the train station, browsed in small shops, and enjoyed a refreshing banana popsicle--as the summer temperature continued to climb!