To commemorate the birthday of the Medicine Buddha, Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple Auckland held the Medicine Buddha Dharma Service and Triple Gem Refuge and Five Precepts Ceremony on 16th November 2025. The Precepts Master was the Head Abbot of FGS Buddhist Order, the Most Venerable Hsin Bau, and the ceremony was led by Abbess Manshin of FGS New Zealand. Fifty devotees from New Zealand, China, Hong Kong and other countries took refuge and received the precepts, formally becoming disciples of Buddhism. The youngest participant taking refuge was just five months old, while the youngest to receive the Five Precepts was five years old.
Following the ceremony, over 150 devotees gathered at the Main Shrine to recite the Medicine Buddha Sutra, offering lights and prayers. The ceremony invoked the Medicine Buddha’s blessings for good health, peace of body and mind, and the perfection of both blessings and wisdom.
Abbess Manshin explained the meaning of taking refuge in the Triple Gem: taking refuge in the Buddha is like uncovering a diamond of innate wisdom; taking refuge in the Dharma nourishes the wisdom-life like flowing water; and taking refuge in the Sangha is like cultivating blessings in a fertile field. To take refuge in the Triple Gem is to awaken the inner light and cultivate a Buddha-light within. The Abbess also gifted each participant a five-colored blessing cord, wishing that under the protection of the Medicine Buddha, each person becomes a radiant light, illuminating all directions, and that our collective lights shine on one another to brighten the world.
BLIA North Island Chapter President Yulin KU brought her daughter and two grandchildren to take refuge, fulfilling the meaningful aspiration of three generations joining the Buddhist path. Her 11-year-old granddaughter, Chloe SUN, shared her joy at becoming a student of the Buddha, hoping to grow in wisdom like the Buddha. Chapter Secretary Malcolm WANG brought his mother and 5-month-old daughter to take part in the ceremony, praising the calm and dignified Buddhist rituals and the orderly, respectful proceedings that inspired great reverence.
Brent and Liz, a local kiwi couple who have attended English Dharma Services at the Temple for nearly a year, formally committed to the Buddhist path by taking refuge and receiving the Five Precepts. They expressed their intention to deepen their learning and support the Temple, vowing to walk the path of Humanistic Buddhism. Merryn and Gregor, another kiwi couple who travelled 156 km from the town of Whangārei, also made vows to stay committed to the Dharma. Merryn shared that entering the Temple brings a deep sense of peace, and she feels fortunate to have encountered Humanistic Buddhism, which directly conveys the Buddha’s original intent. They now strive to integrate the teachings into daily life, home and community, vowing to follow and practice the Dharma life after life. TUNG from Hong Kong took refuge and the Five Precepts alongside her husband and their 5-year-old son, expressing the family’s aspiration to stay close to the Dharma and apply the teachings throughout their life journey, while also planting the roots of faith for future generations.