The president of BLIA Young Adult Division (YAD) Subdivision 2, Thomas Lai, originated from Malaysia. When he was 10 years old, he visited a Buddhist Temple in his home country, and he could still remember the harmonious atmosphere at the Temple vividly. The hospitality of the volunteers at the Temple initiated him to make a vow and serve a temple in the future. In 2017, he came to New Zealand to pursue an Engineering degree, and he joined as a member of Fo Guang Club, after being introduced to the club at the University of Auckland’s Clubs Expo.
While volunteering at Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple Auckland, he resonates well with a saying, which is often quoted by Abbess and BLIA members, ‘We have to be warm to others.’ He also feels the power of teamwork at the Temple. After joining BLIA YAD, he has had opportunities to organise Fo Guang Club’s events, dining service, Youth Buddhism College, 3G4G Happy Camp and Children Dharma Class. Apart from that, he has taken part in various big events organised by the Temple, such as Buddha’s Birthday Celebration, Sangha Day and Lunar New Year Reunion Dinner. He has also travelled to Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple Christchurch to help in Prince Siddharta Family Fun Day, Christchurch Open Day and Light Exhibition. Among the long list of activities, he has learned the most from gardening, especially when he trims the gigantic trees, removes the tree stumps, and replants big trees after relocating them. Under the leadership of Abbess Manshin, he has understood how to observe and take care of his inner self, the importance of shaping good habits early and to nurture a compassionate heart.
In addition, Thomas deeply feels that the Temple provides a platform for the youths to gain confidence. He has been one of the dance choreographers for quite a few big events. Initially, he experienced a lack in confidence, but after receiving constant motivation from Abbess, venerables and other youths, eventually he is now able to unleash his potential on stage. When he was asked on the most memorable temple event, he said it must be Buddha’s Birthday Celebration in Auckland back in 2018. He was coordinating the logistics of youth volunteers and allocating tasks to them, and he had faced a lot of challenges at that time. Fortunately, he received care and concern from Abbess, venerables and other youths, which helped him to leap over the stumbling stone. He understood the meaning of a phrase which was mentioned by Venerable Master Hsing Yun, ‘your heart has to be big enough to consider the public’.
In 2019, it was Thomas’ first involvement in event planning for the temple, which was the Australian and New Zealand Buddhist Youth Conference (ANZBYC). When he took his first glance at the number of sign-ups at an early stage, he was disappointed and lost confidence, which was further worsened by his busy university schedule and workloads. However, after getting encouragement from Abbess Manshin, he quickly sprang back to action after finishing up his university work. Alongside with Kar Zin, Ann Jo, Sin Jun, Muyang, Edwin and Sean, the whole team worked hard to prepare for the conference. Thomas had re-identified his initial aspiration, and he understood the saying ‘a single person can travel fast, but a group can travel far’. He made a vow to further escalate the development of YAD to another level after the conference.
When he heard the song ‘Faith’ at the Closing Ceremony of the conference, he welled up as he resonated well with the lyrics. He realised that Buddhism needs youths and youths need Buddhism. The memories of the guidance from Abbess and venerables flashed back at that moment, and he made another vow to stay in New Zealand even after his graduation, with the aim of repaying the kindness of the Temple, which has raised him up to be a greater individual. When the song ended, he felt Abbess’s hand approaching his cheek to wipe off his tears. The presence of Abbess is akin to a mother, who takes good care of him and all youths.
“I originated from a big family with 7 children, and my parents always emphasise that we need not to be wealthy in the future, but at least we have to be a useful individual to the society,” Thomas said. “This is especially important to me as I am the eldest son and I should be the role model to others,” Thomas added. Thomas expressed his gratitude to the Buddha for gifting Buddhism to the human world, Venerable Master Hsing Yun for simplifying Buddhism concepts to ease disciples’ understanding, Abbess and venerables for taking good care of the youths, YAD committee members that introduced him to the temple and all comrades for giving trust and support to him. He made a vow to protect and support the development of the Temple by introducing it to the local community.