On October 23, Martin Haggitt and his friend Jonathon visited the Water Drop Cafe to celebrate the joy of achieving excellent result in the recent Oceania Buddhism Examination.
Martin, who has been deeply interested in Buddhism, has been close to FGS South Island since 2023 and became a member of the English study group. With a regular meditation practice, he read Master Hsing Yun’s English version books, and fuelled by a passion for learning Buddhism, Martin registered for the 2024 Oceania Buddhism Examination. He set a goal to read the book Buddha-Dharma: Pure and Simple three times while diligently taking down notes, and practiced mock exams daily during his preparation period. This approach filled him with confidence during the actual exam, ultimately earning him an impressive score of 96% on his first attempt.
Martin expressed his gratitude to the FGS NZ Abbess Manshin and Minister-in-charge of FGS Christchurch, Venerable Juexi, for their ongoing support and encouragement. His friend, Jonathon, also felt proud of Martin’s efforts, and they both hoped that more people would join them in learning Buddhism, purifying their minds and bodies, and creating a more joyful and fulfilling life for themselves.