On 22nd October 2019, led by their Instructor Paula Tikey, 16 Keas from Christchurch Rolleston Keas visited Fo Guang Shan (FGS) South Island. They were accompanied by 5 teachers and 4 parents. The age of the Keas ranges from 5 to 8 year old. They were filled with excitement the moment they stepped into the Temple ground, with some jumping up and down, while others exploring the surroundings curiously. It was indeed a lovely sight.
Buddha’s Light International Association (BLIA) South Island deputy President Lihson Ding first led the visitors for a tour of Fo Guang Yuan (FGY) Art Gallery Christchurch and explained to them the functions and objectives of the Art Gallery. The Keas were then taught the art of folding paper Lotus Flower, which they carried out enthusiastically. From this activity, the Keas were able to experience the joy of involvement in artistic work personally, and at the same time, were able to learn about the meaningful character depicted by the Lotus Flower, which grows in muddy water but blooms beautifully unaffected by it. Next, Ding brought the Keas to the Buddha Hall to practise Chan Meditation and to learn about Buddha by watching the video The Life story of the Buddha.
Afterwards, Ding introduced to the young visitors the concept of 3 Good Deeds, 4 Givings and made them understand that they can also cultivate good characters by practising 3G4G in their daily lives. The Keas were very active in all their engagement with the host and were able to respond well to the questions posted to them. At the end of the visit, they were visibly elated when presented with lucky wind-chimes as parting gifts.
In her parting speech, Paula commented that out-of-classroom teaching is part of the scope in the teaching programme for Keas. She hoped that by visiting places of worship of various religions, the students will better understand the fabrics of our society. The day’s visit had indeed benefitted greatly the Keas by widening their knowledge on Buddhism. The accompanying parents were also full of praises for the great efforts put in by FGS in hosting the visit. They believed the Keas had learnt about a different culture through this visit, and this would help them fuse into the multicultural Christchurch society in future.