Temple celebrates new year

By JO TUAPAWA, Howick and Botany Times, Jan 21, 2009

East Tamaki, New Zealand -- THREE, two, one, Happy New Year once again - the Chinese new year is fast becoming a highlight on the calendar for all Kiwis, with magical firework displays, music and a riot of colour.

Everybody’s invited to this year’s celebrations at East Tamaki’s Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple.

As the long weekend approaches many people have a ‘to do list’ to catch up on, or may be leaving Auckland for anniversary day.

Either way, another ‘must do’

this holiday weekend is a visit to the Fo Guang Shan temple, for a free day of celebration, food, music, dance and entertainment.

“We will have food stalls, Buddhist art and a lion dance that marks the beginning of the new year,” says Annie Ng, a volunteer at Fo Guang Shan. The party will start around 10.30am on Monday and the temple is expecting about

5000 people to go along.

Ms Ng says it will be a day for the public to experience the temple’s facilities and enjoy its stunning architecture and surroundings.

“A lot of the local people who live in the area don’t know they can come here whenever they like,” she says. “We have a café, gift store and art gallery, people can enjoy the food stalls and if they want to they can go inside the main shrine.”

Traditionally, Chinese New Year festivities begin the night before.

For those attending the temple this Chinese New Year’s Eve, their’s will be a quiet night.

Ms Ng says: “We light a candle or incense for the first prayer of the new year. It’s a very significant prayer.”

Fo Guang Shan is hosting a Chinese New Year’s Eve Dharma function on Sunday between 10pm and midnight.

Following tradition, although not compulsory, red clothing is usually worn on New Year’s Day along with a gift all children will adore.

“It’s Chinese tradition, parents give their children ang pau (red money packet), the children might wear some new clothes, usually red,” says Ms Ng. “Ang pau signifies prosperity for the new year.”

PARTY TIME:
For more information regarding the Chinese New Year’s Eve Dharma function, call 274 4880. Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple is located at 16 Stamcombe Road, East Tamaki.

We Need Your Help to Train the
Buddhist AI Chat Bot NORBU!
(Neural Operator for Responsible Buddhist Understanding)

For Malaysians and Singaporeans, please make your donation to the following account:

Account Name: Bodhi Vision
Account No:. 2122 00000 44661
Bank: RHB

The SWIFT/BIC code for RHB Bank Berhad is: RHBBMYKLXXX
Address: 11-15, Jalan SS 24/11, Taman Megah, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Phone: 603-9206 8118

Note: Please indicate your name in the payment slip. Thank you.

Dear Friends in the Dharma,

We seek your generous support to help us train NORBU, the word's first Buddhist AI Chat Bot.

Here are some ways you can contribute to this noble cause:

One-time Donation or Loan: A single contribution, regardless of its size, will go a long way in helping us reach our goal and make the Buddhist LLM a beacon of wisdom for all.

How will your donation / loan be used? Download the NORBU White Paper for details.

For Malaysians and Singaporeans, please make your donation to the following account:

Account Name: Bodhi Vision
Account No:. 2122 00000 44661
Bank: RHB

The SWIFT/BIC code for RHB Bank Berhad is: RHBBMYKLXXX
Address: 11-15, Jalan SS 24/11, Taman Megah, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Phone: 603-9206 8118

Note: Please indicate your purpose of payment (loan or donation) in the payment slip. Thank you.

Once payment is banked in, please send the payment slip via email to: editor@buddhistchannel.tv. Your donation/loan will be published and publicly acknowledged on the Buddhist Channel.

Spread the Word: Share this initiative with your friends, family and fellow Dharma enthusiasts. Join "Friends of Norbu" at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/norbuchatbot. Together, we can build a stronger community and create a positive impact on a global scale.

Volunteer: If you possess expertise in AI, natural language processing, Dharma knowledge in terms of Buddhist sutras in various languages or related fields, and wish to lend your skills, please contact us. Your knowledge and passion could be invaluable to our project's success.

Your support is part of a collective effort to preserve and disseminate the profound teachings of Buddhism. By contributing to the NORBU, you become a "virtual Bodhisattva" to make Buddhist wisdom more accessible to seekers worldwide.

Thank you for helping to make NORBU a wise and compassionate Buddhist Chatbot!

May you be blessed with inner peace and wisdom,

With deepest gratitude,

Kooi F. Lim
On behalf of The Buddhist Channel Team

Note: To date, we have received the following contributions for NORBU:
US$ 75 from Gary Gach (Loan)
US$ 50 from Chong Sim Keong
MYR 300 from Wilson Tee
MYR 500 from Lim Yan Pok
MYR 50 from Oon Yeoh
MYR 200 from Ooi Poh Tin
MYR 300 from Lai Swee Pin
MYR 100 from Ong Hooi Sian
MYR 1,000 from Fam Sin Nin
MYR 500 from Oh teik Bin
MYR 300 from Yeoh Ai Guat
MYR 300 from Yong Lily
MYR 50 from Bandar Utama Buddhist Society
MYR 1,000 from Chiam Swee Ann
MYR 1,000 from Lye Veei Chiew
MYR 1,000 from Por Yong Tong
MYR 80 from Lee Wai Yee
MYR 500 from Pek Chee Hen
MYR 300 from Hor Tuck Loon
MYR 1,000 from Wise Payments Malaysia Sdn Bhd
MYR 200 from Teo Yen Hua
MYR 500 from Ng Wee Keat
MYR 10,000 from Chang Quai Hung, Jackie (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from K. C. Lim & Agnes (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from Juin & Jooky Tan (Loan)
MYR 100 from Poh Boon Fong (on behalf of SXI Buddhist Students Society)
MYR 10,000 from Fam Shan-Shan (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from John Fam (Loan)
MYR 500 from Phang Cheng Kar
MYR 100 from Lee Suat Yee
MYR 500 from Teo Chwee Hoon (on behalf of Lai Siow Kee)
MYR 200 from Mak Yuen Chau

We express our deep gratitude for the support and generosity.

If you have any enquiries, please write to: editor@buddhistchannel.tv

Search Buddhist Channel

Temple celebrates new year

By JO TUAPAWA, Howick and Botany Times, Jan 21, 2009