Chinese new year 2015

Hope and future
FGS Nan Hua Temple will be celebrating Chinese New Year on 22 February 2015 with an authentic cultural performance. Come and enjoy peace, harmony and an auspicious celebration, entering the new lunar year with a calm mind and spiritual growth. 

Program of events
09h30 Light Offering Dharma Function
Venue: Main Shrine
10h00 Opening Ceremony for Chinese Cultural Festival
Venue: Main Shrine
10h00-15h00 Chinese Cultural Festival
Venue: Main Shrine
11h30-14h30 Multicultural Performances
Venue: Guest House
09h00-17h00 Exhibition: ‘Chan Heart, Chan Art’
Venue: Museum
The Chinese Cultural Festival includes various different types of traditional Chinese, Cantonese and Taiwanese food, lantern painting, Chinese handicrafts and Buddhism related displays etc. Multicultural Performances includes Martial Arts, Indian Dancing, Spanish Dancing and lots more!

2015 is the year of the goat. In the past, the Chinese have always used ‘San Yan Kai Tai (an auspicious beginning of a new year)’ to wish everyone a prosperous upcoming year. The word ‘san’ (pronounced ‘sun’) happens to be homophone for the word for ‘goat’ in Chinese. ‘Goat’ has a gentle, loving nature; ‘Sun’ warms up the world, bringing harmony. Together, with a play on words, a phrase for the combination of peace and warmth can be brought about, known as ‘San Yang He Xie’ (Auspicious Beginnings of Peace and Harmony).

In such an enormous world, with such a massive population, living in harmony is of utmost importance. Harmony needs not only to exist between people but also between families, groups and genders. It needs to emanate amongst people of all ages, wealth, places and racial backgrounds. This is the blessing that Venerable Master Hsing Yun wished for everyone for the Year of the Goat.

Nan Hua Temple offers a variety of celebratory events for our fellow overseas travelers every Chinese New Year. Aside from offering a sentimental homeland taste, Nan Hua Temple also wishes to introduce Chinese culture to local South Africans.

Nan Hua Temple thus welcomes all individuals to come pray and attend the ‘Hope and Future’ festive function.

Wishing you a prosperous and successful year!

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The Nan Hua Temple is a non-profit organisation and all Temple Tours conducted at the Temple are free of charge. The Temple is closed on Mondays, and open to all visitors from Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00 - 17:00, free of charge, and for a vegetarian lunch on Sundays @ R30 per person, 12:00 - 12:30. Kindly visit our website: www.nanhua.co.za or if you have any queries please contact us on (013) 931-0009. 

P.S.: We apologise for certain individuals that created some Groupon deals to bring about incorrect information about Temple tours.

Meditation (Part 5)

Please Click Here to read Meditation Part 1 to Part 4

Experienced mediators can enter meditative concentration no matter where they are, be it beside a stream in a forest, inside a mountain cave, or among some graves, but for those beginning the practice it is best to choose an indoor area that is away from outside noises. Such locations bring better results. The lighting in the room should be moderate: too much light is harsh on the eyes, while too little light can make one drowsy. It is best if an image of the Buddha is placed in the room, so that one can make offerings by burning incense as a source of inspiration. One should also not sit where there is a draft to avoid catching a cold.

Before sitting in meditation one should also pay attention to how one eats and dresses. One should not meditate less than an hour after finishing a meal, since at that time blood has rushed to the stomach and intestines and one can easily become drowsy. One should not be too full or too hungry; seventy to eighty percent full is best. One’s clothing should be loose, comfortable, and soft to promote good circulation. Having sufficient sleep will also prevent one from falling asleep during meditation and wasting precious time.

Once all preparatory work is complete, one can then begin sitting in meditation. In the Chan School, sitting meditation is generally divided into three stages: *3 regulating the body, regulating the breath, and regulating the mind.

*3 A more complete explanation can be found in Master Zhizhe’s smaller text Stopping and Seeing (小止觀).

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