On Sunday, 7 April 2013, the Buddha’s Light International Association (BLIA) prepared a special Sangha Offering ceremony at Nan Hua Temple.

The function started with an explanation of the origin and history of the Sangha Offering Ceremony. The female representatives of the seven BLIA Africa Chapters offered the prepared vegetarian meals (food offering) to the various Venerable Masters of the Sangha, which was followed by a group led by Nan Hua Temple Manager, Venerable Hui Xing, prostrating and paying respect to the Venerable Masters of the Sangha. The male representatives of the various BLIA Africa Chapters then presented the Venerable Masters of the Sangha each with a bag of gifts.

FGS Nan Hua Temple held its annual Emperor Liang Repentance ceremony from 2 to 6 April 2013 in the Main Shrine.

The Emperor Liang Repentance is considered as the supreme Repentance among all Buddhist repentance texts and has been performed for thousands of years. It benefits both the living and the deceased. The five-day service also includes providing sustenance to hungry ghosts, relieving them from suffering.

A Dance of Joy of Transformation
During the practice of Anapasata meditation and the duration of the retreat, all activities (Tea Ceremony, Dharma Talks, Meals, Walking meditation, Observation of Silence, Yoga & Tai Chi) rein-enforced the awareness of Oneness with All that is and interconnectedness with All Beings (animate and inanimate). 

Retreat was directed by the Nanhua Temple Abbot, Ven Hui Fang. The Discipline Master was Ven Hui Liao, and stretching exercises were taught by Ven Hui Mu. There were 20 people—Eastern & Western— from all over South Africa participating in this retreat.

Nan Hua Temple recently hosted a refuge-and precepts-taking ceremony for the 18 new devotees who decided to dedicate themselves to the beliefs of Buddhism. The masters at the temple were touched by the enthusiasm of the new devotees and organised this ceremony especially for them, so that they can become Buddhists under Fo Guang Shan (Taiwan-based parent organization of Nan Hua Temple).

We recently held another bi-annual retreat in Humanistic Buddhism at Nanhua Temple, from 25th July to 31st July 2011. This retreat was directed by the Nanhua Temple Abbot, Ven Hui Fang, and the ABS Principal, Ven Hui Sang. Ven Hui Liao was the Discipline Master. There were 30 people participating in this retreat, Chinese & Western, from all over South Africa.

The retreat activities included learning and practicing sitting, walking & tea-meditation technique, Tai Chi exercises, Dharma Talks and private one-on-one consultations with the Master, Ven Hui Fang. Because for many participants this was their first-time exposure to meditation, on the first day of the retreat, the Retreat Master, Ven Hui Fang, taught them in the tea-meditation session how to be mindful, and how to focus on drinking tea. Tea meditation can train our mind to be mindful & to concentrate, and thus to use these skills in our daily life to be more clear and tranquil, and to improve our effectiveness & ability in observing people & events. According to the Chinese medical science & theories, drinking green tea will improve our physical health and increase & balance our energies. So, this retreat is encouraging people to adopt meditation Tai Chi & green tea drinking in their daily life.

There were simultaneous Bathing the Buddha’s Dharma Functions from 21-23 May 2010 at different China Malls in Johannesburg and at Nan Hua Main Temple . Here, the ceremony began in the early morning of 21 May 2010 and carried on for three days over the weekend. It gave ample opportunity for visitors and devotees to offer incense before the statue of the baby Buddha, submit silent prayers and extend good wishes, all under the supervision and explanation from the officiating monastics.
Also at this time, BLIA Johannesburg and Pretoria together with the assistance from different China Malls collectively celebrated Buddha’s birthday. The three China malls were the Africa China Mall, Eastern Mall and China Town. The services were presided over by the Abbot Venerable Hui Fang, the Temple Manager Venerable Hui Xing and Ven. Yi Chuen respectively. More than 1200 people bathed the Buddha.

‘Happy Buddha’s Birthday! Best Wishes to all Monastics’!
On 16 May 2010 early in the morning devotees and members of Cape TownMeditation Center began the annual ceremony of Bathing the Buddha. The well decorated pavilion for bathing the Buddha, the spotless environment, long noodles symbolizing longevity, offerings and a vegetarian lunch were all prepared by members of Cape Town BLIA’s Chapter. Nan Hua Temple Abbot, Venerable Hui Fang, was asked to lead the service which more than ninety people attended. Among them were the Taipei Liaison Office Cape Town branch Director Du Shen Guan, elder Shuai Su Zu and secretary Zhang, who were together with the congregation.