Blog Posts

Refuge and precepts ceremony

1/27/2015

FGS Nan Hua Temple entered the New Year with heartfelt devotion, praise, gratitude and offerings on 31 January 2014. Temple staff, devotees, volunteers and the community joined the Abbott, monks and nuns in celebrating the arrival of the New Year in true Buddhist fashion.

The auspicious event was led by Abbot Hui Fang and started off with a purification chanting service followed by chants to invite all Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and deities to join the ceremony.

This year saw the offering of delicious food to the Universal Buddhas, the 24 Heavenly Kings and their defenders in the Heavenly Feast Ceremony, which formed part of the New Year’s Eve celebrations.

In Buddhism, the Heavenly Kings are known as the protectors of Buddhism, serving the Buddha by protecting sentient beings from disasters and allowing them to learn and practice the Dharma in order to eliminate defilements, accumulate merit and achieve perfect enlightenment. According to the Sutra, we can show our appreciation to the Heavenly Kings for tirelessly protecting the Dharma by making offerings of exquisite food, wholeheartedly prepared by disciples who pay every attention to taste, aroma, temperature and decoration.

Members of The Buddha’s Light International Association (BLIA) participated in the food offering ceremony, assisting the community and disciples who made offerings in the contemplative procedure paying respect and seeking protection, eliminating their bad Karma and accumulating merit.

The Great Compassionate Sutra, 10 mantras and The Heart Sutra chants followed after which the event ended at midnight with a huge fireworks display. We thank everybody who attended and assisted with this wonderful ceremony.

Happy New Year! May all enjoy a long and auspicious life.

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25 and 26 December 2014

12/22/2014

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Nan Hua Temple Announcement

The Guest House (building with the green roof) will be open on 25 and 26 December 2014 to the public. The Main Shrine will only be open on 31 December and 1 January 2014.

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NAN HUA TEMPLE TEMPORARILY CLOSED

12/17/2014

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Nan Hua Temple temporarily closed

Please note that Nan Hua Temple is temporarily closed due to unforeseen circumstances.

Will be opened on 31 December and 1st January.

Temple Management

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Event schedule September to december 2014

10/1/2014

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Ceremony of light and Peace 2014

9/28/2014

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Spiritual harmony was celebrated by attendees during FGS Nan Hua Temple’s 2014 Ceremony of Light and Peace held on 28 September 2014 in Bronkhorstspruit. Ordinary daily thoughts were raised to the profound. Peace instead of war, harmony instead of hatred, admiration instead of jealousy, generosity instead of greed, tolerance instead of intolerance and wisdom instead of ignorance. It was a mindful celebration of prayer and blessing for mankind’s compassion in all things.

Program director, Anny Lee warmly welcomed attendees and explained the ceremonial procedures. “This annual ceremony has become increasingly popular as we see many familiar faces and unfamiliar faces. It is so great to have so many of you here today to share our common goal of creating more light and peace in our world” said Lee. She continued, “It is important to have light in our lives as it guides us away from darkness and also illuminates the surrounding around us. Today, we would like to share the light with everyone around us and extend the positive meanings associated with light to everyone in the world as light does not discriminate and provides everyone with equal brightness regardless of their race, religion and gender.” Each person had the opportunity of offering their light, saying a prayer to those close to them and to everyone in the world while chanting ‘Om mani pe mei hom’, which means to open the door to attain ultimate wisdom.

Each attendee received a ‘magic egg’ or ‘wishing tree’, celebrating internal growth as well as harmony with the natural world around us. These special eggs, with a little bit of water added, creates an endearing plant with a special lasered inscription message.

Meditation
Music meditation followed presented by Tshegofatso Makhafola who sang Ave Maria, a prayer to praise Mother Mary who gave birth to Jesus and Hallelujah, a praise to the Lord. A very vibrant Dharma drum session followed performed by a student from the African Buddhist Seminary. The Dharma Drum is used in Dharma functions and is a symbolism to being solemn and dignified. A solo followed played on a drum commonly seen in all Buddhist Temples being played every morning and evening to signify the start and end of the day; a prayer for good weather to provide us with the environment to flourish and be sustainable.

Venerable Master Hui Fang, Abbot of Nan Hua Temple, led all into guided sitting meditation, explaining the benefits of daily meditation followed by the transference of merits. Any wholesome or spiritual practice generates merit as it produces a positive and beneficial result, so, in sharing our merit with all other sentient beings, everyone benefits.

Abbot Hui Fang thanked all attendees for participating in the annual festival of light and peace and said, “As you know, we are all human and as humans, we experience fear in our daily lives and that is part of our fate. Today, we made a wish, a prayer and meditate to focus our minds, increasing the power of our minds to overcome the obstacles in our lives. We must take what we have experienced and learned today and practice it in our daily life; meditation, compassion for others, how to transform the positive energy that we have created and spread it to everyone in the world. After today, we must practice meditation everyday especially when you are facing a difficult time in your life and try to overcome it.”

A scrumptious vegetarian lunch was served and the Buddha Light International Association’s youth league entertained the guests, collecting funds for an animal shelter; one of their charity projects.

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Ceremony of light and peace

9/27/2014

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FGS Nan Hua Temple event schedule: July to September 14

6/22/2014

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Bathing the Buddha ceremony

4/23/2014

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3o January 2013 Chinese New Year

2/3/2014

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Chinese New year celebrated at Nan Hua Temple

On the eve of 30 January 2014, local Chinese gathered at Nan Hua Temple to enter the new lunar year in traditional Chinese style.

Chinese New Year is an important traditional Chinese holiday celebrated at the turn of the Chinese calendar. In China, it is also known as the Spring Festival, the literal translation of the modern Chinese name, Nian festival. The New Year is celebrated on the first new moon of the New Year. This year is the Year of the Horse according to Chinese customs.

The Abbot of Nan Hua Temple, Venerable Hui Fang, opened the doors at 23h30 and the celebrations started with a service that included paying homage to a thousand Buddhas. The traditional incense offering led to the chanting of the Heart Sutra after which the chant of the prayer to all Buddhas took place followed by the attendees taking Refuge in the Triple Gem and the Transference of Merit.

Venerable Hui Fang led the proceedings and read the prayer for the New Year written by the founder of Fo Guang Shan, Master Hsing Yun. Venerable Yi Chun shared a very inspiring message for the upcoming year and also recalled some past memories.

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