Nan Hua Temple greeted the Lunar New Year with raucous celebrations where thousands of both Chinese and local South Africans geared up to welcome the Year of the Dragon on Sunday 22nd January 2012.

The celebration began with the Lunar New Year Light Offering Dharma Function attended by eight hundred people packed into the Main Temple. The Abbot of Nan Hua Temple, Venerable Hui-Fang, shared the message by Venerable Master Hsing Yun, founder of Fo Guang Shan Monastery, who dedicated his New Year blessing with the message “Heavenly Blessing and Protection”. The Grand Master encourages us to cultivate a mind that not only offers blessing and protection to oneself but also to one’s family and friends. We all should aim to develop a mind that serves others with benevolence and righteousness.

The Nan Hua Temple in Bronkhorstspruit hosted a special event for New Year’s Eve 2011/2012. The Temple’s monks, nuns and staff, assisted by the charity organisation BLIA’s (Buddha’s Light International Association’s) members, put on a spectacular spiritual event for young and old, Easterner and Western, religious, spiritual or just open-minded, to enjoy and embrace 2012 in a divine manner.
The event started off with chanting by all which was followed by the transcribing of the Heart Sutra.

Fo Guang Shan Nan Hua Temple held its annual Baby Blessing ceremony on 1 January 2012.
Every parent has hopes and aspirations that their child will grow in good health, physically and mentally; that they will live a meaning and fulfilling life; that they will develop a kind and loving heart and that they will become wise and blessed with good fortune. Parents from all races brought their babies and children to be blessed by the Abbott and receive a spiritual stimulus for their lives ahead. Pregnant women also came to receive a blessing for their unborn.