Visitors from De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) and TAG Implementers

Marilyn Lopega
November 28, 2024

A group of six TAG implementers - one, a representative from the Department of Education (DepEd) and five teachers from Leyte and Zamboanga del Sur (ZDS), and another group of 20 college students / teacher from De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) visited the FGS Mabuhay Temple today, November 27, 2024 in the morning and in the afternoon respectively. The students, taking up Arts Management course from DLS-CSB, visited the FGS Mabuhay Temple Art Gallery to observe, gain additional knowledge, and exposure to actual art works.

As customary of FGS Mabuhay Temple welcome, the visitors were ushered first to the Main Shrine to do the light offering. The reason behind the light offering is always explained to the visitors as a representation of dispelling ignorance through wisdom. It is always through wisdom that we, human beings, can act in an ethical way to bring joy and convenience, to be the light that will brighten our own path and the path of others as well. Abbess Ven Miao Jing gave a brief background on Buddhism.

The visitors proceeded to the 3rd Floor Art Gallery where they viewed and appreciated the art works of the children and youth winners. The paintings of the winners inspire the visitors with their skill, creativity, and meaningful expression of protecting mother earth. The teachers from ZDS were so inspired that they like to encourage their students to join similar art competition in the future.

Connected with the theme on recycling, the students were instructed to draw and cut a ginger bread image out of a recyclable material which is the cardboard tissue core of a toilet paper. Each student demonstrated his/her creativity and imaginative faculty by coloring and designing their own ginger bread. The fascination on the creative outcome of each of their ginger bread output provided each student a sense of fulfillment.

Overall, everyone, felt happiness and joy in all their activities during the temple tour. In line with the teaching of VMHY, each activity achieved the four givings – namely giving joy, hope, confidence, and convenience to our visitors. Even for a moment, everyone was a kid again.

Lee Tamerong is delighted to know and experience that the Philippines is becoming a religious tourism, a place where different religions/spirituality thrive and co-exist; Tin gained additional knowledge on Buddhism and has become more aware of their practices and beliefs. Book knowledge of Buddhism is much different from actual Buddhist practice as exemplified here in FGS Mabuhay Temple; Mary is grateful to experience, no matter how brief, Buddhist practices. She has visited some Buddhist temples from different countries, but her actual Buddhist experience in Mabuhay Temple is something that changed her perspective on Buddhism. It is a practical spiritual experience that can bring joy to people;
Ivy is very happy and stress reliever. The ginger bread activity brings out her creativity and artistic expression.  

TAG Implementers are so delighted to experience such hospitality and warm welcome from Mabuhay Temple. Everyone was friendly, kind, and has a ready smile to the visitors. ZDS Teachers expressed that
they didn’t imagine that vegetarian meals can taste as good as the non-vegetarian meals. They enjoyed the food contrary to their expectation that vegetarian food is usually bland.