Victoria’s Buddhist community got together on Saturday, 28 March, to perform a healing service at the Chinese temple in Kinglake West for the survivors of the recent bushfires. The day was a special one, according to the Buddhist calendar, as it was the 49th day after 7 February 2009 - Black Saturday. According to Buddhist belief, the 49th day is the day when those who died will go to a new life.
Monks, nuns and lay people from the Vietnamese, Chinese, Tibetan, Korean, Laotian, Cambodian and Burmese traditions joined with Christine Nixon, the Head of the Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery Authority, and Kinglake residents in a moving ceremony to support the living and assist the deceased. This was the first ever public event in the Ru Yi Chinese temple which was built by Master Lin, a Taiwanese master who died two years ago. Christine Nixon spoke of her sense of wonder when she flew over Kinglake immediately after the fires, and saw this Chinese temple, standing untouched in the centre of the fire zone.
The Buddhist community had raised substantial funds for the victims of the fires and gave donations to a large number of community organisations including the local CFA, the destroyed primary school, and welfare and arts organisations. The different Buddhist monks and nuns took turns to chant in their own languages and Anne Norman played two moving pieces on the shakuhachi flute. Other performers also contributed their skills and the children of Kinglake placed hand made paper lotuses on the shrine. The event was organised by Ven. Chi Kwang Sunim, an Australian nun in the Korean tradition, and the Buddhist Council of Victoria. Ven Chi Kwang was also a lucky survivor, having fought back the fires that came to the edge of her temple, the Soen Centre, in Kinglake.
The principal image in the Ru Yi temple is of a thousand armed Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of compassion. The image is intended to convey the idea of helping all beings, no matter where they are, in countless skilful ways. It seemed a fitting image to place at the centre of the ceremony.
The BCV has donated funds to the CFA and received certificate of appreciation and a letter of thank you in return.
