FoGuang Shan Melbourne Heeds the call for Environmental Protection

March 2^nd markedClean Up Australia Day, the day on which the Australian Government encouraged people across the country to clean the environment. BLIAV and FoGuang Shan Melbourne have actively been involved in this event on an annual basis.  Under the leadership of Ven. Yong Wei and BLIAV President, Dr. Alan Wong, fifty volunteers from East 1, East 2, South-East, North-West, City 1 sub-branches and the YAD groups participated this year.Wearing the BLIA vest andequipped with cleaning tools, the participants passionatelyset off from FoGuang Shan Melbourne, headed in two directions, diligently gathered discarded cigarette butts, broken glass, strewn plastic bags and other litter along the streets.  Along the way, the volunteers received large amounts of compliments and were meet with gratitude by the residents of Yarraville. Some gave them their thumbs up, others took photos of them cleaning the environment with their mobile phones.

The youngest volunteer on Clean Up Australia Day, was only eight or nine years old whilst the most senior participant was eighty-seven-year-old JinXian Xu. Ms. Xu has participated in the Clean Up Australia Day event ten years in a row. She remarked, ‘Whilst my health allows it, I am truly delightedto be able to continueto participate in Clean Up Australia Day,cleaning the environment together with others. I do not feel tired at all.’After three hours of cleaning, twenty-fivebagfulsof rubbish were collected in total, beautifying the area and transforming it into its version of ‘pure land’.  Ven. Yong Wei continuously highlighted the importance of both cleaning the external environment and purifying one’sinner spiritduring the event.BLIAV President, Dr. Alan Wongexpressed that‘Not only is participation in Clean Up Australia Day a meaningful contribution to the environment, it also serves a valuablelearning opportunity for children. This was a great example of the immersion of Buddhism into the local community.’

The event was followed by the family-oriented games at Yarraville Gardens, with the highest prize going to the North-West sub-branch. This year’sClean Up Australia Day event ended successfully amongst laughter andhappiness from everyone involved.  BLIAV will continue its participation in this meaningful event with the focus of next year’s Clean Up Australia Day being the surrounding areas to Er You Temple in the eastern suburb of Box Hill