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Appreciating Beauty, Harmony in Diversity


An Account on Tasmanian Chinese Buddhist Academy of Australia’s Participation in the Hobart Christmas Pageant

The Hobart Christmas Pageant was held on 16th November 2019.

As with previous years, Tasmanian Chinese Buddhist Academy of Australia participated in this grand annual celebratory event. This year’s pageant had over seventy different community group participants with a traditional Aboriginal ceremony as the first group that led the entire pageant procession. Following this was Santa Claus, cartoon characters, large puppets, jump rope groups, performers on stilts, bicycle teams, horses, pet dogs, multicultural communities in their traditional attire, and children waving colourful balloons. During the Christmas pageant period all walks of life wore joyous smiles transforming a usually quiet city into an ocean filled with vibrance and happiness devoid of all sorrow and discrimination.

Before the official start of the Christmas pageant, Tasmania Chinese Buddhist Academy of Australia conducted the traditional Holy Dragon and Holy Lion Eye-Dotting Ceremony. Old and new friends all happily came together including The Right Honourable the Lord Mayor of Hobart, Councillor Anna Reynolds; The Honourable Sue Hickey MP, Speaker of the House of Assembly; Ms. Alison Standen MP, Representative of the Labor Party; Her Worship the Mayor of Glenorchy, Alderman Kristie Johnston; President of Chinese Communities Association of Tasmania, Mr Brian Chong and Mrs Chong; President of Tasmanian Chinese Teachers Association, Ms. Bing Xu and Chinese language teacher, Ms. Shelley Keys; President of Australian Chinese Friendship Society, Ms. Jan Everett, and President of Shandong Chinese Association Ms Lu Xue and her family.

All guest speakers highly praised the valuable contributions made by Bhagavan Zhi-Ji Vimalakirti Patriarch Master and the Academy to the multicultural tapestry that has been woven into the community fabric of Hobart. In particular they acknowledged the vibrant colours and performances that have now become commonplace in the annual pageant.

Once the honoured guests dotted the eyes of the holy dragon and holy lion, the holy lions sprung to life with vigour, grace and vitality, as the holy dragon presented itself in the shape of a heart bearing warm Christmas wishes. With the Eye-Dotting Ceremony completed in perfection, the Christmas pageant was about to officially open its curtains and begin.

This year Tasmanian Chinese Buddhist Academy of Australia split into two groups to participate in the Christmas pageant:

The first group was led by the Australian Flag and Holy Tantra Esoteric Buddhism School Flag Holy Tantra Flag marching teams followed by the Bhagavan Music vehicle, Bhagavan Zhi-Ji Vimalakirti Patriarch Master Conductor vehicle, the holy lions and holy dragons.

The next group was led by the Sheng Mi Tian Lotus vehicle followed by Holy Tantra Yao Gu team, Vajra Fan team, Holy Tantra Rainbow team, Chinese traditional costume team, Yang Ge team and the Dragon vehicle.

Bhagavan Zhi-Ji Vimalakirti Patriarch Master has taught:

According to the teaching form within the School of Chinese Han Transmission Tantrayana Buddhism, Holy Tantra Esoteric Buddhism participating in the Christmas pageant wishes to bring to sentient beings tranquillity, auspiciousness, peace and joy. We display for the public Buddhism with unique Chinese traditional cultural characteristics – the ultimate virtuous kindness compassion and wisdom of the Great Holy Sakyamuni Buddha along with the ideals of saving and delivering sentients, and cosmic great love. We wish to contribute back to Tasmanians and sincerely repaying their warm love and acceptance towards us. This is the sincere spiritual enlightenment of Holy Tantra Esoteric Buddhists celebrating Christmas and sharing the love and auspiciousness bestowed to man by Jesus Christ.

Chinese traditional culture has the path of zhong yong, in Buddhism we have the Madhyamika (Middle Way) View. Chinese Han Transmission Tantrayana Buddhism – Holy Tantra Gu Fan Mi Jin-Gang-Dhyana Buddhism utilises the Five Great Spiritual Views to guide Holy Tantra Practitioners towards attaining the ultimate Buddha path. Although the names and terms are different, the essence are the same. Appreciating beauty and harmony in diversity, we do not exclude or reject any other religions, it is our sincere wish to attain world peace and harmony.

Tasmanian Chinese Buddhist Academy of Australia wishes to share the spiritual Dharma bliss with all those with the holy conditions around the world.

Here we wish everyone Merry Christmas and an auspicious New Year!


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