October is precisely the golden Autumn season of China, the motherland with layers of crimson hues, and emerald and amber overtones. In the southern hemisphere, Australia it welcomes the vibrant colours of the beginning of Spring. After the crisis and difficulties of the first half of the year, the Gengzi year of 2020 stands straight from these calamities and with gentle yet sturdy strides brings forth the second half of the year to mankind.
This Gengzi year happens to have two festive events fall on the same day, the Mid-Autumn festival and the 71st National Day of the People’s Republic of China. In collaboration with students from China in Tasmania, the Tasmanian Chinese Student and Scholars Association along with the University of Tasmania Chinese Student Association jointly celebrated Mid-Autumn and held the 12th Mid-Autumn Evening. Upon invitation, Bhagavan Zhi-Ji Vimalakirti Patriarch Master led Tasmanian Chinese Buddhist Academy of Australia to attend the event bringing the Holy Dharma Lion Dance performance to celebrate the evening.
With the influence of COVID-19, the borders of Tasmania remained closed and public events were under government restrictions of social distances. The event was held at the Town Hall of Hobart, apart from local politicians, leaders of various Chinese communities and representatives of overseas Chinese students, there were many more people that attended the evening using modern technology, viewing the event through live-stream media. Although the evening was short of previous years’ affectionate embraces and joyous laughter from seas of attendees, however, the clean and simple Chinese style decoration, “God of Fortune” welcoming everyone at the entrance and gentle melodic piano music all brought to the spiritual atmosphere of traditional Chinese culture to each and every attendee.
The celebratory evening officially began at 4 pm. The Consul General of the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Melbourne, Long Zhou, delivered best wishes and warm words of congratulations from the motherland. Mayor of Hobart, the Right Honourable Councillor Anna Reynolds on behalf of Hobart City and the people of Hobart, wishes all the overseas Chinese students a good Mid-Autumn festival. As the honorary president of the Federation of Chinese Associations Tasmania, Bhagavan Zhi-Ji Vimalakirti Patriarch Master delivered his address and spoke of a famous Chinese Poet Li Bai’s poem Tranquil Evening Thoughts Jing Ye Si that expressed a sincere child’s love and longing their motherland. This was also a manifestation of a Holy Tantra Spiritual Guiding Guru’s pure compassion and spiritual great love for the nation and sentient beings. The president of Tasmanian Chinese Student and Scholars Association Ms. Miranda Shang thanked all guests that attended in person and also online for their continued support and assistance towards overseas Chinese students and scholars.
With the sounding vibrations and resonances of the Holy Tantra Drums, three lion tamers led four big lions and one small, performing the Holy Tantra Dharma Lion, extensively spinning the Holy Tantra Dharma Wheel with the lion form, lion dance, lion Dharani. In coordination and cooperation, the tamers and lions shared the stage to perform this great show of delivering sentient beings. With graceful yet powerful movements of Dynamic Dhyana Dharani, the Holy Tantra Holy Lions engaged sentient beings in spiritual yoga, guiding them with the positive energy of the universe bringing them the spiritual life messages of the Great Holy Sakyamuni Buddha’s ultimate virtuous kindness compassion, wisdom, peace and great love. Spreading these messages to countless and infinite universe time-spaces, embedded in every sentient beings’ heart. The Holy Tantra Dharma Lions made an unbreakable connection with sentient beings, all those in attendance erupted in a thunderous applaud in appreciation.
Here on the dual celebration of this Gengzi year Mid-Autumn and the 71st National Day of the Peoples Republic of China, this day of shared celebration and unity of both the nation and family, we wish spiritual guiding teachers of all religions around the world, high monks and eminent ones, the Holy Tantra Four Multitude around the world and fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters around the world, an auspicious festival with shared Dharma bliss.
We wish our great motherland happy festivities!