This article was written by current

iACT intern Nadia Husain

Thank you to the members of the Xiang Yun Temple for showing their hospitality and opening up the temple to us for our Red Bench event on June 28^th! After providing a lovely tour of the premises and acquainting us with the Buddhist customs and teachings, they freshly prepared a delicious vegetarian meal for guests to enjoy together along with a Chinese blessing. We took advantage of the power outage caused by the weather and enjoyed a beautiful candle lit dinner in front of the shrine, and the warm ambiance added a deeper level of authenticity and depth to our discussion.

At our red bench tables we contemplated the value of dignity and its role in our treatment of others, as well as our perception of ourselves. As one attendee had stated: “Dignity is the gateway to compassion and respect”. Along with the enlightening table conversations, the Buddhist teachings of asceticism and the 3 treasures of Buddhism (Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha) were very enlightening. The ancestral room shown to the guests taught us about the importance of family and their remembrance. Thank you to all who attended our Red Bench event and the Xiang Yun Temple for hosting, we look forward to visiting again in the future!