Nan Tien Temple

Since the establishment of Fo Guang Shan, the number of people practicing Buddhism has been increasing around the word. Under the guidance of respectable and renowned Master Hsing Yun, 120 Fo Guang Shan branches were opened over 5 continents, one of which, the Nan Tien Temple, the largest in the Southern Hemisphere, is situated in the Wollongong area in NSW, Australia.

 

In 1990, the Mayor of Wollongong discussed the plan and supported the idea of building a Buddhist temple on the approval and assistance of all council members. Land of an area of 26 acres was then donated for building the temple. The ground breaking ceremony took place on the 28th November 1992 and the project started in 1992. This project took 5 years planning and 2 years construction.

 

Nan Tien temple will take its role in bridging the East-West cultures. The Temple has adopted the Chinese palace building style, bringing tradition and modern ideas into one. There are 4 principle characteristics as follows:    

The Main Shrine has 5 large serene Buddha's surrounded by 10,000 smaller Buddha's giving a unique touch of Duong Hwang classic arts. Other modern facilities include classrooms, the meditation hall, the Pagoda for cremated ashes, auditorium and a dining hall for all visitors. To pioneer Buddhist teachings a conference room is equipped with the latest technology with excellent translation facilities. A car-park for 300 cars is provided for the convenience of visitors. 

Nan Tien Temple not only promotes Buddhist activities, it welcomes people from social service organisations and education institutions to participate in making a better society. Nan Tien Temple is for everyone, all can join in making an effort towards our achievements of global peace.

Nan Tien temple is a place for people to practice and understand the Dharma (Buddha's teachings). Dharma is in our everyday lives. People can come to the Main Shrine to pray and pay their respects to the Buddha. They may also practice meditation in the meditation hall to become further aware of one's mind and feelings, listen to the Dharma in the auditorium, and read and immerse oneself in the boundless world of Buddhist scriptures to gain wisdom. In addition, the Buddhist College offers traditional monastic training to help achieve the aim of building Buddhist localisation.

Buddhism and arts are inseparable. The Museum's backdrop is a full of natural rock. There is a Kuan Yin Wishing Pond, the Mirrored Gallery of the universally interrelated world and various artifacts on display. Many educational programs include Chinese classes, calligraphy, cooking classes as well as English Buddhism classes.

At the Opening Ceremony of Nan Tien temple, the founder of Fo Guang Shan, Ven. Master Hsing Yun asserted that Nan Tien Temple should bear these 4 goals in mind: "Offer others confidence; Offer others happiness; Offers others hope; Offers others convenience". The future role of Nan Tien Temple focuses on nourishment of potential talents, serving the community with compassion, practicing Buddhism to purify one's mind and forging toward to the future with a bold spirit.