Alison Byrnes (Cunningham, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to offer my condolences and pay my respects to Venerable Master Hsing Yun, founder of Fo Guang Shan, who passed away peacefully on 5 February at the age of 97. Master Hsing Yun was the founder of our beautiful Nan Tien Temple in the Illawarra. In February the member for Whitlam, Stephen Jones; state member, Paul Scully; and I joined Reverend Miao You at Nan Tien to pay our respects and reflect on a truly formidable life. Master Hsing Yun's work was a force of harmony and unity and had a positive impact on the lives of Buddhists around the world. The venerable master's life was a shining example of the teachings of Buddha. Throughout his lifetime he dedicated himself to serving countless individuals, providing guidance and hope to everyone around him. This can be seen no more clearly than in the temple's International Women's Day event, where venerables and community members sought to make Illawarra history for the largest regional mass tai chi meditation event. The event saw $4,000 raised and dedicated to support the work of another pillar of our community, SAHSSI. This event exemplifies the role that harmony, equality and compassion played in the life of Master Hsing Yun and the impression he sought to leave on the Illawarra community. Our thoughts are with Nan Tien and the wider Buddhist community during this time.