20 Bites, 18 Stamps! FGS Stamp Collection!One Step at a Time

I often hear members of the Buddha's Light International Association (BLIA) describe their return to Fo Guang Shan (FGS) in Taiwan as "returning home." However, when I was there in February 2024, it was purely as a tourist exploring FGS. I felt a bit timid, as I wasn't familiar with the surroundings, even though I was born and grew up in Taiwan.

Why did I plan this “two nights, one day plus a few more hours” itinerary to FGS during an 11-day vacation? Honestly, I didn't know either, but deep down, I felt inexplicably convinced that “I should go”!

During my time at FGS, I coincided with the New Year Festival of Light and Peace. The enthusiastic volunteers offered adorable "Cloud Water Chan" puzzle keychain prizes as incentives, encouraging me to seize the opportunity to participate in the exclusive “Cloud Auspicious Stamps” activity for the festival. Armed with a map, I began walking through FGS step by step, aiming to scan QR codes at 18 spots to collect the Cloud Auspicious Stamps.

Walking through FGS! It sounds easy, but do you know how vast Fo Guang Shan is? You can look up the total area online (covering FGS Buddha Museum, Sutra Repository, and FGS Monastery). However, from my own experience, it's a full-day journey back and forth, resulting in blisters on your feet, necessitating leg elevation before sleep to relieve calf soreness, and falling asleep as soon as your head touches the pillow.

The 18 Cloud Auspicious Stamp spots are as follows: 1. Big Buddha Terrace, 2. Avalokitesvara Shrine, 3. Jade Buddha Shrine, 4. Golden Buddha Shrine, 5. Main Hall Galleries 3&4, 6. Two Assemblies Pagoda, 7. Shopping Center, 8. Dharma Gem Square, 9. Tunnel of  Lanterns, 10. Main Lantern Display, 11. Tathagata Building, 12. Fo Guang Yuan Art Gallery, 13. Main Shrine, 14. Great Compassion Shrine, 15. Great Practice Shrine, 16. Great Vow Shrine, 17. Great Buddha Land, 18. Great Wisdom Shrine.

At each spot, volunteers warmly eeted me, asking, "Where are you from?" They then guided me to pay respects, make wishes, and provided introductions. The most special encounter was with a venerable at the "Avalokitesvara Shrine". She encouraged me with many kind words and advised me not to miss the "Silk Road Splendor—Dunhuang Cave Art Exhibition". She even wrote my name and the phrase "吉祥Qingxia" (Auspicious greeting in English) along with her Dharma name "Yong Sui" on the brochure of the exhibition to keep. What an enthusiastic venerable!

In addition to the 18 Cloud Auspicious Stamp spots, I also visited the Patriarch Shrine in the Sutra Repository, albeit embarrassingly, only after being reminded by Ven. Man Ji. She said, "You didn't go? This is serious! The merciful Venerable Master is sitting there waiting for you!" It was my first time seeing the statue of Venerable Master Hsing Yun, the founder of FGS, on site, and it was truly majestic. The large plaque with Venerable Master's "An Honest Revelation – An Open Letter by Venerable Master Hsing Yun", with over 5,100 words, hung on a large wall, with every word clearly legible. I couldn't help but stop and read it again, feeling deeply moved by Venerable Master's compassion embedded in the text.

I also browsed through books at the first-floor library corner of the Devotees Building. There were many out-of-print books! I was also drawn to the "Lumbini Garden" because the small grass and flower lamps beside the Buddha statue would light up and sway at night, so adorable! I deliberately took a video, inexplicably fond of it! The Lumbini Garden is truly serene yet full of vitality.

The answer to the title's "18 Stamps" is revealed, but what about the "20 Bites"? Haha! The "Buddha Light Mosquitoes" targeted me with 20 bites! These mosquitoes were robust and fearless, leaving me with a pale face. While Buddha voluntarily "offered his body to feed the eagle," I was forced to offer mine to feed the mosquitoes. I grumbled and complained, but Venerable Man Ji's words made being bitten by mosquitoes seem somewhat "Buddha-like". She said, "Even blood can foster affinities, it seems your karmic ties run deep!" I replied, "Luckily, I didn't kill a single one, otherwise, who knows what affinities I'd create? Hahaha!"

When I finally collected all 18 Cloud Auspicious Stamps, eagerly dragging my exhausted body to exchange for the “Cloud Water Chan” puzzle keychain prize with my "last breath," only to find there were six designs: Buddha, lotus, cloud dragons, peace lantern, little novice, and firecracker cloud dragon to choose from, but only lotus flowers were left, and I wanted the "Buddha"! I grumbled again until Ven. Miaohuang comforted me, saying, "Lotus is good too! It symbolizes a pure heart." I felt satisfied then. Lotus isn't bad at all!

Ven. Miaohuang and Ven. Man Ji are twin sisters, not just in appearance but also in their ability to inspire people! 

Having walked through Fo Guang Shan step by step, I can confidently say next time I go back, "I'm returning home!" 

Looking forward to going home!

 (Photo Contributor: A Wordsmith)