A Father’s Proud Cheer｜父愛應援　為你驕傲

【By Ching Pan from Rowland Heights Subchapter 1】Would you dare stand up in front of nearly 330 people, raise a sign, and cheer loudly? I probably wouldn’t, but one father did! On October 5, during Fo Guang Shan (FGS) Hsi Lai Temple’s Winter Love Joy Scholarship Program awards ceremony, this proud father stood up, held up a sign, and cheered for his child who was on stage receiving an award.

The event, organized by FGS Hsi Lai Temple in partnership with the Buddha’s Light International Association (BLIA) Los Angeles Chapter, honored exceptional students from the Hacienda La Puente Unified School District (HLPUSD), as well as officers from the City of Industry Sheriff’s Station, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) Santa Fe Springs Area, and firefighters from Los Angeles Fire Department Station 91. Nearly 150 awardees were recognized in the temple’s Main Shrine, with approximately 635 guests in attendance, including teachers, families, and friends. The ceremony was conducted in both English and Spanish and was live-streamed to the Auditorium and Conference Room, with around 330 people present in the Main Shrine.

I saw this father proudly holding up his sign in the Main Shrine, and I was deeply moved. But at that moment, I was busy verifying guest titles and names, my hands—and my mind—completely occupied. I couldn’t capture the moment with a photo, but silently prayed, “Please, let someone have caught this beautiful moment on camera!”

I hadn’t even asked for the photo, but to my surprise, Echo Tsai, Vice President of BLIA Los Angeles Chapter, sent it to me out of the blue. When I saw it, I was overwhelmed with both joy and surprise! The father’s face was glowing with pride, as if he might burst into tears at any moment—or was it me who was about to cry from being so deeply moved?I truly believe the Buddha heard my silent prayer and made my wishes come true!

I am incredibly grateful to Alex Kuo, a kind-hearted Fo Guang member of Hacienda Heights Subchapter, who captured this moment.

After the ceremony, I saw many families in the courtyard asking the Fo Guang members to take their photos. One mother and son asked me to take theirs and told me it was a day they would never forget. They were incredibly happy.

All the hard work put in by the Fo Guang members deserves a round of applause. I knew that even though many of them were utterly exhausted, the smiles on the students’ faces made all their efforts worthwhile.

In his opening remarks, Venerable Hui Dong, the Abbot, highlighted the deep meaning of the word “Love” in the event’s title. He emphasized that “Love” comes from inner peace and mutual respect, which is especially important in a world full of turmoil. I really loved that part of his speech.

And how could I forget the “Joy” of the day! The magic show had me completely amazed. In just 10 seconds, I was completely captivated—how did that dove appear out of nowhere? I was watching with wide eyes and clapping excitedly, so much so that the person next to me turned and chuckled, “This is for the kids, why are you so excited?” Haha!

October 5 was truly a day filled with love and joy! In this piece, I want to honor the heartfelt emotions I experienced and pay tribute to all the Fo Guang members who participated.

父愛應援　為你驕傲

【羅蘭第一分會 潘青霞】 請問您敢在將近330人眾目睽睽之下，起立高舉應援立牌並大聲歡呼嗎？我應該不敢，但有位父親做到了！10月5日，佛光山西來寺舉行「寒冬送暖暨教育獎助活動」（Winter Love Joy Scholarship Program）頒獎典禮，這位父親為上台領獎的孩子，高舉立牌並大聲歡呼！

活動由佛光山西來寺主辦，國際佛光會洛杉磯協會承辦。當天，來自哈崗拉朋地聯合學區的優秀學子、工業市警察局、加州公路巡警（CHP）聖塔菲泉分局及洛杉磯第91消防站的警消人員，共有近150人於西來寺大雄寶殿受獎。近635位貴賓、師長及親友出席，典禮以英、西雙語進行，並在法堂和會堂同步直播，其中大雄寶殿的人數接近330人！

我在大雄寶殿看到了這位高舉應援立牌的父親，感動萬分，但我當下正在核對嘉賓頭銜及人名，而手忙「腦」亂，來不及拍照，只能暗自祈禱：「拜託有哪位好心大德拍下這一刻啊！」

我並沒有主動要照片，沒想到洛杉磯協會副會長蔡月琴碰巧傳給我，真是出乎我的意料！當我看到照片時，既驚又喜！父親臉上滿溢著驕傲，彷彿隨時會感動落淚，還是我被這一幕感動得快要哭了？我想佛陀真的聽到了我的心聲，並讓我心想事成！

這位好心大德攝影者是哈崗分會佛光人郭昭華，我衷心感謝！

典禮結束後，我看到許多家庭在成佛大道請佛光人拍照，一對母子也請我拍照，並告訴我這是他們感到難忘並且無比開心的一天。

所有佛光人的集體創作值得掌聲，我知道雖然很多人累得七葷八素，但學生們的笑容讓一切辛苦煙消雲散。

住持慧東法師在開場致詞中指出活動英文名稱中「Love」的深意，強調「Love」來自內心的平和與彼此的尊重，這在動盪的社會中尤為重要。我非常喜歡這段話。

我還難忘當天的「Joy」！當天的魔術表演讓我驚嘆不已，短短10秒內完全吸引了我的注意力，那鴿子到底怎麼變出來的啊？我看得目不轉睛，激動拍掌，惹得坐我旁邊的人轉頭笑道：「這是給孩子看的，您怎麼這麼激動！」哈哈哈！

10月5日真是充滿Love和Joy的日子！我謹以此文紀念我的感動，也向參與其中的佛光人致敬！