Not Just a Board｜不只是板子

【By Ching Pan from Hsi Lai Subchapter】If you were to ask me what I love most about Humanistic Buddhism, Fo Guang Shan (FGS) Hsi Lai Temple, and the Los Angeles Chapter of Buddha’s Light International Association (BLIA), I’d say it’s the chance to join community events. These activities not only open up my world but also fill me with warmth.

Since 2022, I’ve been involved in these community events. A visitor once said, “Out of all the booths, Hsi Lai Temple and the BLIA Los Angeles Chapter really stand out for their thoughtfulness.” This praise is a testament to the incredible teamwork and creativity of the volunteers, especially to Avelyn Busch, who was then an advisor and is now the Vice President of the BLIA Los Angeles Chapter. She’s my “hidden gem” mentor, always introducing fresh and innovative ideas to make the booths both engaging and meaningful.

One great example of this creativity is Cassandra Garcia, a local volunteer who designed what I like to call a “not-just-a-board.” Cassandra teamed up with her father, Victor Garcia, to handcraft a vibrant ring toss game station. The colorful game board features bilingual blessings from Venerable Master Hsing Yun, the founder of the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Order: “May You Be Free as Cloud and Water, Auspicious and Joyful,” along with illustrations of three cheerful novice monastics. The board’s design, thoughtfully crafted to make it easier to land the rings, adds a special touch. The Chinese calligraphy for “May You Be Free as Cloud and Water, Auspicious and Joyful” was created by Cassandra’s friend, Alexander Vogel. Even though Alexander doesn’t know Chinese, he managed to produce a stunning piece of calligraphy, full of artistry and spontaneity.

This is why I call it “not just a board.” It carries fatherly love, friendship, and the thoughtful effort Hsi Lai Temple puts into localizing its initiatives. The ring toss game has been a hit at every event. During one community family night, Victor visited the booth and was warmly thanked by Venerable Hui Cheng and the volunteers. Seeing the long lines and hearing the applause and cheers, he described it as a truly joyful and heartwarming evening.

“Hello! Have some ‘Hsi Lai Friendship Hot Drinks!’” On December 20, 2024, nearly 800 people gathered at William Steinmetz Park in Hacienda Heights for the “Winter Wonderland” event. Seventeen volunteers, led by Venerable Hui Cheng, represented the Hsi Lai Temple Social Education & Outreach Department and the Hsi Lai TAG School families. They promoted Humanistic Buddhism through offerings like Hsi Lai Friendship Hot Drinks—cinnamon apple cider brewed to suit local tastes—a gratitude tree, and mindfulness crafts.

Hsi Lai Temple set up three booths, adorned with warm yellow tones and small candleholders. The “May You Be Free as Cloud and Water, Auspicious and Joyful” game board glowed beautifully in the candlelight. I took a picture of the board, and when others saw it, they couldn’t stop praising how great it looked. With her radiant smile and sparkling eyes, Cassandra eagerly asked me to share the photo with her. For the first time, I thought my photography skills (with a little post-editing) weren’t too shabby—ha!

This article is a tribute to this “not-just-a-board.” Beyond embodying love and friendship, it highlights Hsi Lai Temple’s innovative and heartfelt approach to localizing its initiatives.

Photo by Ching Pan

不只是板子

【西來分會 潘青霞】若問我最喜歡人間佛教、佛光山西來寺及國際佛光會洛杉磯協會的地方，我這宅女會說，是透過它們參與社區活動，開拓視野並感受其中的溫暖。 

自2022年起，我開始參與這些活動的攤位擺設。有位參觀者曾如此評論：「在眾多攤位中，西來寺與洛杉磯協會的內容最為用心。」這全賴義工們的集體創作，特別是洛杉磯協會的督導許珍蓉（現任協會副協會長），她是我的「寶藏督導」，她不斷為攤位內容推陳出新，力求有趣又有意義。 

設計這塊「不只是板子」的本土義工Cassandra Garcia，同樣讓我感動，Cassandra Garcia請爸爸Victor Garcia一起手工打造了套圈圈遊戲台，遊戲台色彩亮麗，立板上寫有中英雙語佛光山開山祖師星雲大師的祝福語「雲水自在．祥和歡喜」，板面上還有三位笑臉迎人的沙彌。這塊立板旨在提升中圈率，使圈圈更容易落入目標區，十分貼心。「雲水自在．祥和歡喜」的中文書法是Cassandra請她的朋友Alexander Vogel所寫，不懂中文的Alexander 寫出讓我驚豔的藝術感與灑脫。 

因此，我說這是一塊「不只是板子的板子」，它承載了父愛、友誼以及西來寺本土化的用心。套圈圈遊戲在每次的活動都大受歡迎，在某次社區親子夜，Victor來探班，並受到慧澄法師及義工們的感謝。他看到攤位前排起了長隊，掌聲和叫好聲不斷，直說這真是一個歡樂又溫暖的夜晚。

「您好！請喝『西來友好熱飲』！」在2024年12月20日，洛杉磯縣哈崗市的威廉斯坦梅茨公園(William Steinmetz Park)舉辦「冬夜歡樂園」活動（Winter Wonderland），近800位民眾參加，西來寺慧澄法師帶領社教本土化組及三好學園親子共17位義工參與，透過西來友好熱飲、感恩樹、正念手工藝等內容，推廣人間佛教。 

西來寺設有三個攤位，攤位上以暖黃色調的小燭台點綴，「雲水自在．祥和歡喜」遊戲台在燭光的映照下顯得特別溫暖。我拍了照片，Cassandra看到後連連稱讚「好看」，笑容燦爛、雙眼放光地請我傳給她。這是我第一次覺得自己的拍照技術（加後製）還不賴！哈！ 

謹以此文記錄這塊「不只是板子的板子」，它不僅蘊含了父愛與友誼，更體現了西來寺在本土化不斷創新與用心的精神。

攝影：潘青霞