No event of the Buddha’s Light International Association (國際佛光會) Philippine community is complete without extravagant musical performances.
The 2018 BLIA Fellowship Meeting was no exception. The event opened with “FLIP 2018: A Concert for Love and Peace” where delegates and venerables – ordained Buddhist monks and nuns – from 10 Asian countries were entertained by production numbers showcasing local talent in acting, song and dance.
The concert, held June 24 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Main Theater, featured renditions by Guang Ming College (GMC) students, San Hao Teens, Barangay Ballet in cooperation with Ballet Philippines, “Siddartha: The Musical” ensemble, Guang Ming Institute of Performing Arts from Cebu, among others.
“Siddhartha: The Musical” recounts the life of Prince Siddhartha – the birth name of the founder of Buddhism Gautama Buddha – who lived 2,500 years ago. The Siddhartha cast opened the event with an energetic and flamboyant choreography that set the tone for the evening.
The cast also serenaded the spectators with Oh Great Buddha, in English, Chinese and Filipino.
The Guang Ming Dance Project delivered a contemporary Filipino dance, accompanied by powerful Chinese ballads.
In “What’s On Your Mind?” the San Hao Theater from Cebu related themes such as love, acceptance, societal status, healing to Humanistic Buddhism.
Six Guang Ming students from different backgrounds but with common dreams and aspirations shared how their lives have been flipped by their college education and transformed through Buddhist teachings. They vowed to “be more than they are.”
“Vast Cloud” was done in honor of the monk, whom they relate to as a wonderous cloud that pervades life, a person who offers light in the dark. “Prelude” is the story of how the abbot built the legacy of Fo Guang Shan.
These performances spread the teachings of humanistic Buddhism in the Philippines through culture, education and charity and contribute to the Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s vision of making the world a better place.
Chinese Buddhist monk Venerable Master Hsing Yun is the founder of the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist order, as well as BLIA in Taiwan. The order provided funding for scholarships at Guang Ming College.