Bao Lin VEGE Fest 2024
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- 1. The vibrant and colorful decorations at the entrance warmly welcomed attendees into the vegetarian festival.
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It was a beautiful summer day in Melbourne, Australia, for the much-anticipated VEGE Fest at Bao Lin Chan Monastery on Saturday, December 21, 2024. Volunteers contributed more than 120 dishes, offering nearly 800 participants a delightful culinary experience featuring meals prepared with kindness and compassion.
Visitors were greeted at the venue by a stunning display of fruits and vegetables, artfully arranged to create an exciting and unique presentation. Upon entering the reception area, participants were invited to light a lamp at the Pagoda and pay respect to the Buddhas in the Zen Hall. A collection of posters and video clips provided insight into the history of Bao Lin, detailing its origins and the life of its founder, Grand Master Weichueh. A small room also offered visitors a chance to experience meditation.
Walking through the aisles, visitors learned about the spirit of Buddhism and vegetarianism from the posters before entering the main hall, which had been transformed into a hive of activities, musical events, and inspiration.
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In the main hall, the program featured a variety of musical performances by the talented Bao Lin community. The Bao Lin Band kicked off the festivities, energizing the crowd, who responded enthusiastically by dancing, singing, and laughing joyfully. The lineup also included a delightful children’s performance, where young participants introduced and played their piano pieces. The middle set, East Meets West, showcased traditional instruments like the guzheng and guqin, offering a harmonious blend of cultures. Further demonstrating the versatility of Bao Lin practitioners, the program also featured a wonderful bassoon performance and a lively Tibetan dance.
Out in the backyard, families enjoyed games like Veggie Toss and Veggie Tic-Tac-Toe, along with the ever-popular face painting, popcorn, fairy floss, and a backyard BBQ. The arrival of an ice cream truck delighted attendees, providing the perfect treat on a warm summer’s day after the delicious meals.
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The day was packed with activities, including cooking demonstrations of “Tofurkey” — a turkey alternative made from tofu — and nutrition sessions. Attendees also had the chance to write spring blessings for the new year. To close the event, the Bao Lin Band returned with the most popular tunes for a grand finale, energizing the audience even more. Volunteers joined in, harmonizing to a moving rendition of The Brightest Star in the Sky. This heartfelt performance left a lasting impression, making the 2024 Bao Lin VEGE Fest an unforgettable experience for all!
Lisa Leong (Fa Feng, Zen II) , MC
As a newish member of the Monastery, I loved meeting the other Zen practitioners from all different classes, and I enjoyed seeing the other dimensions of people, who were sharing their unique talents with each other. The cooks, the musicians, the Audio-Visual specialists, the face painters, the operations people. And all done with a big smile and joy in our hearts. I loved watching the Abbess and the Shifu in action, leading us in a flowing easeful manner, with smiling eyes and big smiles - and obvious joy. It was a wonderful way to mark the end of the year, to spend time with each other and sharing beautiful nourishing food as we cultivate the Buddha way. A big thank you to everyone who helped, supported or participated in VegeFest 2024! I look forward to spending more time with the people in my Monastery.
Karena Ly (Fa En, Sutra Study) Executive Officer
Seeing so many smiling faces, people hugging, engaging and connecting with friends, family and making new friends, it was a reminder how important an event like this is, in bringing the community together. Many were surprised that vegetarian food can be so delicious and there can be so many choices! Some were even inspired to try meditation for the first time. It was so much fun and a wondrous, joyful celebration to end the year.
Matthew Sheng (Chuan Yi) Performance Group
Being a volunteer in more than one single department, I got to see the amount of effort it took to perfect such a tremendous event. When not being able to be there due to other errands to do, you always had a backup person to help so the area you were covering would still be okay. Performing on stage and seeing all the happy faces we were lighting up really made this experience worthwhile! Under the guidance of many shifus and volunteers this years vegefest would remain in my head forever!
Leng Lau (Fa Hui) Performance Group
It was a beautiful cool day and the smooth flow of hundreds of people coming thru in and out of the monastery without a single chaos. The swift rotation displayed of various delightful cuisines was amazingly well managed. Kudos to the huge efforts from Abbess for her outstanding intellect, our ingenious Shifus and numerous diligent volunteers that had made this event, tremendously applaud able.I am most grateful for the opportunity to be in this journey with Bao Lin.
Richard & Jenny (Zen II) Culinary Group
This is the first time both of us have volunteered and participated in this festival. We are truly in awe of the hard work of each and every person involved. The food, decorations, entertainment, talks, cooking classes, and even the face painting were all incredible. You could truly see and feel the joy and happiness on the faces of everyone attending this festival. Thank you to Bao Lin Monastery and all the Shifus. We deeply appreciate your efforts in bringing so much joy and happiness to everyone.
Wei and family (Zen II) Cleaning Group
This was my first time celebrating Vege Fest with my family, and it was amazing. I've never seen so many people come together to celebrate Vege Fest and learn about the benefits of vegetarian and vegan diets. It was incredible to see all the delicious dishes that kind and generous people prepared and brought to Bao Lin. The variety of foods showcased how diverse and tasty vegetarian and vegan meals can be, giving non-vegetarians and non-vegans a glimpse into the endless possibilities of plant-based cuisine. This was also our first time celebrating Vege Fest while helping with the important task of keeping the venue clean and tidy for everyone to enjoy. The three of us, as a family, were very happy to contribute to the event in this way. The way Bao Lin organized and laid out the format of the festival was truly spectacular. We hope to see you again next year for another wonderful Vege Fest!
Meredith Chesney (Zen I )
I would like to acknowledge all those volunteers responsible for the behind the scenes work such as tidying the facilities and sorting the rubbish. Everything was covered and so well organised and with a feeling of calmness not stress. This event is a credit to all and a great day for the Bao Lin Community to celebrate and share their ways. We are relatively new to Bao Lin and we were so impressed by this event. We feel so welcome and included.
Probo Leonard (Neighbor’s feedback)
Great event! It was a wonderful opportunity for the community to learn about Buddhism and its teachings. The event embodied the true spirit of giving back to the community and kindness. There were lots of cultural dances and delicious food. My 4- and 9-year-old children even learned about meditation. We would definitely come again!