Master Prajnaparamita, President of the Australian Chinese Buddhist Association, visited Donghua Zen Temple to deepen the Buddhist friendship between China and Australia

On February 13, 2025, Master Prajnaparamita, the President of the Australian Chinese Buddhist Association and a renowned Buddhist leader in Australia, arrived at Donghua Zen Temple in Shaoguan, Guangdong, China for a friendly visit. He was warmly received by Master Wanxing, the abbot of Donghua Zen Temple, and all the monks in the temple, adding a new chapter to the interaction between the Chinese and Australian Buddhist communities.

Master Prajna was born in the Taihu Lake Lake, Anhui Province in 1973. In his early years, he was promoted by Master Hongchang and became a monk under the seat of Master Hongxing. In 1989, he entered Fujian Buddhist Academy for further study. Later, he was named "Prajna" by Master Zanghui. In 1994, at the invitation of his mentor, he went to Australia to preach Buddhism, becoming the first person in Australia to serve the Olympics with Buddhism, the world's first "police monk", and the first monk in Australia to give a speech in parliament. He also founded the "Prajna" magazine, established the Prajna Temple, and served as the president of the Australian Chinese Buddhist Association, making outstanding contributions to Buddhist exchanges between China and Australia.

Master Prajnaparamita hopes to promote further cooperation between the Buddhist communities of China and Australia in cultural dissemination, public welfare and charity through his visit to Donghua Zen Temple, promote the diversified development of Buddhist culture, and enhance mutual understanding and friendship between Buddhist believers of the two countries.

Master Wan Xing, the abbot of Donghua Zen Temple, along with the temple's deacons and members of the monastic community, warmly welcomed Master Prajna's arrival and accompanied him on a visit to Donghua Zen Temple. During the visit, Master Wan Xing gave a detailed explanation of the history, reconstruction experience, and current scale of Donghua Zen Temple. When passing the the Shakya ManiHall, the two sides held a friendly ceremony, which demonstrated the respect and respect between the Buddhists of the two countries.

Subsequently, the two sides held friendly talks and had in-depth exchanges on Buddhist doctrines and spiritual practices.

After the meeting, Venerable Prajna presented Venerable Wanxing with a carefully selected agarwood stump adorned with a metal emblem of the Chinese and Australian flags. The agarwood stump represents resilience and eternity, symbolizing the deep foundation and enduring strength of Buddhist cultural exchange between China and Australia; The metal emblem of the Chinese and Australian flags is like a bond between the Buddhist communities of the two countries, shining with the light of cooperation and exchange, showcasing the beautiful vision of both sides to work together and create a better future in the field of Buddhist culture. This precious gift will serve as a witness to the friendship between China and Australia in Buddhism, and will be forever cherished at Donghua Temple, inspiring Buddhists from both countries to continue deepening exchanges and cooperation, and jointly promoting the prosperity and development of Buddhist culture.

In return for the precious gift from Master Prajna, Master Wanxing, on behalf of Donghua Zen Temple, presented Master Prajna with an exquisite lacquer Buddha statue. The lacquer craft has a history of thousands of years in China. It is mainly made of natural lacquer and carefully crafted through multiple processes. It has the characteristics of deep color, delicate texture, and strong durability. This lacquered Buddha statue is not only a precious artwork, but also carries the deep friendship and beautiful blessings of Donghua Zen Temple towards Master Prajna. It symbolizes the profound foundation and bright future of Buddhist cultural exchange between China and Australia, and will become an important witness to the friendly relationship between the Buddhist communities of the two countries.

After the friendly talks, Master Prajna was invited to participate in tree planting activities at the International Friendship Forest of Donghua Zen Temple. Master Wan Xing personally led the temple deacons and members of the monastic community to participate and plant a symbolic tree for the friendship between China and Australia in Buddhism. At the tree planting site, Venerable Wanxing and Venerable Prajna worked hand in hand, and the deacons and members of the monastic community also joined in. Everyone worked together to dig pits, plant trees, fill soil, and water, and every step was filled with solemnity and piety.

After the tree planting was completed, both sides held a grand photo taking ceremony in front of the newly planted trees to record this historic moment. This tree not only symbolizes the profound friendship between the Buddhist communities of China and Australia, but also carries the beautiful expectations of Buddhists from both countries for future exchanges and cooperation. It will become a beautiful scenery in the Donghua Temple International Friendship Forest, witnessing the continuous deepening and development of Buddhist cultural exchanges between China and Australia.

Master Prajnaparamita expressed sincere admiration for the development of Donghua Zen Temple today, believing that under the leadership of Master Wanxing, Donghua Zen Temple has not only achieved remarkable achievements in Buddhist practice and the promotion of Buddhism for the benefit of life, but also played an important role in international Buddhist exchanges and cooperation.

Master Wanxing expresses sincere gratitude to Master Prajnaparamita for his evaluation and blessings. He stated that Master Prajnaparamita not only achieved outstanding achievements in the Australian Buddhist community, but also made outstanding contributions to the exchange of Buddhism between China and Australia. All the monks of Donghua Zen Temple feel extremely familiar with Master Prajnaparamita's visit. This exchange not only deepened mutual understanding between the Buddhist communities of China and Australia, but also laid a solid foundation for future cooperation.

Master Wan Xing looks forward to more extensive and in-depth cooperation between the Buddhist circles of China and Australia in cultural exchanges, talent training, public welfare and other fields in the future, to jointly promote the diversified development of Buddhist culture and make greater contributions to enhancing the friendship and well-being of the two peoples.