Nan Tien Buddhist Temple
No matter the religion or faith; whether you are feeling grateful or worried, there will never be a proper excuse for you not to take a visit at the acclaimed World’s Biggest Temple in the Southern Hemisphere – The Nan Tien Buddhist Temple.
Direct Chinese translation of ‘Nan Tien’ means ‘Paradise of the South’, and it’s not hard to reason why, judging from the number of structures, facilities, events held, courses offered etc. In there you can visit:
The Pagoda – resting place for the cremated ashes of devotees,
The Great Compassion Shrine – where the statue of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, known as Kuan Yin in Chinese is situated,
The Main Shrine – where five large Buddha statues depicting the Five Dhyani Buddhas or Buddhas of the Five Directions is placed,
There are numerous ways to give offerings when you are there at the temple, be it lighting a candle to bless oneself or family, burning joss sticks or just making a kind monetary donation to the temple. And fret not if you didn’t bring enough cash, as the temple personnel there are always ready to accept credit card and EFTpos transactions.
Vegetarian lunch is also provided at a cost of around A$8.
In-area walkabout takes around 2 hours to cover at a strolling pace, inclusive of ample opportunities to gain little enlightenment or spiritual directions from wall writings and scriptures as you walked along. Do remember to leave your troubles and worries behind before leaving the temple.
And be blessed.
After note:
Nan Tien Temple is located at Berkeley Road, Berkeley, Wollongong. Journey by car takes slightly over an hour from Sydney city, traveling southerly along Prince’s Highway and Southern Freeway. You will pass by a big brown direction board stating ‘Nan Tien Temple’ along the highway, which leads you into the temple itself. Alternatively, you can take a train into Wollongong city, and take a 20-minutes stroll into the temple.
Refer (http://www.nantien.org.au/) for more info.
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