10/13/2024

Austin Xiang Yun Temple Invited to Give a Talk at Church in English

Reporter Wu Xiaoyi

On the afternoon of October 13th, Venerable Jue Ji was invited to the First United Methodist Church in Austin to introduce Buddhism to their youth fellowship. The talk covered the three major Buddhist traditions, the life of the Buddha, basic teachings, and the benefits of meditation. Over 30 teenagers, aged 10 to 18, attended the session. The Venerable prepared a variety of prizes and included quiz segments throughout the talk. Even before questions were asked, the children eagerly raised their hands, hoping not to miss the chance to participate and win prizes. During the Q&A session, the audience enthusiastically asked questions, and the Venerable patiently answered each one. The lively and engaging talk ended with laughter from the children. Devon Bailey, the youth fellowship leader, praised the Venerable for perfectly capturing the teenagers' interest in Buddhism, and he was confident that the session had planted seeds of goodwill toward Buddhism in their hearts. This exchange and interaction marked another step forward in Xiang Yun Temple's journey of localizing Buddhism.