Albert Lin, The Merit Times staff writer
July 3, 2023

After 30 years of propagating Buddhism in Paraguay, I.B.P.S. Paraguay, the largest Buddhist temple in the country, was inaugurated on July 1st, 2023. Most Venerable Hsin Bao, the Abbot of Fo Guang Shan, presided over the inauguration ceremony.

Paraguay is the only diplomatic ally of Taiwan in South America and holds a special position in terms of political, cultural, and economic exchanges.

The event was attended by nearly a thousand participants from various sectors in South America, creating an unprecedented scene. The honored guests in attendance included Sr. Miguel Prieto, the representative of the Mayor of Ciudad del Este (CDE). Additionally, out of the 16 municipalities in Alto Paraná, 9 mayors were present. Other notable guests included Roberto Gonzalez Vaesken, representative of the Governor, Oscar Gonzalez, Minister of Defense, Sofia Montiel, Minister of Tourism, Sr. Camilo Chang, Consul General of Republic of China's Consulado General of Ciudad del Este, and Diego Wen, Representative of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Brazil, Chinese leaders of different groups, and the offering delegation composed of followers from Brazil, Paraguay, Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay.

The Brazilian Kung Fu team performed a lion dance at the ceremony. photo／The Merit Times

Sr. Camilo Chang stated that Fo Guang Shan has 300 temples scattered around the world, and now Paraguay has become one of them. I.B.P.S. Paraguay will serve as the spiritual center for all Chinese believers, and the crucial force in strengthening bilateral relationship.

Sr. Miguel Prieto expressed that Taiwanese culture is rich and diverse, deeply ingrained in people's hearts. The values of the Taiwan have helped the Paraguay face many challenges with courage.

Venerable Miao Yuan, Abbess of I.B.P.S. Do Brasil expressed gratitude for the support of many benefactors during the construction process, especially the Fo Guang Shan youths.

After the unveiling of the Buddha statue,  Most Venerable Hsin Bao, Venerable Miao Yuan and the honored guests took a group photo. photo／The Merit Times

In 1992, Venerable Master Hsing Yun, the founder of Fo Guang Shan, was invited to propagate Buddhism in Paraguay. At that time, Venerable Master Hsing Yun emphasized the importance of Humanistic Buddhism, and individuals such as Ji Wenxiang and Li Yunzhong organized the Buddha's Light International Association (BLIA) Paraguay. On September 20 of the same year, Venerable Master Hsing Yun visited Paraguay for the second time, and BLIA Paraguay was officially established, becoming the first Buddhist organization in Paraguay.

In order to facilitate the collective practice of Paraguayan overseas Chinese, initially, the devotees in Paraguay offered their living rooms as practice venues. Later, they rented the Rose Building in the city center.

In August 1993, venerables of Fo Guang Shan was dispatched to Paraguay, and with the assistance of various sectors, the old I.B.P.S. Paraguay was inaugurated in 1994 at Piso 5. Centro Shopping International Ciudad Del. Este Paraguay. Under the diligent efforts of Venerable Jue Sheng and Venerable Jue Wen, remarkable achievements in propagating the Dharma emerged.

In 2015, Venerable Miao Yuan, who was then the FGS South America Chief Abbess, traveled to Paraguay to preside over the Emperor Liang Repentance Dharma Service. Venerable Miao Yuan discovered that the number of devotees had already exceeded capacity, and the old I.B.P.S. Paraguay was insufficient for use. Therefore, it was decided to establish a new Dharma center.

Accompanied by President of BLIA Paraguay Zhang Fengqin, they found the current location, and householder Jiang Long assisted in hiring Paraguayan architect Roberto Caballero. Many incredible architectural talents also offered their services voluntarily.

Most Venerable Hsin Bao presented certificates of appreciation to seven individuals who made significant contributions to the temple construction. photo／The Merit Times

During the inauguration ceremony, Most Venerable Hsin Bao presented certificates of appreciation to seven individuals who made significant contributions to the temple construction. The awardees included Jiang Long, Ing. Luis Roberto Caballero Gonzalez, Chen Shixian, You Nanyan, Huang Yaorong, Wu Zhenzhou, and Cai Zongxian. All of them are long-term volunteers.

The construction of new I.B.P.S. Paraguay began in May 2016, and the progress was smooth. The inauguration ceremony was scheduled to take place in March 2020. However, it was postponed due to the global outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Venerable Miao Yuan recalled that during that time, she traveled from Brazil to Paraguay to prepare for the inauguration, but encountered lockdown measures due to the pandemic and ended up being stranded in Paraguay for six months.

Most Venerable Hsin Bao, the Abbot of Fo Guang Shan, presided over the inauguration ceremony of I.B.P.S. Paraguay on July 1st. photo／The Merit Times

Most Venerable Hsin Bao stated, "This moment can be described as 'once in a thousand years, and a thousand years in one moment.' It took Venerable Master Hsing Yun 40 years to compose the 'Ode to the Triple Gem,' and it was 30 years after the establishment of Fo Guang Shan that the Merit Times news agency and universities were established. The completion of I.B.P.S. Paraguay after 30 years of waiting shows the strong faith and unwavering commitment of the local believers, who have never forgotten their original aspiration."

Most Venerable Hsin Bao encourages everyone to become uninvited friends, voluntarily returning and promoting Humanistic Buddhism. Through everyone's support, compassion and wisdom can be passed on to the next generation, and it is also where everyone's merit lies.

I.B.P.S. Paraguay has a land area of 2543 square meters. Inside, there are Buddha halls, meditation halls, classrooms, meeting rooms, art galleries, kitchens, dining halls, Water Drop Teahouse, parking lots, and more. It is a multifunctional and modern temple, serving as a place for sentient beings to recharge their souls and a pure land in the human realm.

The Buddha statue in the meditation hall in I.B.P.S. Paraguay is  apiece of cement artwork. photo／The Merit Times

I.B.P.S. Paraguay is a multifunctional and modern temple, and serves as  place for sentient beings to recharge their souls. photo／The Merit Times