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On February 4th, 2024, Fo Guang Shan (FGS) Hsi Lai Temple held two significant seminars: the "Emergency Contact Person Seminar for Lunar New Year Activities" and the "Lunar New Year Festival Traffic Seminar." Officer Jose Ruano from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Industry Station led the sessions, providing critical safety and traffic guidance to venerables, executives of the Buddha’s Light International Association (BLIA), and traffic control volunteers. About 50 participants attended the event.
Ven. Hui Dong encouraged volunteers to view traffic safety as a form of spiritual practice, emphasizing the importance of staying composed and serving the public with compassion during crises. He highlighted the application of the "Three Acts of Goodness and Four Givings" principles, advising volunteers to handle various situations with wisdom and empathy. BLIA Los Angeles Chapter President Alex Wu expressed gratitude for the collective efforts in ensuring traffic safety during the Lunar New Year celebrations.
As one of the key temples in Los Angeles celebrating the Lunar New Year, Hsi Lai Temple expects increased visitor numbers this year. The seminars aimed to ensure the safety of tens of thousands of visitors by addressing emergency protocols, including evacuation procedures and responses to unexpected incidents. Officer Ruano announced that this year's police command center would be located outside the Hsi Lai Center, with officers positioned at key intersections and locations within the temple premises. He emphasized the importance of patience and readiness in the face of potential emergencies.
To ease traffic congestion during the Lunar New Year Festival, the temple and police encourage visitors to use ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft. Designated pick-up and drop-off points and an exclusive lane for these services may be established to improve traffic flow.
Ven. Hui Cheng and Ven. Hui Ze from the Temple Traffic Safety Team explained various identification documents, parking permits, parking locations, shuttle service schedules, and sites. They urged the traffic safety team to embody the spirit of guardianship akin to Sangharama Bodhisattva and Skanda Bodhisattva.
Two days before the event, Ven. Hui Cheng, Ven. Hui Ze, elder advisor Deputy Director Avelyn Busch of BLIA LA Chapter, and several volunteers visited nearly 130 households around Hsi Lai Temple. They distributed traffic passes and expressed appreciation for residents' cooperation with traffic control. They also gave out Spring couplets featuring "May You Be Free as Cloud and Water, Auspicious and Joyful," written by Venerable Master Hsing Yun, and invited neighbors to the "Neighborhood Appreciation Night" on February 23. Many residents expressed excitement for the Lunar New Year Festival and praised the temple's well-coordinated traffic management over the years.
(Photos Provided by Hsi Lai Temple)
