Vegan Shabu-Shabu: Healthy and Delicious

Yesterday, me and my friends attended the Star Wars Movie Marathon event at the Fong Guang Shan Mabuhay Temple. It is part of the regular monthly activities at the temple of by the Dharma Cinema Circle (Film Study Group). We had in-between breaks after every movie finished. Fong Guang Shan Mabuhay Temple is a Buddhist temple, all of the food and drinks served are vegan (all vegetables, no fish or meat, no milk or eggs).

During dinner time, we thought of trying the Vegan Shabu-Shabu at the Waterdrop Tea House inside the temple. Thanks to Marjee for the treat, next time it will be on me. 
We had a teapot of Oolong Tea while we were waiting for our order.  It took around 10-15 minutes before it was served to us. When the Vegan Shabu-Shabu (P200) was served, it was in a big black iron pot and came together with a portable stove on our table.

We were 5 persons that shared the Vegan Shabu-Shabu. It had hefty servings of Pechay   Baguio, slices of Squash (Pumpkin), tomato slices, sliced corn cobs, vegemeat, tofu slices, cubed veggie ham and identical veggie fish cake. It was served with Satay (peanut) sauce and chili sauce for additional flavor according to your own taste. 

We also had a free refill of the soup so the Vegan Shabu-Shabu was more than enough for us. It's not just healthy but it was also delicious. Everyone of us felt fulfilled for this extraordinary soup. It made us really full. Who says that vegan or vegetarian food is not good? If you'll try it, you will know that I'm saying the truth. 


Waterdrop Tea House is located inside the Fong Guang Shan Mabuhay Temple.
656 P. Ocampo St., Malate, Manila  (across Century Park Hotel and near Rizal Memorial Stadium). It is open to everyone but if you want to try their some of their vegetarian dishes, the Water Drop Tea House is open from Tuesdays to Sundays (except Mondays) 9am to 8pm only. 

One Day on Earth Screening

The International Buddhist Progress Society (IBPS) of Manila will host a free public screening of One Day on Earth at the Five Contemplations Hall of the Mabuhay Temple on 11 June 2012 at 7:30 pm. Mabuhay Temple is located at 656 Pablo Ocampo St., Malate, Manila.

One Day on Earth is a full-length documentary feature that holds the distinction of being the first film ever to include footage from every country on earth, all captured on a single day -  10 October 2010. The film provides a unique look into a wide array of human activities and even offers intimate access to rarely seen images from countries such as North Korea, Iran and Kosovo. 

One Day on Earth

The film was able to beautifully capture the interconnectedness of human beings by showing the shared triumphs and challenges of all people on earth. The film's director and founder Kyle Ruddick and co-founder and executive producer Brandon Litman, with the support of the United Nations and a global community of filmmakers, has succeeded in creating a video time capsule of one day on planet earth, making the documentary a great achievement, not only in film making, but also in human cooperation. 

IBPS is honored that Mabuhay Temple was selected as one of the few venues to screen One Day on Earth in the Philippines. IBPS is an organization affiliated with the Fo Guang Shan (FGS) Buddhist order based in Taiwan with Mabuhay Temple being its branch temple in Manila. Other FGS branch temples in the Philippines are located in Cebu, Bacolod and Iloilo. Apart from regular Buddhist prayer services, Mabuhay Temple regularly holds other activities such as lectures, open mic events, film screenings, temple tours, study groups and short educational programs.

For more information about the One Day on Earth screening and other activities of Mabuhay Temple, please check out the temple's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/mabuhaytemple. 

You can also send an email to fgsphilippines@gmail.com or call 559-9540.

Fong Guang Shan Mabuhay Temple

656 P. Ocampo Street, Malate,Manila (across Century Park Hotel and walking distance from LRT Vito Cruz Station)

Samsara

Join us for a FREE film screening of Samsara, the debut feature of critically-acclaimed director Pan Nalin. Dubbed as a spiritual love story, Samsara is the tale of one man's struggle to find spiritual enlightenment while dealing with his worldly desires. 

This film is advisable to viewers whom are 18+  years old due to some explicit scenes.  

A discussion on the film and how it relates to Virya Paramita (virtues) or the Perfection of Diligence will follow after the screening.

The Dharma Cinema Circle is facilitated by the Fo Guang Shan Mabuhay Temple every 3rd Sundays of the month.  FREE Admission but donations are welcome.

It is open to everyone even if you're not Buddhist. 

The venue will be at the AVR (Audio-Visual Room) on the 6th floor of the Fong Guang Shan Mabuhay Temple. It is located at 656 Pablo Ocampo Street, Malate, Manila 

(across Century Park Hotel and walking distance from Vito Cruz LRT Station).

SIDDHARTHA: A Musical Journey to Enlightenment

SIDDHARTHA the Musical --- IN MANILA!

For Non-Buddhists, Buddha was a human. He was an Indian, not Chinese. 
He was Prince Siddartha from Northern India. He sought answers to life’s questions and who discovered a way of loving-kindness and compassion to achieve liberation and perfect peace as the Buddha.

I have attended the musical yesterday at 3pm together with some friends and fellow devotees. I should be seating at the middle of the theater which is my favorite spot but for a change I seated earlier at the balcony for the first time.  I just wanted to try it because most VIPs like to seat in the balcony of a theater like Abraham Lincoln etc.

I loved the opening of the musical, the performers were very good in dancing and singing. Their Indian costumes were also very nice and elegant. Really fit for the royalty.  The choreography was also very good that it gave a great impression on the audience until the end of the musical. If I can describe it in one word - - SPECTACULAR!


I also love the soundtrack of the musical, it was so relaxing that I fell asleep a little bit because I didn't sleep well the other night before. It was not boring, it was just me but I still tried to keep up and watch the musical. After the musical, we were given a souvenir CD of the musical's soundtrack which is perfect since I can use it when ever I'm meditating at home.

Follow the life of the Buddha, one of the world’s greatest spiritual teachers, in this musical acclaimed in Taiwan with lyrics written by Fo Guang Shan founder Venerable Master Hsing Yun, compositions by award-winning songwriter Jude Gitamondoc, and a Cebu-based cast and crew directed by Daisy Ba-ad.

The musical was presented by International Buddhist Progress Society, 

Manila (IBPS) (Fo Guang Shan Mabuhay Temple), Buddha's Light International Association, Philippines (BLIA) and De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde

It was an invitational event by Fong Guang Shan Mabuhay Temple held at the 
SDA Theater 0f De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (School of Design and Arts Campus) 
950 P. Ocampo St., Malate, Manila

Vegetarian Food Fair 2012

The Vegetarian Food Fair 2012 is an awesome event for vegans and also for foodies. 
It was held last December 4, 2011 at the Fong Guang Shan Mabuhay Temple. They have this kind of event yearly usually every December. I am attending their activities and other events in the temple about 2-3 times a month so I also invite my sisters and other friends to come here as well. 

The event started at 10am with a health talk featuring the speaker Nanay Nona Castillo (she's a vegan for more than 20 years) about on how to live a healthier lifestyle on our daily lives and a demo on how to make fruit smoothies using a blender. It was a very informative talk and not a boring one.

 

After the health talk around 12pm, we proceed downstairs to for the vegetarian buffet. Usually we dine at the dining hall but we were surprised that day because at the entrance of the temple there were tables and vegan food served for 800 attendees!

Me and my sister Cathy posing at the Fresh Fruit table with decors. Looks so nice. 
I'm the one in brown shirt at the left side while my sister is at the right side. 

Who says vegetarian food is bland and boring? You're wrong!
Let me show to you some of the dishes served at the buffet. You'll be stunned. 



The vegetarian Sushi (favorite #3)  looks good and tastes good too!

The vegetarian Tacos (favorite #2) so yummy! Even my sister likes it too!

The vegetarian Barbecue (favorite #1). Me and my sis love bbq and she was amazed of how it looks and the texture of the veggie meat used for the bbq. We love it! 

Still not convince?! 
The vegetarian Baked Macaroni. So good that I ate two of these hehe. 

The vegetarian Fried Rice with veggie ham, shiitake mushrooms, and string beans.
I love it too!

 

Sweet tooth anyone? Desserts? 

YES! There were desserts served in the same time of the food event.

Different kinds of Rice cakes (Maja Blanca, Sapin-Sapin, Kalamay and Biko). 

I'm a big fan of Filipino rice cakes so I took one of those each.

Fruit salad (I think the decoration was overdone but I like the taste of it honestly).

and of course the assorted fresh fruits!!! There were like 4 tables of fresh fruits and lots of left overs after the buffet. The lady monks gave us lots of fruits to bring home.  Me and my sis were so stuffed yesterday.

Why go vegetarian? 

Its not just for health reasons but also for your own well-being and compassion to animals. 

At the moment, I am still eating some meat but I am planning to be a strict vegetarian again when I have my own kitchen so that I can cook my own food. 

The Fong Guang Shan Mabuhay Temple is located at 656 Pablo Ocampo Street, Malate, Manila (across Century Park Hotel and near Rizal Memorial Stadium) and open to everyone but if you want to try their some of the vegetarian dishes, the Water Drop Tea House is open from Tuesdays to Sundays (except Mondays) 9am to 5pm only.