By Thuy Nguyen (Class of 2022)

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As foundations of our community, elders deserve immeasurable appreciation. As teachers of our traditions, they should be treated with utmost respect. And, as experts of life, they should be profoundly honored.

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In the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, students of the Instilling Goodness Developing Virtue Schools are able to perform these practices through the annual Honoring Elders Day celebration. This year, the event took place on the Saturday of November 3^rd.  The theme was centered around filiality, gratitude, and respect. The year 2018 also marks the hundredth year anniversary of our founder, Venerable Master Hsuan Hua.

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Plot Synopsis:

Long ago, in a remote forest, there lived a grandmother all by herself. However, that changed one day when her two granddaughters were sent to live with her, and they were rude, to say the very least. The two children always disregarded their grandmother, and acted with full disrespect. At home, the children were clearly never taught proper manners and respect. The old grandmother wanted to help her grandchildren, and so she took the matter into her own hands. She brought them onto a magical school bus that took them to wonderful and unique destinations. As each journey progressed, with the guidance of the grandmother, the children learned valuable lessons that enlightened them to become better versions of themselves.

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In honor of Venerable Master Hsuan Hua’s 100th anniversary, students performed recitations of his verses:

The journey begins on the Magic School Bus

The adventure ends here, but the road to learning continues…

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Main Photographers: Rachel Blythe (9^th), Thuy Nguyen (9^th), Jocelyn He (11^th)