On the morning of July 1st, Changxing County Buddhist Association held the semi-annual work conference in 2022 in Tianju Temple conference room. More than 40 people, including heads of Buddhist places in the county and directors of Buddhist associations, attended the conference. The meeting was presided over by Master Jie Long, president of the Buddhist Association of Changxing County, and Wang Chunqiang, deputy director of the United Front Work Department of Changxing County Committee and director of the Ethnic Affairs Bureau, attended the meeting and made a special education and speech.
Before the official start of the meeting, the participants were organized to sing the national anthem and raise the national flag to celebrate the 101st anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and be baptized by the party. Subsequently, Union County Fire Brigade organized a special activity of “Danger Removal and Security” and a fire safety drill, which further improved the safety awareness and emergency response ability of the person in charge of the place, and really led the teaching staff to “manage, prevent, check themselves and escape”.
At the meeting, Wang Chunqiang, deputy director of the United Front Work Department of the county party committee and director of the People’s Religious Affairs Bureau, first conveyed the spirit of the 15th Party Congress in Zhejiang Province and the spirit of the practical mobilization meeting of the theme of “Seeing Beautiful China in Huzhou” in Huzhou City, and made a special education on “learning the history of the party, knowing the history of the party and feeling the gratitude of the party”, calling on Buddhist associations to hold high the banner of patriotism and love for education at a new historical starting point, adhere to the direction of China Buddhism, and strive to adapt to the requirements of socialist development and the “two firsts”. Master Long conveyed and studied the spirit of the Eighth Congress of Zhejiang Buddhist Association, and asked the county Buddhist Association to implement it strictly and realistically. Secretary-General Jin Mei made a comprehensive summary of the Buddhist Association’s work in the first half of 2022. While fully affirming the achievements, he also pointed out the existing shortcomings and suggestions for improvement, and made overall arrangements and requirements for the Buddhist Association’s work in Changxing County in the second half of the year. Vice-President Ti Chan respectively conveyed the “Joint Initiative of National Religious Groups and Zhejiang Religious Groups on Worship Frugality and Abstinence from Luxury” and Master Dao Ci’s speech at the working conference of Zhejiang Buddhist Association’s special class of “Strictly Administering Education”. Master Zheng Dao, the vice president, led everyone to study the Measures for the Administration of Internet Religious Information Services, the Measures for the Financial Administration of Religious Places and the Measures for the Implementation of the Administration of Religious Staff in Zhejiang Province, and made clear and emphasized the relevant matters of the Buddhist Association. The meeting also voted on the proposal of adding a deputy secretary-general, and Shi Men and Master Shi were unanimously elected as deputy secretaries-general of Changxing Buddhist Association.
Finally, Director Wang Chunqiang made an important speech, fully affirming the outstanding achievements of Changxing Buddhist Association in system construction, self-development, epidemic prevention and control, “security against danger” and charity and public welfare in the past six months. At the same time, he also made a systematic analysis and comment on the existing problems and shortcomings, put forward reasonable opinions and suggestions, and put forward new expectations and requirements for Changxing Buddhist Association and temples under its jurisdiction. First, he hoped that Buddhist teaching staff would be “strict in teaching and caring” Second, the Buddhist Association should have the spirit of reform and innovation and open up a new situation of Changxing Buddhism. Under the background of the new reform history, all temples and teaching staff should actively adapt to the information society, and keep pace with the times in terms of cultural education and digital empowerment. Third, we should take the “two first” goals as the traction, strive to target the new ideas, new ways and new requirements of Zhejiang’s development, persist in “going out and bringing in”, take the “danger-removing and security” activities as the starting point, constantly improve the management level of religious sites and the ability and quality of teaching staff, give full play to the positive role of religious circles, actively carry forward the spirit of Buddhism, and contribute to the strength of the Buddhist Association for building a harmonious and stable “prosperous and beautiful”.