再訪佛光山花燈區 / Revisiting the Fo Guang Shan Lantern Festival

佛光山（Fo Guang Shan）是台灣著名的佛教道場，它是由星雲大師於1967年創立，推動「人間佛教」理念，主張佛法要走入人間，而非遠離世俗，佛法應該落實在現實生活中，並非只談空理論，他提倡三好運動，就是說好話、做好事、存好心，聽我朋友說，他們還會去佛光山禪修靜坐，尋求心靈的平靜，不過，我是沒去過。

我想，可能佛光山強調佛法應與日常生活結合，所以，每年元宵節在佛光山，都會有平安燈法會，而我在某個夜晚，經過台北佛光山道場時，發現有幾座花燈，其中就有「蛇王護佛」主燈，佛陀身後升起巨大的蛇頭至佛陀頭頂，為佛陀遮風避雨，以佛教經典寓意，勉勵人們不要害怕人生的曲折，在面對各種挑戰時，仍要保持積極樂觀的態度，並以佛法為指引，勇敢走出去，光明就在前方。

去年我也有經過這個燈區，去年的龍年主燈，氣勢磅礡、雄偉壯觀，令人印象深刻，今年是蛇年，看了幾個蛇年的花燈主燈，相較之下，佛光山燈區的主燈還算可愛的，聽人說，有一個燈會的蛇年主燈是用人首蛇身的女媧作為表象，評價則褒貶不一，我個人覺得，蛇年主題的花燈真的很難討喜。

佛光山的花燈主題，好像每年有所不同，但始終圍繞著佛法、善念與文化傳承，我看見不少路人像我一樣被花燈吸引，紛紛駐足拍照打卡，更看到有些父母帶著幼童放風，釋放孩童多餘的精力，璀璨的花燈，讓原本空蕩蕩的廣場，變成另類的遊樂園，花燈不僅照亮了夜空，也溫暖了人心。

Fo Guang Shan is a well-known Buddhist monastery in Taiwan. It was founded by Master Hsing Yun in 1967 to promote the concept of "Humanistic Buddhism", which emphasizes that Buddhism should be part of everyday life rather than something distant from the secular world. Instead of just discussing abstract theories, Buddhism should be practiced in real life. He also promoted the "Three Acts of Goodness" campaign—saying good words, doing good deeds, and thinking good thoughts. My friend told me that people go to Fo Guang Shan for meditation and Zen retreats to find inner peace, but I’ve never been there myself.

I guess because Fo Guang Shan emphasizes integrating Buddhism into daily life, they hold the "Peace Lantern Dharma Assembly" every year during the Lantern Festival. One night, when I passed by the Fo Guang Shan temple in Taipei, I noticed several lantern displays. One of them was the main lantern called "The Serpent King Protecting the Buddha". It showed a giant snake rising behind the Buddha, covering him from wind and rain. This is based on a Buddhist story that encourages people not to fear life's ups and downs. No matter what challenges we face, we should stay positive and use Buddhist wisdom to move forward—because light is just ahead.

Last year, I also passed by this lantern area. Since it was the Year of the Dragon, the main lantern was grand and spectacular—it left a deep impression. This year, being the Year of the Snake, I saw several snake-themed lanterns. Compared to others, the one in the Fo Guang Shan lantern area was actually quite cute. I heard that another lantern festival used Nüwa, the half-human, half-snake goddess, as its main design, and opinions on it were mixed. Personally, I think snake-themed lanterns are really hard to make appealing.

It seems like Fo Guang Shan’s lantern theme changes every year, but it always revolves around Buddhist teachings, kindness, and cultural heritage. I saw many passersby, just like me, stopping to take photos and check in on social media. Some parents even brought their kids to run around and burn off energy. The glowing lanterns turned what would have been an empty plaza into a kind of playground. They didn’t just light up the night sky—they warmed people's hearts too.

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