A Buddhist nun’s respect for the Sto. Niño

CEBU, Philippines - While strolling along downtown Cebu in 1990, a Buddhist nun saw an image of the Sto. Niño and immediately, the smiling image of the Holy Child amazed her. A significant persona, she said, that was revealed beyond the image itself, was what caught her attention.

It was then that 50-year-old Venerable Yung Ling, the deputy Abbess of Fo Guang Shan Philippines got to know the Sto. Niño.

Raised in Taiwan, Yung Ling, who only speaks Mandarin and was with an interpreter when she was interviewed, said that the joyous trait of the Cebuanos reflects the image of the Sto. Niño, who is smiling.

“The image of Sto. Niño is very smiling, it makes me feel very close to Sto. Niño,” she said in Mandarin, adding that Cebu City, which is considered as the Queen City of the South, is blessed because of the Holy Child.

She also considers Cebuanos as talented individuals as showcased during the celebration of the Sinulog, which, she said, is “something unique, gives a lot of joy and happiness to many people.”

“The dance that people present is very unique, different groups they present it in a different way in order to celebrate or to pay respect to Sto. Niño,” she said.

The devotion of the people to the Sto. Niño also amazes the Buddhist nun after watching people flock to the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño every Friday.

“Sto. Niño Church is very popular, very many people. The culture of Sto. Niño is very rich and flourishing while the Sto. Niño Church is more than 400 years already,” she said.

There is no doubt, she said, that the Holy Child is close to the people.

“Sto. Niño makes people happy and it creates not only happiness to the people but it also creates harmony and peace,” she said.

RESPECT FOR THE STO. NIÑO

Despite being a Buddhist nun, Yung Ling would bow to the Sto. Niño as a sign of respect whenever she gets the chance to visit the Basilica.

According to Buddhist teachings, bowing to images, even those that are not of Buddhist origins, is an expression of gratitude for the teaching.

Buddhism agrees with the moral teachings of other religions, is tolerant and not concerned with labels like ‘Christian,’ ‘Moslem,’ ‘Hindu’ or ‘Buddhist.’ 

“We also consider Sto. Niño with great wisdom, that’s why we respect the Sto. Niño,” she said, adding that she considers the Holy Child a source of inspiration which should be followed by everyone.

Thus, Yung Ling felt the need to share the Sto. Niño to others, too, and brought the image to her homeland in Taiwan.   From December 23 last year to January 2, Yung Ling brought the Sto. Niño to Taiwan and her delegation, the Young Adults Division, a Cebu – based performing arts group, participated in events such as the 2014 International When Buddha Meets the Gods in Buddha Memorial Center in Taiwan.

For 10 days straight, she said, the group performed in different villages in Taiwan.

“But in that ten days, nobody got sick. It was a miracle,” she said.

“That is why, when you are giving joy to the people, the Buddha and Sto. Niño will help you, and you will not get sick, when you’re happy and you are giving people happiness,” she added.

“With the Sto. Niño around, we can feel peaceful, confident, and calm. That is why we brought the Sto. Niño there,” she said.

For Yung Ling, her religion is not a hindrance for her respect for the Sto. Niño.   “The Sto. Niño has a big heart. I don’t feel different with the Sto. Niño. We only feel that from people actually. It is the people that create divisions,” she said. (FREEMAN)