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時間是週五（四月四日），一反萬佛聖城平日生活型態，屋外一片脫俗的寧靜中，偶爾傳來俗世的音聲──正是那群四處漫遊的溫馴孔雀所發出的叫聲；大齋堂裡，碩大的佛像前，三個頭戴捲蓬誇張假髮的年輕人，正帶領著一群融合不同種族和文化的人，認真表演著。
歡迎參加2003年的懷少節盛會。每年萬佛城都會為年輕人舉辦這一年一度的慶祝活動。正如女校校長恆音法師所解說，懷少節的慶祝有其輕鬆的一面之外，在其中也隱含了嚴肅的宗旨。
「在懷少節這一天，我們將全部的焦點都投注在孩子們身上，讓他們認識到自己將來會是這世界的公民和領導人，也讓他們明瞭自己應該充份發展天賦，並且朝正路上面走去。」恆音法師說道。
她並且補充：所謂的「正路」是指孩子們應該明瞭自己對世界有一份義務在，應該為家庭和社會謀求福利，生活在和諧之中，並且和來自不同文化的人相處融洽，而不只是為了個人私利去追求一份事業而已。
恆音法師樂見參加慶典的人十分踴躍，說：「今天我們有將近五百位來賓，比以往人數都多，這讓我們感到非常地歡喜」，恆音同時指出：除了萬佛城的學生之外，當地其他八所學校也都派了代表來參加此次盛會。
那三位頭戴誇張假髮、帶動大眾跳動的主持人正是十五歲的嚴執運、十四歲的黃忠以及十七歲的安巴比，他們三位顯然就是想把歡樂帶給大家，彼此和諧共處。原來選擇播放的這首七○年代的老歌，是男生的協調人胡明宇的點子。他今年二十二歲，目前擔任男校的政治學教師。胡明宇可以說是繞了好一個圈子，才又回到這裡。
「我以前也在這裡唸書」，胡明宇說：後來進入柏克萊大學就讀，畢業後又志願回到這裡教書。重新回到母校任教是一件非常具有挑戰性的工作，也讓我真正體認到當初我的老師在教我時所面臨的處境。」現在自己當了老師後，胡明宇顯然對過去老師們的付出充滿了敬意。「這裡所有的老師都是志願工作者」，胡明宇說道：「他們若不是對自己所做的工作充滿了堅定的信念，是不會來到這裡的。」他還說：「我們今天的一個宗旨，就是希望同學們能夠接觸到不同文化背景的人，能夠更加欣賞彼此，進而讓這個世界更美好。」
在一旁觀看表演的十七歲培德女中學生陳青遙表示：「對我來說，今天是展現我們才能的一天，可以完全地做我們自己。特別是因為這次的活動由男校策劃，我們不用策劃，所以更可以輕鬆地做一名觀眾，珍惜每一個點點滴滴。因為這是我在這裡的最後一個懷少節了。」
陳青遙即將從女校畢業，搬到加州其他地方，「我目前還沒決定上大學或大專。」她打算主修著重於公關的溝通學，不過也還在其他選擇徘徊。
她補充說：「今年是我在這裡就讀的第五年了，有點捨不得離開。因為我在這裡交了很多的朋友，也學到了很多東西，離開後會很想念這裡。」
陳青遙接著匆匆地告辭，並解釋說：「下面該我上場了……」
接著是聖城的管弦樂團演奏，由顏亞日老師指揮。演奏傳統的中國樂器，例如竹簫；顏老師指出簫的歷史可追溯到三千年前。陳青遙就在樂團裡負責打大鼓。
其他的音樂表演項目還包括源自日本的太鼓，以及由來自紅木學院(Redwood
Academy)的學生所表演的非洲鼓。
除此之外，大會中還有戲劇表演，其中包括改編自作家James
Thurber的寓言故事《最後一枝花》的演出，是由培德女校的舞蹈老師JackieKincannon和戲劇老師Julia
Misri所共同製作。
「現在正演到精彩之處」，Kincannon解釋道：「因為劇情正在刻畫戰爭與和平無止盡的病態循環，以及人類內心根本的不知足心態，永遠不懂得珍惜現有的，而總想要追求更多，以至於成為貪心與貪婪的犧牲品。」
這樣的主題完全符合了佛教的理念，正如稍早的祈禱詞中所說：「在人心所有的毒害之中，最具毀滅性的莫過於貪。」
美中不足的是，《最後一枝花》的戲劇表演遇到一點技術上的問題，也就是麥克風不斷發生故障，使得這些年輕演員的台詞時而被淹沒，令他們感到沮喪。
不過，這齣寓言劇的結尾倒是成功而有力地傳達出戰爭的愚癡和荒唐。扮演死神的女孩揮臂砍下其他的演員，台上一個個嬌小的身軀撲倒在地，這一幕確實令人震撼。
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It was a study in contrasts at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas on Friday [April 4]. The tranquil atmosphere outside was occasionally punctuated by otherworldly cries from the band of tame peacocks roaming the grounds. Inside the main dining hall, in front of a large statue of the Buddha, three young men in dayglow wigs led an enthusiastic, multi-racial, multi-cultural crowd.
Welcome to Cherishing Youth Day 2003. Each year the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas hosts an annual event in honor of young people, and while there were many light-hearted touches at this year’s celebration, the underlying intent is serious, as Heng Yin, principal of the Girls School, explained.
“We have a day where we all focus on the children and let them know they are going to be important future leaders and citizens and they should develop their talents and go in a proper direction,” Heng Yin said.
By “proper direction,” she added, she meant the children should “realize they have an obligation, not just to pursue a career to benefit themselves, but also to benefit their families and community, and to live in harmony with people of all different cultures.” Heng Yin was pleased with the number of people who had turned up for the celebration. “Today we have about 500 guests, which is more than before, so we’re very happy.” She also pointed out that in addition to the students from the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas classes from approximately eight other local schools had shown up to make presentations.
The masters of ceremonies in the dayglow wigs, Justin Yan, 15, Tommy Huynh, 14, and Bobby Antalek, 17, clearly wanted their peers to have fun while they lived in harmony. 22-year-old Justin Hu, who teaches political science at the school, had helped plan the program. In so doing, he had come full circle.
“I used to go to school here,” Hu explained. “I graduated from Berkeley and came back to volunteer.” Returning as a teacher to the campus where he once was a student was “really, really challenging,” he acknowledged. “It really gives me a perspective on what my teachers were doing.”
As a teacher now himself, Hu clearly had a lot of respect for the work they put in. “All of the teachers here are volunteers,” he said. “They wouldn’t be here unless they really believed in what they were doing.”
Hu said, “We’re here today to try to make the world a different place by introducing the kids to different cultures and backgrounds, so they can appreciate each other a little better.”
“To me,” 17-year-old student Amy Bernacki said, watching the festivities with the rest of the audience, “it means it’s a day to show our talents, where we can just be ourselves. Because the Boys School is planning it, we don’t have to plan it, and I just get to kick back and watch, and cherish it, because it is my last time.”
Bernacki would be graduating from the Girls School soon, and moving “somewhere in California. I’m still in the process of deciding between college and university.” She was thinking of pursuing a communications major with an emphasis on public relations, but was still mulling over her options there as well.
No matter where she ended up, it wouldn’t be easy to leave, Bernacki admitted. “This is my fifth year and I’m a bit reluctant,” she said, “because I’ve made a lot of friends here and learned a lot of skills and I’m going to miss this place.”
Bernacki then abruptly bid her adieu, explaining “I’m in the next event, so...”
The next event turned out to be a performance by the City’s orchestra, led by conductor Agis Gan, which featured traditional Chinese instruments like the bamboo flute, which, he noted, went back 3,000 years. Bernacki played an enormous drum.
Other musical interludes included Taiko drumming, originating from Japan, and African drumming, performed by visiting students from the Redwood Academy.
There were also dramatic performances, including one based on writer James Thurber’s parable “The Last Flower”, co-produced by Jackie Kincannon and Julia Misri, the school’s dance and drama instructors, respectively.
“It’s really poignant right now,” explained Kincannon, “because its about the insane cycle of war and peace and the basic discontent of humans not cherishing what they have and always wanting more, never being content, falling prey to greed and avarice.”
Such themes resonate strongly within the Buddhist philosophy, as a prayer offered earlier had illustrated. “Of the poisons of the mind,” it read in part, “the most destructive one is greed.”
Unfortunately, the “Last Flower” presentation was plagued by technical difficulties. Microphones repeatedly cut out, leaving many of the young players’ lines inaudible, to their evident frustration.
In the end, however, the parable’s message about the folly of war came through loud and clear. The sight of one of the girls, made up as Death, cutting down the other performers with a sweep of her arm, their small bodies silently collapsing to the stage, spoke volumes in any language.
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