What it's like to be a nun at Australia's largest Buddhist temple

I've visited the grounds many times to report on the colourful cultural celebrations like Buddha's birthday and Lunar New Year that draw thousands from near and far to the city south of Sydney.

I have spoken to the nuns many times about their events, but never about themselves and their lives - up until now.

What is it like to devote one's life to religion and live in Australia's largest Buddhist temple? Do they crack jokes? Do they leave the temple grounds?

I was welcomed into the grounds at Berkeley this week to chat with some of the nuns (often incorrectly referred to as "monks"), including the chief nun of Australia and New Zealand.

There are only 28 nuns who live at the temple and each has different roles to play, such as the media advisor or cook or gallery curator.

It is getting harder to encourage women to join the monastery. The youngest nun at the temple is in her 30s, although there is a nun in her 20s in New Zealand.

You won't find monks in Australia, the men are in temples elsewhere in the world.

You also won't see the nuns relaxing by the television watching Home and Away or hitting the shops for idle possessions.

But you will see them watching the news to keep up to date with the world and the surrounding community with the aim of helping others.

I joked they were all like Wonder Woman (to which they laughed) because of their willingness to pick up different skills in so many different areas - but that is the Buddhist way they tell me.

"We will just follow the needs of the people around us," said Abbess Manko (the head nun).

"For example, now [we are in a pandemic] so everything is going online we have to learn how to teach meditation online, or if ... drawing helps people to find happiness then we will learn the arts."

Venerable Manko is also the Chief Abbess of Oceania, but was only given that title in recent years.

She first came to Australia from Malaysia in 1990 to help with the construction of Nan Tien, due to her industry experience in her previous civilian life.

Nan Tien is Australia's biggest Buddhist temple with construction completed in 1992. Before it, there were none in Australia or New Zealand, just a "house" in Brighton-Le-Sands.

It is one of the branch temples of the Taiwanese Fo Guang Shan Buddhist order, which was founded by Hsing Yun in 1967.

Now the tranquil monastery is the "headquarters" for Oceania, and has paved the way for 11 temples to be built across the two countries, with 1300 monastics - all women - in the order.

In her previous life, Abbess Manko worked in accountancy in the construction and development industry, but began thinking about trading that life in around 1983 at the age of 20.

"There are some questions in life that we cannot find our own answers," Venerable Manko said.

"After meeting Master Hsing Yun ... he has answered some of these questions."

The nuns usually wake around 6am, before practising their morning chanting from 6.20am. They then have breakfast at 7.30am, before walking meditation and Tai Chi from 8.10am.

Next, they prepare for the day. Nan Tien opens at 11am, so each nun has a post to be ready for, to chat with Buddhist devotees and tourists.

Chief Abbess Manko is incredibly busy with "lots of decision making and leading".

She also oversees all the temples across Oceania, the Nan Tien Institute, the Hsing Yun Educational Foundation, the Buddhist Light International Association for devotees as well as "cultivation of the monastics".

Venerable Youji has been living in Australia for more than two years, and was brought over from Taiwan for the role of gallery curator.

Before turning to Buddhism in 2008, she was working as a creative director in a material company, with a flair for art.

Now she is tasked with finding artists for exhibition at Nan Tien, while passing on her own skills to others.

They don't like to talk about "hidden talents" because all of them have the "heart to learn", to serve the community.

So perhaps they are all Wonder Women - filled with so much skill and knowledge, that they can really do it all.