2016 Buddha’s Birthday and Buddha Bathing Dharma Assembly

Texas Buddhist Association held a Buddha’s Birthday and Buddha Bathing Dharma Assembly in the Grand Hall of Jade Buddha Temple in celebration of Buddha’s Birthday on May 15, Sunday, at 10:00 am. Also a ceremony for “Taking Refugee in Three Jewels and Observing Five Precepts” was held in the afternoon.

Dharma Assembly was solemnly started with reciting “Heart Sutra, followed by a speech by Ven. Dao-Yi, entitled “Bathing in Dharma Water to Purify Ourselves.” Ven. Dao-Yi first explained the meaning of “Dharma Water” and “Ordinary Heart.” It means that in this world, one needs to believe right and wrong, effect of Karma, three terms of life, and ordinary people and sage. Also one needs to practice “hearing, thinking, and cultivating” in order to experience “The Four Noble Truths, and Dependence Origination;” to use Right Dharma to purify the contaminated ordinary hearts.
Ven. Dao-Yi’s conclusion was: “Buddha’s teaching is like dharma water; it can purify our ordinary hearts, allow us to increase our good fortune and wisdom, and let thing going our ways.”
After the speech, the Bodhi choir of the Association performed two songs, “Dharma Rain Spreading Flying Flower” and “Bathing the Buddha” to express the superiority of Dharma and praise the life of the Buddha through music.
At this point, it was the introduction of honor guests, including Mr. Li Qiang Min, Consul General of People’s Republic of China; Mrs. Liu Hong Mei, Deputy Consul Gene; and Mr. Fang Zhen Qun, Director of Overseas Chinese Affairs of the Consulate General of People’s Republic of China. After the introduction of honor guests, the Bodhi scholarships were awarded to nine high school and college students.
After the greeting the Buddha’s statue, offering flowers, offering lightings, and the General Offering to Buddhas, Ven. Jang Hai gave a speech and led the blessing. Ven. Jan Hai made an encouragement talk to the attendees by saying that the continuation of Buddha’s teaching in this world was based on setting Three Jewels as the foundation and people as the basis, and there were already over 500 million Buddhists in the world.
Ven. Han Hai led the attendees for the blessing in front of the Buddha statue and wished the prosperity of Buddhism, peace on earth, Three Jewels abode the world, and to spread Buddhism together; also wished all members to be auspicious in all endeavors. Afterward, under the chanting of Buddha’s name, everyone took turns to bath the Buddha.
The ceremony of Taking Refuge in the Three Jewels and Observing Five Precepts was held in the Kwan Yin Hall in the afternoon at 1:30 pm. Ven. Jan Hai led the ceremony in which more than 10 members participated. The Buddha Birthday and Bathing the Buddha Dharma Assembly and the Ceremony for Taking Refuge in the Three Jewels and Observing Five Precepts were completed at 3:00 pm in the afternoon.

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