Saturday, January 27, 2007

New Year New Wish

We promote the Zen practice and propagate the Zen Buddhism at the Buddha Mind Monastery. While celebrating Chinese New Year, we want to follow the Bodhisattva’s spirit to benefit not only ourselves but also others. Moreover, in order to facilitate better understanding of Eastern and Western culture, we held the New Year Medicine Buddha ceremony and Chinese New Year celebration.

On the day of Dharma ceremony, the weather was sunny with a light breeze. Around 9:00 am, all of the Dharma supporters gathered at the Buddha Mind Monastery. Everyone recited” Medicine Crystal Light Tathagata’s Vow and Merit Sutra” and the sounds of chanting were like from heaven. Master Jian Tai, the Abbess of the Buddha Mind Monastery, gave a Dharma lecture in both Chinese and English to demonstrate the merit and virtue of chanting Medicine Buddha Sutra. The Medicine Buddha makes a great vow to cure the physical illness and eradicate vexations of sentient beings. Only when we have a peaceful mind and healthy body as well as do good deeds, will our inherent wisdom manifest naturally.

The New Year Dharma ceremony included offering to the Buddha, for prosperity, and dedication to the deceased. Everyone sincerely offered incense and vegetarian food to the Buddha and Bodhisattvas. With a wish to have nice weather and to handle public affairs smoothly in Oklahoma, now celebrating its centennial, people attending the Dharma ceremony chanted mantras and dedicated the merits to this land. From the diligent practice of everyone, we wish that all Dharma supporters gain blessings and wisdom, and the deceased can transcende to the pure land.

Following the Dharma ceremony, there were many performances and celebration programs. It began with New Year songs in Chinese from eight students of our Mandarin Learning class,followed by Buddhist song choir, nunchakus performances, Tai Chi martial art, electronic piano performance, and Chinese prose. These programs fully showed the rich content of Chinese culture. The performance of “Fairy offers Fortune” by Zweng-Yen Liang reached the most excited period during the Chinese New Year celebration program. She placed her palms together and very sincerely offered to the Buddha. Following her performance was a ribbon dance and distribution of fortune envelops. Everyone had a great time and enjoyed the joyful atmosphere of Chinese New Year.

“In the New Year and New Spring, all is new. Every new day should focus on clearing and purifying the Mind. At the right moment, the ancient moon illuminates. From morning till evening, we meet Spring again.” In the New Year, no matter where you are, you should increase your understandings and breakthrough your limitation. If you can be the master of the Pure Mind all the time, then every day is a good day, and every year is a good year.

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