|
|
| 供佛齋天 Heavenly Offering, Feb 02 | |
| 春節慶祝 Chinese New Year, Feb 02 | |
| 彌陀法會 Amitabha Service Dec 2001 | |
| 浴佛節 Buddha's Birthday May 19 2002 |
| 供佛齋天 Heavenly Offering According to the Chinese folk tradition, the ninth day of the new year is celebrated as the birthday of the Heaven. Buddhist do not take refuge in the heavenly beings. However, we still pay respects to the heavenly beings because they too take refuge in the Triple Gem and have undertaken to protect the Dharma and the virtuous people in this world.Thus, the Chinese Buddhist celebrates this day as offering to the Triple Gem and the various heavenly gods. On the 16th Feb evening, after the purification rituals, everyone solemnly invited the Triple Gem and the Heavenly Devas to the ceremonial hall. The whole service lasted four hours. On the next morning, everyone gathered again in the hall, this time to offer the dishes. For more than an hour, everyone quietly knelt before the Buddha, passing each dish and offering it Triple Gem and the Devas. The service concluded after the Grand Offering and Sending Off rituals. This Heavenly Offering is conducted based on Golden Light Sutra and the Twenty-four Deva Lords invited are those who attended the Assembly of the Golden Light and pledged to protect all practioners of the Dharma. This is the first time ever this service is conducted in Portland. Surely, there will be more in the years to come! See photograhs from the service! 中國民間於正月初九慶祝天公聖誕。 初五晚上，灑淨後，大眾嚴肅地唱讚， |
| 春節慶祝 Chinese New Year
Celebration 2002 On evening of 11th Feb 2002, the eve of the Chinese New Year, the temple's volunteers, guest and the resident monks gathered for a simple New Year's Eve Dinner. People started streaming into the temple soon after, many just having had their own Reunion Dinner at home. After a simple Dharma service at 10:30PM, every gathered to await the arrival of the Year of the Horse. The temple was crowded with throngs of people offering incense to the Buddha and praying for a better year. Towards midnight, the drums and clamps rang out loud as the lions danced to mark the arrival of the Chinese New Year. Boxes of oranges and red packets were given out to the devotees. The temple stayed open till 2AM as devotees continue to come to offer the first incense of the year. It was a definitely joyous celebration in an otherwise quiet occasion in Portland! See photographs from the celebrations 二月十一日，年除夕傍晚，法師與一群義工和客人 |
