Organising a night festival with flower lanterns on the birthday of Amitabha Buddha at Phuoc Thien Pagoda in HoChiMinh City

As a routine, every year on the tenth of January, lunar calendar, Phuoc Thien Pagoda held a night festival in commemoration of the birthday of The World’s Honoured One or Amitabha Buddha, who is known for his sublime conducts and selflessness and who always thought of living beings as well. Accordingly, many Buddhists inside as well as outside of the rural district where Phuoc Thien Pagoda is located came back to this pagoda to take part in the festival.

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At 19 o’clock sharp, the festival officially began with\r\nrounds of Pratja wooden bell and big bell to politely invite all the monks to\r\narrive at the rostrum to witness the ceremony.

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Opening the ceremony, Abbess Thich Nu Chuc Hai, Abbess of\r\nPhuoc Thien Pagoda and Head of the Organising Board, delivered the opening\r\nspeech. It spoke up the extraordinary predestined affinity of all the Buddhists\r\nto bear human body, to luckily know Buddhist Dharma, and even to be  luckier\r\nto cultivate themselves and practise  the Pure Land method. That is\r\nwhy the Buddha’s birthday must be a very important day to all those who have\r\nbeen practising this method.

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Next, with all their sincerity and respect, the masses\r\nunanimously directed themselves to the precious and solemn statue of the\r\nBlessed One and prostrated themselves in front of The Triratna. The program\r\ncontinued with the ceremony called ‘Transmission of the Lamp’. This is the most\r\nimportant part of the night festival  -  the candles were\r\ntransmitted among the true Buddhists. This is also the emblem of a former\r\nintention or vow by which the light of wisdom, of compassion, of love, of\r\nknowledge is transmitted so that practitioners may feel the entire and immense\r\nlove from the Buddha. This will help Buddhists be more diligent in their self\r\ncultivation.

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The sound of singing Buddhist verses together with the\r\nprayers to Buddha and of the 48 Great Vows made the ceremony more solemn and\r\nformal.

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The ceremony became more complete when the masses had the\r\nchance to listen to the milk of the Dharma which nourishes the spiritual nature\r\nfrom Superior Buddhist Monk Thich Thien Lac, Head of the Managing Committee of\r\nthe School of Vietnam Buddhism of Binh Chanh Rural District. With extremely\r\nsimple stories but full of meaning, the Superior Buddhist Monk helped the\r\nmasses understand more about Amitabha Buddha as well as his abilities and the\r\nadvantages of the praying to Buddhas. The whole wayplace were of one mind in\r\nputting into practice the teachings of the Superior Buddhist Monk.

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When the musical sound of the night of Amitabaha resounded\r\ntogether with the sparkling of the candles, the night ceremony ended in the\r\nhappiness of all the participants.

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Attached here with are some recorded pictures.

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