The Lantern Night on the Amitabha Buddha’s Birthday.

In the night of Dec 27th, 2015 (Nov 17th, Lunar Calendar), in the cold Winter and the celebratory atmosphere of Amitabha’s Birthday of all Buddhists over the country, Hoang Phap pagoda solemnly celebrated the lantern ceremony on the Amitabha Buddha’s Birthday. In the sincerely reverent and sacred atmosphere, thousands of Buddhists came to Hoang Phap pagoda to attend the celebration.

Towards faithful mind to the kind Father, at Nov 17th (Lunar Calendar) every year, all Buddhists in general as well as the cultivators of the Pure Land Dharma celebrate a ceremony to memorize his merit of universal grace and salvation, relating to traditionally national spiritual festival.

Their desire was to wait until 6:00 pm when the ceremony took place three sets of prajna drum for the venerable s’ right mindful steps to the stadium.

 

To start the ceremony, Junior Ven. Thích Tâm Hiếu chanted verses prior to the onset of a peal of bell. All the Buddhists kept their mind purified and calmed, together focusing on the Amitabha Buddha’s statue consciously:

“Be silent, be silent in your mind

Let the miracle bell sounds silence your mind.”

After the proclaiming and announcing program of the solemn and pure atmosphere, on behalf of the organizers, Junior Ven. Thich Tam Trong, vice of the organization board, stated the speech of beginning the Lotus Flower Lantern festival on the Amitabha Buddha’s Birthday in 2015. Next, the venerable monks, nuns and Buddhists expressed the respect to Amitabha for process thurification ritual.

In the expectation of all the Buddhists, the main rite of the ceremony – the “Light Transmission” Rite got started. The monks and the mass were all solemn and sincere to direct their eyes to the colossal statues of “The three Buddhas of the West”, shining the light of wisdom and mercy as praying for global peace and beings’ happiness. While he music was gently resounding, Senior Ven. Thich Chan Tinh received the candle light from the Buddha’s Altar, transferred it to the monks, who was then passing it to the Buddhists. “From candles to candles, from minds to minds” - The candles symbolizes the light of wisdom and truth dispelling the veil of craziness and stupidity, the light of understanding and love enlightening lives, lighting up faith and intelligence. From that first candle, light is sequentially transmitted, and the bright zone spread gradually.

Under the sky adorned with millions of twinkling stars, thousands of shimmering candles blended in smoke permeating from aloeswood incense, which created a comfort zone of purity and peace in the human realm. Just after the ground where the ceremony was taking place was filled with brightness, thousands of Buddhists, in full respect, faced the serene majestic statue as listening to the Senior Abbot proclaimed 48 “Great Vows” of Amitabha Buddha” and they all performed a recitation of the Title of Amitabha Buddha, “Namo Amitbha”.

After the rite of praising Amitabha Buddha, Senior Ven. Thich Chan Tinh - Chef of the organization board of the “Flower Lantern Night” offered all the Buddhists precious advice. Besides, Senior Venerable also publicly revealed the meanings of the “Flower Lantern Night” and candlelight transmission. “Flowers” are typical of beauty, so the title “Flower Lantern Night” means a night when lanterns form beauty, and thousands of sparkling candles together create miraculous beauty condensed in the flower lanterns. There was in the ceremony a very important and meaningful rite called “Light Transmission”. The Chef Monk of the organization board was in charge of getting the light from the Buddha’s Altar and passing it to the monks in a row who later transmitted candles to the Buddhists, in which way the light zone gradually spread. This rite symbolizes the transmission of wisdom and the Buddhist teachings to his descendants. The candle of wisdom once lit means stupidity’s being dispelled away. This is a unique metaphoric image aimed at reminding us to diligently study the Buddhist doctrines in order to recognize the process of self-cultivation and have the right outlook which is to pave the path for the right thoughts, words, actions and then careers… All those values will surely lead to a happy life both now and in the future. In addition, we had better follow admirably virtuous examples of the Buddhas, who always direct their lives towards all sentient beings. Arduously cultivating with full attention to “Three merits help purify karma” mentioned in theSukhavativyuha Sutra, doing good, accumulating merits so as to be born in the Pure Land. Not only can we, once making those efforts, obtain the achievements of cultivation ideals for ourselves but we are able to guide others to cultivate for enlightenment and emancipation.    

Furthermore, Senior Venerable Thich Chan Tinh shared beneficial experiences to be likely to hold such a solemn and peaceful “Flower Lantern Night” in Hoang Phap Pagoda. The sharings have become significant lessons for monks and nuns to appropriately apply to each residence for expected better-organized ceremonies.

Along with the festival program is the music show, praising Amitabha Buddha including “Offering flowers to the Amitabha Buddha”, “The Amitabha Buddha’s Great vows”, “Flower offering to the Amitabha Buddha”, “Greeting of Amitabha Buddha’ birth were performed by Quynh Giang, Ngoc Mai, Bich Hien, Dzoan Minh, Duyen Quynh và Thuy Duong

After the ceremony was the music show of the songs:  Nguyện Tâm Sen, Đường Về Bên Ấy, Lạy Phật Di Đà, Neo Đậu Bến Quê, Quê Mẹ, Vầng Sáng Trong Đêm, Cha, HÆ°Æ¡ng Sen, Sống NhÆ° Những Đóa Hoa., etc performed by singers DÆ°Æ¡ng Quốc HÆ°ng, Ha Tram, Nguyen Duc, and the children as Cong Quoc, Nha Thy, Thuy Van, Uyen Nhi, Luong Viet Quang, Bao An and Gia Bao.

In this great ceremony, the organizer has provided 45,000 portions of food and a dharma gift for each including a VCD “Ở Đời Vui Đạo”, and schedule of cultivating courses in 2016.