English
The Buddha’s birthday coincided with Mother’s Day this year, to commemorate the Buddha’s birthday, FGS Temple of Toronto celebrated the Buddha’s Birthday and Mother’s Day on May 8th. More than 400 members and devotees participated in the celebration physically or attended online. The auspicious celebration consisted of three sessions – Offerings to the Buddha, Singing and Dancing Performance, and Bathing the Buddha.
A total of 50 representatives came from Toronto Vajra Men’s Volunteers, BLIA Toronto Radiance Legacy, Toronto YAD, BLIA Toronto Chapter, 6th Meadowvale Scouts and Buddha’s Light Children were divided into six groups. They presented six types of offerings including incense, light, fruits, tea, jewels and flowers to the Buddha. Each representative felt honoured and was delighted to be able to take part in such an auspicious celebration.
The musical offering was performed by the Buddha’s Light Choir of Toronto, chanting “A Prayer for the Buddha’s Birthday” and “The Song of Fo Guang Shan.” The Buddha’s Light Children presented “Buddha’s Light Children Loves the Ten Cultivations,” and BLIA YAD performed a dance version of “Connecting Hearts.”
Buddhism is a religion that emphasizes filial piety. In her Dharma Talk, Abbess Venerable Chueh Fan illustrated the relationship between the Buddha’s Birthday and Mother’s Day by using stories of the Buddha from the Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum mural, titled, “Teaching His Mother the Dharma” and Myanmar’s Buddhist mural. The Abbess also introduced the “Cloud and Water Mobile Bathing Buddha” event. Consider during the COVID-19 pandemic, some elderly members are unable to come to the temple, BLIA Toronto Chapter arranged the “Cloud and Water Mobile Bathing Buddha" event to reach out to members and invite their family members to bathe the Buddha together to celebrate the Buddha’s Birthday in this difficult period.
~ By Kelly Liu
