About one hundred people attended this year’s Fo San (the three-day Amitabha name-recitation retreat) from the 5th to 8th of June held at Than Hsiang temple.

The aim of the retreat/cultivation is to understand and put into practice the Buddhas teaching. It serves as an introductory course for the beginners to learn the fundamental of correct method and concept of Amitabha-name recitation.

The three-day Amitabha-recitation retreat, being a Pure land Buddhist activity, emphasizes on the chanting of the name of Amitabha Buddha while observing the eight precepts with single-minded concentration. This is the way to achieve rebirth in the Pure Land.

The activities of the three-day retreat include Buddha-name recitation, silence observance, sutra chanting, circumambulation and dharma sharing. The chief Dharma instructor of the retreat is Ven. Wei Wu and he was assisted by various Venerable Sangha members of the Than Hsiang temple.

The morning of the final day saw the participants sharing their thoughts and experiences of their three-night & four-day retreat with their fellow participants and dharma teachers. The participants also joined the old folks in Wan Chin Yan in their daily Buddha chanting in a show of love, filial and respect for the elderly.

The recent natural disasters that hit Myanmar and China left behind millions of people homeless, with many children becoming orphans and the elderly destitute. In response, Than Hsiang Temple , besides helping to raise the relief funds for the affected , also organized on the morning of the Fo San final day a chanting and transfer of merit session to relieve their suffering and pray for their rebirth in Pure Land. The congregation, led by the temple Venerable Sanghas, comprised the Fo San participants as well as bother s and sisters in the Dharma.

The three- day retreat ended at 3pm with many participants donating towards the relief funds and the Mahasanghikadana before heading for home.

12/6/08