Today is the nineteenth day of the second lunar month, which is also Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva’s birthday. On this auspicious day, everyone arrived early at the Great Compassion Hall to pay homage to Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, offering lamps, flowers, fruits, and longevity buns before the Bodhisattva.

Before the ceremony began, the Sanghas led everyone in chanting the Buddha’s name in the Great Compassion Hall. At approximately 10:45am, the Noon Offering to the Buddha commenced. Under the guidance of the Sanghas, everyone chanted with great sincerity. After the Noon Offering to the Buddha concluded, the Sanghas led everyone to the “San Sheng Dian” for the dedication of merits. The Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva’s birthday offering ceremony was then successfully completed.

In Buddhism, Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva’s birthday is a very important Buddhist Festival. The nineteenth day of the second lunar month is the day to celebrate the birth of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva. Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva is deeply respected and loved by the people for her great compassion and solemn image of rescuing people in distress.

To celebrate Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva’s birthday, Than Hsiang Temple held a ceremony to convey the Three Refuges and Five Precepts on Sunday, March 16th. At 2 PM, a rehearsal was held in the Great Compassion Hall, where the emcee and two sisters taught everyone some Buddhism etiquette. After the rehearsal, the Sanghas led everyone in chanting the “Incense Offering Praise” and the “Great Compassion Mantra.”

Then Venerable Zhen Ru gave a compassionate Dharma talk. The Venerable mentioned that everyone establish an aspiration and come to the Great Compassion Hall of Than Hsiang Temple to take three refuge and five precepts before the Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva’s birthday is to open a bright path for themselves, protected by the devas and people, and to lead the Buddhas, Bodhisattva feeling joyful. The Buddha taught us that infinite continuity of cause and effect. Before we as sentient beings attain liberation, we will continue to reincarnate in the six realms according to the “retribution of good and evil karma, and the cause and effect across the Three Lifetimes.” The basic doctrine of Buddhism is to ask us to “follow the teachings,” “do not do evil deed, do some good deed,” and we will surely “release from suffering and obtain happiness.”

What is taking refuges in the Triple Gem? “Taking refuge” means “returning to rely on,” “Taking refuge in the Triple Gem” is the first step in our Buddhist learning and the beginning of our formal practice as a Buddhist. Taking refuge in the Triple Gem can save us: just like a ship at the sea needs a compass; a lost child returns to the arms of a loving mother can obtain safety and bright protection. The three correct motivations for taking refuge in the Triple Gem are that we follow the three refuges teachings. Firstly, do not fall to the middle of three lower realms; secondly, to liberate from the saṃsāra; thirdly, to initiate the bodhi mind, and practice the bodhisattva path.

What are the Five Precepts? Abstain from Killing, Abstain from Stealing, Abstain from Sexual Misconduct, Abstain from Lying, and Abstain from Intoxication. Why do we uphold Five Precepts? Because when we are upholding the five precepts, we are also taking care of the others. We must “deeply believe the cause and effect” and believing that upholding the “five precepts” is the “cause”; being reborn as a “human being” in the next life is the effect. Also, we need to cultivate the right mindfulness, which is to “be aware” of the “motives” of our behavior and conduct. “Upholding precepts” is the “method”, but our real goal is to “eliminated greed”. Therefore, we must not regard the “Five Precepts” as “doctrine restriction” or “suppression”, because “upholding the five precepts” will lead us to the “real freedom.”

Finally, Venerable Zhen Ru explained the procedures of “conveying the three refuges and five precepts. After the Dharma talk, the ceremony to convey the Three Refuges and Five Precepts officially began, and everyone sincerely received the Three Refuges and Five Precepts, officially becoming Buddhists. Then, the sanghas led everyone in dedicating the merits, and the ceremony was successfully completed.

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More photos: https://www.thanhsiang.org/CH/node/6431
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