KBC was at Vesak Mississauga 2019!
Buddha’s Birthday Celebration
Sunday May 26, 2019 Parade: 2pm, Program 3:pm
300 City Centre Drive, Mississaugo, Ontario L5B 3C1
Bathing the Buddha Ceremony
The celebration of Bathing the Buddha is to commemorate Shakyamuni Buddha’s birth on the Fourth Month and Eighth Day in Lunar Calendar according to both Chinese and Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Buddha Shakyamuni is born in Northern India as the son of King Suddhodana. It is said when Buddha was born, nine dragons spouted water on the baby Buddha. Since that time Buddhists all over the world celebrate his birthday by using fragrant water to bathe the statue of the Buddha. The ultimate goal to “Bathing the Buddha” is to “Bathe one’s own Buddha Nature”. At the time when Buddha reached the state of enlightenment, the Buddha said: “How wonderful! All the countless sentient beings possess this innate pure Buddha Nature; however their mind is obscured due to grasping and afflictive emotions”. Buddha tries to teach us that we all have innate Buddha nature and we all have the potential to reach enlightenment. Thus, people perform this Bathing the Buddha Ceremony to cleanse our obscuration, confess our negativities, and return to our pure innate Buddha Nature.
On this day, Buddhist organizations from all over the world celebrate Buddha’s birthday with various rituals and ceremonies, pray for Buddha’s blessing for the community, beseech dharma teachers remain in this world and turn the dharma wheel, remind us of the Buddhist teachings that Buddha taught.
Objective of Bathing the Buddha
While there are different style of celebrations from different culture in the world, the main objective of the ceremony is to commemorate the Buddha’s life in this world that including birth, seeking for enlightenment, reached enlightenment, and passing into nirvana. In addition, with the merit accumulated from Bathing the Buddha, our attachment, afflictive emotions, and negativities can be cleansed, and our loving compassion towards the society and all sentient beings will be increased.
Kyabje Jangtse Choje Gosok Rinpoche
His Eminence Jangtse Choje Gosok Rinpoche is ex-abbot of Gyumed and Sera Mey Monastery in South India. In the past life he is the emanation of a whole series of distinguished spiritual masters. As such, and especially due to his exceptional ability to express loving-kindness and compassion as well as to impart wisdom, he is said to be very precious and rare for sentient beings. Rinpoche founded Kunphen Buddhist Center in 2011, and kindly arrived in Toronto for the opening ceremony of Kunphen Buddhist Center’s new site.
We welcome all students join this wonderful Bathing the Buddha ceremony to cleanse our obstacles and increase our wisdom. As well, volunteering and Sponsorship opportunities are available for the success of this precious dharma event and our own endeavor in the path of liberation.
