Vesak | Celebrating Buddha\’s Birthday

“We know that a Buddha lives inside of each of us. It’s not the man who lived a long time ago, of course, but the nature of that man.” Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh

One of the most profound teachings given by the Buddha is his gentle reminder that we all have Buddha nature inside of us, a Buddha within waiting to manifest when conditions are sufficient. Is there a moment in your daily life when you pause, smile and say silently to yourself, “A lotus for you, a Buddha to be?” This practice can help you to get in touch with your awakened nature. There are certain practices that can help our Buddha nature grow stronger and more beautiful. When we sit and breathe mindfully, when we walk and eat mindfully, we can be more alive, awake and aware; this is the energy of a Buddha. Mindfulness practices help us to get in touch with peace and stability and to generate insight that can change our lives positively. Becoming a Buddha is easier than you may think!

The program will be as follows (subject to change):

8:30am – Walking meditation

9:45am – Dharma talk

11:00am – Bathing the Baby Buddha Ceremony

– Picnic lunch (vegetarian lunch will be provided)

To show love and support one another on this special day, we ask you to follow the CDC most recent guidelines.

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Special message from the monastery

Dear Friends,

Because of how well the COVID vaccination works, we are happy to open our monastery to visitors. To keep our community safe, we have always chosen to meet or exceed the CDC guidelines. We now feel safe welcoming fully vaccinated friends with booster shot, if due to visit us in person. Please kindly show us proof of vaccination upon arrival. Friends who have not yet or who for some reason cannot get the vaccination are welcome to join us online on Thursdays. This may change as we gain knowledge and experience.

We rejoice with friends who offer their gift of good health at the monastery. We are grateful to those who can be present having completed the COVID vaccine process and could also bring the vaccination card with them.

Bringing your good health, vaccination card and wearing mask especially in indoor spaces will help us build positive energies in the Sangha and help us take even more powerful energies back to our families and communities. This visit may be most significant as we put into practice the power of Interbeing, generosity through our presence and gratitude for all the gifts given and received.