- Event: Two-day Vesak Fasting Ritual
- Date / Time: 30 May 2015 (Saturday) 9am to 31 May 2015 (Sunday) 9am
- Venue: Our Centre @ 658A Geylang Road
Maha Tare Buddhist Centre-Singapore is pleased to conduct a two-day fasting ritual to observe the Vesak Day. The fasting will begin from 9 am on Saturday, 30 May and end on the morning of Sunday, 31 May, 2015.
The program will begin with formal Mahayana purification ritual and cultivation of the pre-requisite mind of altruism—Bodhichitta. The session will include prayers, recitation of One-Thousand Armed Avalokiteshvara (Sahasrabhuja Avalokiteshvara) and prostrations. The fasting will be ended with a ritual cake offering to all sentient beings, especially to the inferior and less-fortunate beings.In Buddhism, fasting is mostly done to purify one’s body of all Karmic impurities and clarify the thoughts of negativities accrued over many eons. Suppressing our desire for delicacies, especially those derived from killing of animals, we train our body and mind to adapt to the Buddhist principles of right livelihood. Geshe Lama Konchok of Maha Tare Buddhist Centre will lead the sessions.
Any devout Buddhist interested in joining the fasting ceremony can contact us at +65 6745 9567
- Event: Sharing Happiness on Vesak Day
- Date: 1 Jun 2015 (Monday)
- Time: 10:45am to 12:30pm
- Venue: Awwa Community Home For Senior Citizens located at Blk 123 Ang Mo Kio Ave 6 #02-4035 Singapore 56012
Maha Tare Buddhist Centre-Singapore is pleased to announce, in observance of its annual Vesak Day and as part of “Sharing Happiness” program, a midday meal event at elderly people’s home at Awwa Community Home For Senior Citizens located at Blk 123 Ang Mo Kio Ave 6 #02-4035 Singapore 56012. The program involves offering of a simple lunch and dessert to the senior members of the elderly people’s home as token of our gratitude to their sacrifices on both personal and societal level and in keeping with the spirit of Lord Buddha’s teaching on sharing of happiness and building inner confidence and security.
Charity, giving, or generosity forms the first of six transcendental practice or Paramita taught by our most excellent teacher, Buddha Shakyamuni. All three forms of giving—of material things, emotional and mental support, and spiritual and religious guidance—will be extended to the recipients. As teachings of the Buddha have stressed on how the practice of giving to one’s parents, elderly and poor are among the highest forms of giving, we hope to make this a meritorious event. By selfless and unconditional giving, we not only serve others but also benefit ourselves through accumulating immense merits that creates positive Karma for greater future happiness to all. Given that the day coincides with the birth, enlightenment and demise of our most excellent teacher Buddha Shakyamuni, the merits are believed to multiply manifold.
Maha Tare Buddhist Centre sincerely hold that sharing of happiness can be achieved through simple yet powerful ways, such as being respectful to the seniors and elderly and by offering out of pure love even simple things as a midday meal. We’d be delighted if you joined in the spirit of “Sharing Happiness” and as gratitude to our excellent teacher—Lord Buddha.
- Event: Vesak Day Prayer Ceremony <Offering of Prayers to Buddha Shakyamuni>
- Date: 1 Jun 2015 (Monday)
- Time: 3pm to 4pm
- Venue: Our Centre @ 658A Geylang Road
Observed in gratitude to our most excellent teacher, Buddha Shakyamuni, this Vesak Day ceremony will include singing of obeisance to the Buddha, washing the Lord’s statue, extending mandala offerings, reading praises, and reciting Buddha Shakyamuni Mantra.
The ceremony will begin with formal refuge-taking prayer for reaffirming our refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, which will be accompanied by Bodhichitta prayer for cultivating of a genuine wish to attain enlightenment for the sake of countless sentient beings. Having reaffirmed one’s refuge and cultivating a genuinely altruistic thought, the ceremony will begin with the ritual of washing of the Buddha’s statue. Unlike ablution, which is meant to purify and cleanse the negativities in worldly beings, washing of the Buddha is performed as an expression of deep veneration and service to the Buddha, who is devoid of any defilement and impurities. The ceremony will include extending of offerings to the images.
Prayers will include praises to the Buddha and recitation of Buddha Shakyamuni Mantra (Om Muni Muni Maha Muniye Svaaha). It is believed that it was through the power of this mantra that Avalokiteshvara became the supreme of all the bodhisattvas. Mere hearing of the sound of this mantra provides countless merits. The condensed Prajnaparamita-sutra states that the mantra has a protective powers and will shield us from evil harms and destrcutive influences. Buddhist Mahayana texts also state that a single recitation of the mantra purifies negative Karma committed in 800,000 past eons. This is primarily because, unlike most mantra, this mantra represents the heart-essence of our most excellent teacher, Buddha Shakyamuni.
Buddha Shakyamuni Mantra: Om Muni Muni Maha Muniye Svaaha