Offshore Fish Liberation Event (including hoisting prayer flags and smoke puja)
Date: 1 October 2016 (Saturday)
Time: 8:30am
Meeting Place: Changi Village Ferry Terminal
To register to attend this event or make a contribution to our fish liberation fund, please contact one of the following person:
- Kelvin @ 9681 1326 (Dzambhala @ My Place #01-26 Fortune Centre)
- Katherine @ 9766 9088 (Maha Tare Buddhist Centre @ 512A Sims Avenue)
Life Release
Tse-thar is a Buddhist ritual that involves saving lives of as many sentient beings especially animals, birds, reptiles and fish that are held captive and face threats to their life and survival.
This Buddhist ritual will invokes compassionate deities to heal the tattered spirit of captivated animals and ensure them long, healthy and terror-free life. Despite its association with Buddhist meditative rituals, the practice of saving lives of helpless animals and living creatures is of spiritual nature and bears secular and universal significance in today’s world.
The practice of Tse-thar is primarily based on the concept of generosity or giving (Skt. Dhana). As it involves giving of the most precious thing—LIFE—to sentient beings, it is considered one of the most excellent forms of practice, and its merits are held to surpass other forms of giving, such as of alms or material gifts. Saving lives of animals and other creatures with genuine concern for their life, safety and security is also the highest form of ethical discipline (Shila). Practicing Tse-thar without false conception of “self” or “I” as well as without negative thoughts such as pride becomes the practice of wisdom (Prajna). So this single practice incorporates all these major transcendental trainings.
Also based on the law of Karma or Karmic causality, one will reap positive merits as a result of this noble practice. Buddhist scriptures have numerously reiterated on how saving of lives not only lead one to be saved from such dangers in this and future lives, but also will ensure long and blissful life now and hereafter.
Incense-burning Ritual (Sang-sol)
The main purpose of this ritual is to purify not only our environment but also to seek forgiveness in any negativity created from our daily unwholesome actions of body, speech and mind and to clear away obstacles and defilements. This offering mainly involves burning of very pure substances such as incense, medicinal herbs etc. to appease the divine beings and various classes of deities including dharma protectors and local gods. This offering increases merits, fulfil wishes, improves health and prosperity. This ritual involves invocation and prayer accompanied by praises to Buddha, Bodhisattvas and others including Goddess Tara, Goddess Sitatapatra, Guru Padmasambhava, Je and Tsongkhapa.
Lungta Prayer Flags Offering
This practice, which involves hoisting of prayer flags printed with powerful mantras, has its root in indigenous ancient Tibetan and Indic cultures. The prayer flags, strung in five different colours—blue, yellow, green, red and white—symbolizes the five basic elements—wood, fire, earth, water, and iron/space. The fluttering of the flags is animated, and is thought of as carrying the teachings of Buddha and blessings of the Mantra the world over. Prayer flags are mostly hoisted or strung to bring luck, fortune, prosperity and success.