Vesak Day 2022 Celebrations @ Waterloo St 卫塞节庆祝活动 2022 @ 四马路

5th May 2022 (Thu), 9am

The Unveiling of a Giant Shakyamuni Buddha Thangka and the construction of the Tara Sand Mandala.

It is a Vesak Day tradition at our Centre for our kind and learned teacher, Geshe Lama Konchok, to lead a team of highly qualified tantric monks from Geshe la’s alumni (Gyudmed Tantric College) in constructing a mult-coloured sand mandala dedicated to a particular deity. Whilst we had not been able to carry out this tradition over the last two years due to COVID-19, we are delighted to be able to resume this tradition.

This year, the sand mandala that will be constructed is one dedicated to the Swift Protector Tara, whose enlightened activities include those of protecting us sentient beings from diseases and pandemics, and generating the right conditions for success in one’s career and livelihoods.

A sand mandala is a three dimensional representation of the deity’s celestial abode, and its construction is an exercise in geometric precision which will begin on Thursday, 5 May 2020 at 9am.

Come join us to witness how sacred geometry is applied by our learned members of the Sangha, and you are all welcome to ask questions and learn more.

1. 7th May (Sat) – The Grand Namgyal Tongchod
2. 8th May (Sun) – The Grand Chenresig Tongchod
3. 14th May (Sat) – The Grand Tara Tongchod
4. 15th May (Sun) – The Grand Medicine Buddha Tongchod

• 2pm to 4pm (all dates)

It is a fundamental Vajrayana Buddhist belief that one experiences challenges and lack of success in life due to the lack of merit due to one’s negative karma accumulated from lives past, and also the lack of positive conditions (akin to environmental conditions for any good seed to bear fruit). These can, in our tradition, be improved by making of offerings to the Enlightened Ones which represent a merit field – the making of offerings to them imbues us with the much needed positive seeds and/or purification effects. This is the rationale behind the Thousand Offerings Rituals which we shall be performing these in the holy month on which Vesak Day falls, where it is believed that merits generated can be multiplied manifold. The Thousand Offerings Rituals will involve the offering of one thousand sets of various items, including Tormas, Butter Lamps, Incense etc.

1. The Grand Namgyal Tongchod

On Saturday, 7th May 2022 from 2pm – 4pm, Geshe la will lead the Grand Namgyal Tongchod which entails making of a offerings to one of the three (3) long-life deities, Namgyalma (Chi: 尊胜佛母, Skt: Ushnisha Vijaya). Her practice is especially effective and powerful in removing obstacles and cleanses negative karmas that hinder good health and long life. She is also particularly powerful in pacifying negativities, past negative karma, removing obscurations, as well as fulfilling good wishes. The sutras also speak of how Her mantra has immense benefit – it is said to be so powerful that anybody who hears it will never again be reborn in the lower realms.

2. The Grand Chenresig Tongchod

On Sunday, 8th May 2022 from 2pm – 4pm, we will carry out a similar thousand offerings ritual dedicated to Chenresig (Chi: 四臂观音, Skt: Avalokiteshvara). Chenresig (known most popularly as Guanyin) is the boddhisattva of compassion, who vowed to come to the aid of any and all who call His name, which is why His name in Sanskrit is often translated to the effect “the One who hears the world’s cries”. Guanyin manifests in both the male and female forms, and it is believed that these offerings will aid one out of suffering and provide positive conditions for success.

3. The Grand Tara Tongchod

Considering the effects of COVID-19 on so many of us in Singapore and beyond, Geshe la will lead the Grand Tara Tongchod on Saturday, 14th May 2022 from 2pm – 4pm. As mentioned above, Tara is a bodhisattva known as the Swift Protectress. It is believed that Tara emanated from the tears of Chenresig, and compassion is Her main motivation in coming swiftly to aid whoever calls Her name. She is equally efficacious in protecting sentient beings from viruses and pandemics, and creating positive conditions for success in one’s careers.

4. The Grand Medicine Buddha Tongchod

Given the need for all in our country and beyond to recover from the effects of COVID-19, and the desire to see all sentient beings’ wishes (that accord with the Dharma) being fulfilled, Geshe la has chosen to perform the Grand Medicine Buddha Tongchod on Vesak Day itself, Sunday, 15th May 2022 from 2pm – 4pm. It is perhaps not apparent to the uninitiated, the merits of any practice associated with Medicine Buddha is not only effective in curing diseases (both of the body and of the mind), but also helpful in generating the causes and conditions for fulfilment of one’s wishes.

1. 8th May 2022 (Sun)
2. 14th May 2022 (Sat)

• 5pm to 6pm (both dates)

The Buddhist belief is that all whom we encounter in this life, come into our lives by reason of past karma and appropriate conditions. That principle extends to the pets who have, by no coincidence, come within our charge. This phenomenon explains our love (and in many cases our fond attachment) to them. Animals are born into the animal realm (one of the three lower realms) by reason of their past karma, but there are of course animals, and there are animals. Those who come within the charge of our families have the positive seeds to benefit (even if in limited ways) from the teachings of the Buddha whose compassion extends to sentient beings regardless of the realm(s) in which they take rebirth. It is in the light of this that Geshe la has decided to conduct Pet Pujas on Sunday, 8th May 2022 and Sat 14th May 2022, between 5pm – 6pm.

16th May 2022 (Mon), 9am

On the Monday morning, the painstakingly constructed Tara Sand Mandala will be dissolved as part of the closing ceremony. The dissolution of the mandala is an exercise in, amongst other things, reminding one about the impermanence of all conditioned phenomena. Whatever that comes about as an effect following past causes, will always have the characteristics of arising, subsisting and thereafter passing away, only to come about again through reincarnation of the consciousness in realms corresponding to the net karmic bank of that consciousness’ karmic bank. That same phenomenon is meditated upon and experienced when the mandala is dissolved, and the sand collected and distributed to the devoted, as it is believed to contain the immense blessings of the tantric rituals associated with it. The residual sand is then brought to the sea where it will be released into the waters, carrying those blessings to the rest of the world.

Our event is held at a tentage located on an open space opposite of Fortune Centre and beside Stamford Art Centre.

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Thank you for supporting Maha Tare Buddhist Centre.

For more information on event sponsorship, please contact us at 92328239 / 67459567

We encourage donors to pay using PayNow.

Our Centre PayNow details are as follows:

MAHA TARE BUDDHIST CENTRE

UEN: T11SS0214J

Please indicate “VESAK” in your payment reference.

Unable to attend our Vesak Day 2022 Celebrations at Waterloo Street?

You can now register online and we will assist you with the registration onsite and also make offerings on your behalf.

Please register at least 1 day before the prayer date as we need some time to prepare.

Should you have any questions please contact us at 92328239. 

Vesak Day 2022 – Online Registration