On April 26th, Buddha Gate Monastery celebrated Buddha’s birthday with the traditional Buddha Bathing Ceremony.  Members of the Buddha Gate community, family, friends, guests and visitors all had an opportunity to participate in this annual cleansing ceremony. By bathing a statue of the baby Buddha, we had an opportunity to inwardly cleanse away our anger, greed and ignorance, and focus on our pure (Buddha) nature.

Following the Medicine Buddha Gratitude Ceremony, our Abbess, Venerable Jian Sheng, led The Buddha Bathing Ceremony. The Abbess led participants up the hill from the Chan Hall to a richly decorated tent that sheltered the baby Buddha’s statue and ladled sweet herbal water over its shoulders. All participants were then invited to do the same. Parents held small children up so they too could participate.

This ceremony recalls the Buddha’s birth in the Lumbini Garden where his mother had paused as she traveled to her parents’ home for the birth (this was the Indian tradition at the time). The Buddha emerged from his mother’s right side and immediately took seven steps. A lotus emerged at each step. With one index finger pointed skyward and the other pointed to the ground, he said, “In the heavens above and the world below, I am the most honored one. The three realms abide in suffering; I will bring them peace.” (The “I” refers to the intrinsic Buddha nature within each of us.) A shower of fragrant rain then fell on the baby.

Participating in this ceremony helps to cleanse away our vexations, defilements, and deluded thoughts. With a purer mental and physical state we can live more tranquil and healthy lives and make better use of our potential. (view more photos).

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