Dharma Drum Mountain Buddhist Center Malaysia Held an Online Refuge-Taking and Buddha Bathing Ceremony to Celebrate Buddha’s Birthday

Updated May 24, 2022

Vesak Day is Malaysia's traditional day for celebrating the Buddha's birthday. This year, the Vesak Day lies on May 15th. On this day, DDM Buddhist Center Malaysia held an online Buddha bathing Dharma service and on-site Buddha bathing ceremony. More than 300 people attended the center in person, while 168 people participated online.

Before the online Buddha bathing Dharma service began, Venerable Yan Lian, the time keeper of the ceremony, pointed out in her Dharma talk that the purpose of celebrating the Buddha's birthday is to commemorate the Buddha's teachings and express gratitude to the Buddha for bringing hope and luminosity to the world. It is mentioned in the Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom that when the Buddha was born, he uttered "Throughout heaven and earth, I alone am the honored one". This means the Buddha vowed not only to deliver celestial beings, but also all sentient beings. Therefore, the Buddha is considered as "Teacher of Gods and Men" and the dignity of the Buddha lay in his aspiration to deliver all sentient beings. Venerable Yan Lian reminded us that as we commemorate the Buddha, we shall experience and practice the Buddhadharma according to the Buddha's teachings, using our body, speech and mind. In doing so, we achieve the goal of benefiting ourselves while benefiting others, which is the central meaning of celebrating the Buddha's birthday. Afterward, Venerable Yan Lian led the participants to chant "verses of praise to the Buddha" and recite Shakyamuni Buddha's name to praise the Buddha's kindness and virtue with a thankful heart.

On Vesak Day, DDM Buddhist Center Malaysia also held an online blessing and refuge-taking ceremony for the very first time. During this an hour-long ceremony, 65 of the participants in attendance--hailing from Germany, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia--- took refuge in the Three Jewels and received the Five Precepts. The youngest among them was 6 years of age while the oldest was 77.

At the beginning of the ceremony, DDM Abbot President Venerable Guo Huei delivered a short Dharma talk about the meaning of taking refuge. When encountering birth, old age, sickness, and death, each one of us might feel uncertain and lost. Therefore, we need to a spiritual support to rely on and from which to seek protection. To take refuge in the Three Jewels is to take refuge in the Buddha, founder of Buddhism; the Dharma, or teachings delivered by the Buddha; and the Sangha, the Buddhist community that follows the teachings of the Buddha. Venerable Guo Huei explained in detail the four steps of taking refuge: (1) to repent past wrongdoings, (2) to recite the refuge vows and formally become a follower of the Buddha, (3) to take the Four Great Vows, and (4) to take the Five Precepts, which are not killing, not stealing, not committing sexual misconduct, not telling lies, and not drinking alcohol or using intoxicants. Venerable Guo Huei encouraged the participants to observe all five precepts or follow whichever precepts are most suitable for one’s current condition.

The refuge and precept-taking ceremony was presided over by Venerable Guo Li, Managing Director of DDM branch monastery administration. At the completion of the ceremony, Venerable Guo Li congratulated the attendees for having taken refuge in the Three Jewels, and encouraged everyone to apply Buddhist concepts and methods in their daily life, thereby helping themselves become happy Buddhist practitioners. To conclude the ceremony, Venerable Yan Lian mentioned that DDM Buddhist Center Malaysia will deliver to each participant a refuge certificate, a Buddha image pendant, and two booklets, "Why Take Refuge in the Three Jewels?" and "Practice Methods of Buddhism."

Text: Tzu-wei Kuo (郭紫薇)、Yun-jie Chen (陳允潔)
Photos: Pei-fu Yang (楊培福)、Online blessing and refuge-taking ceremony team
Translation: Vicky Wei (韋徵儀)
Editing: YKL, Keith Brown