Year End Praying

Date：21/1/2023
Time：07:30pm
Venue：Dong Zen Temple Main Shrine

“Farewell to the year” is an important ceremony in the Chinese Buddhist monastery, which symbolizes the passing of the old year and the new year is coming. In the new year, we should make resolutions for ourselves: 1. Full of good deeds: performing good deeds will not only make the other party happy, but also will enrich our inner minds. 2. Full of good words: If you recite the sutras and pray, you are praising the Buddha, there will be good voices in future. 3. Be full of joy: Be grateful for what others have done for you, serve others with a joyful mind. 4. Smile all over the face: foster good relationships with others with a kind disposition. Cultivate blessings and wisdom in order to create a better life for yourself.

Thousand Buddhas Dharma Service

Date：22/1~24/1/2023
Time：02:30pm
Venue：Dong Zen Temple Main Shrine

In the morning prayers of the Buddhist monastery on the first day of the Lunar New Year, the public will sing praises and chant sutras together, they will pray for the country’s prosperity and people’s safety, seeking blessings for the Dharma Protectors and devotees. Dharma services that pay homage to the Buddha and chant the Buddha’s name will be held so that devotees can worship the Buddha and cultivate together, praying for peace and auspiciousness for the upcoming year.

Offering of Lights Dharma Service

Date：22~24/2、26/1~4/2
Time：07:30pm
Venue：Dong Zen Temple Main Shrine

Lamps represent brightness. Lighting lamps is mainly to light up one’s inner mind. Buddhists light lamps in front of the Buddha, which means the Buddha’s light and human light shine on each other. During the CNY lantern festival, the main shrine will organize the Offering of Lights Dharma Service every night. You are welcome to make offerings to the Buddha and Bodhisattva with your minds of compassion, equality, meditation and diligence. Use your inner bright light to illuminate the future, turning challenges into visions.

Offerings to the Buddha Ceremony

Date：25/1/2023
Time：07:30pm
Venue：Dong Zen Temple Main Shrine

In Buddhism, the Dharma service with the main meaning of “worshipping and making offerings to the Triple Gem and inviting celestial guardians to have a vegetarian feast” is known as “Offerings to the Buddha Ceremony”. It is the most important first Dharma service after the Chinese New Year. Even though Buddhists do not seek refuge in the celestial guardians, but Buddhists respect the celestial guardians. This is because the celestial guardians seek refuge in Buddha and practice the right Dharma and protect Buddhism. They also practice good wholesome deeds and refrain from evil deeds.

CNY Great Compassion Repentance Service

Date：5/2/2023
Time：09:30am
Venue：Dong Zen Temple Main Shrine

During CNY, under the compassionate vows of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, tens of thousands of devotees have been received. By praying sincerely and recite the Great Compassion Mantra, we pray that the people can learn from Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva to benefit all sentient beings. “Thousand hands” to save all suffering beings, “Thousand eyes” to see through the character of people in order to convey the proper teachings and to prescribe the right medicine. Let us learn the merits of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva whereby "whose body should be saved, that is, what body should appear to speak". Everyone can become the Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva for others, use kindness as a voyage of compassion to ferry people ashore; use both hands as stars and moon to guide people to the right path.

Completion of Lights Offering

Date：5/2/2023
Time：07:30pm
Venue：Dong Zen Temple Main Shrine

The FGS Dong Zen Temple CNY Lantern and Flora Festival has been held since 2004. This event integrates the creativity, wisdom and team spirit of BLIA members, monastics and devotees. By displaying different themes every year, it achieves the function of social education, and also prays for the happiness of devotees, as well as safety of people in the world. Lamp, carries the meaning of brightness and illumination. To pass on the lamp means to inherit the past and usher in the future, the lamps will continue to shine endlessly. The Buddha is light. Fo Guang Shan is just like a lamp. The Buddha’s light should shine and the Dharma should be passed on.