VESAK 2008

Since the gate of Wat Ananda opened at 6am, there has been a steady stream of devotees who came to offer prayers on this important day for many Buddhists. Vesak Day marks the Birth, Enlightenment and Final Nirvana of Lord Buddha some 2,500 years ago.  During last year's Vesak, we started the Community Service project to help some needy elderly in the neighbourhood and it has since become a quarterly community service project undertaken by the Wat Ananda Youth (WAY).  This year's Vesak could be hailed as another milestone for WAY.  Since the Dhamma Hall was renovated last Nov, we now have a conducive place to hold Dhamma Talks.  We were very fortunate to invite Bro Kweh Soon Han and Sis Sylvia Bay to share on "Significance of Vesak", "Power of Chant" and "Fundamental Teachings of the Buddha".  Listening to Dhamma talks is considered as one of the meritorious deeds for Buddhists to engage in and it was heartening to see familiar and new faces who came to attend at least one of the talks on Vesak Day itself.

As we celebrated and rejoiced during this important occasion, we were also reminded of one of the unfortunate disasters that struck recently.  Many of the Dhamma brothers and sisters in Myanmar were not as fortunate.  They have to struggle to keep themselves alive, not knowing if they would be able to sustain for another day.  Wat Ananda and WAY decided to play our little part to help the Dhamma brothers and sisters in Myanmar by raising some funds to support the relief efforts led by the Firefly Mission (a Buddhist humanitarian group which focuses a large part of its effort in Myanmar).  At the end of the Dhamma talks, we also dedicated all the merits which we have accumulated by listening to the talks to all who had passed on during the disasters in China and Myanmar.

More photos on Last Year's Vesak and past year events >>

Crowds flocking to the Wat Ananda Metyarama Buddhist (Thai) Temple (left)..  while some queue patiently for (right)... (see next photo)

... read and understand the meaning first .. finally it's my turn to "bath the Buddha"!  Click here to have a better idea on the significance of bathing the Buddha.

Making a wish by hitting the bells softly... little volunteers approaching a devotee to purchase a stalk of flowers for offering.. as we offer flowers to the Buddha, let us remind ourselves of the impermanence of life and treasure all people around us.

Devotees praying outside the main shrine while others circumambulate the "4-Faced Buddha" ...

Asking for blessings both in the Main Shrine and outside the Kuan Yin shrine.. "May all be well and happy, free from mental and physical suffering; may all be blessed and guided by the Triple Gem ".

Listening attentively to the talks by Bro Soon Han and Sis Sylvia in the Dhamma Hall..  while some volunteers work hard to raise donations in aid of the Myanmar disaster ("Cyclone Nargis")

Some of our members from the Wat Ananda Youth (WAY) and the Young Buddhist Chapter (YBC) Most of the photos taken are courtesy of Bro Rendy Aryanto.

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