[:en]
Words of Wisdom
Cultivation is not the study of doctrines, nor should it do without the doctrines. Without the teachings as a guide, we can easily stray from the right path or mistake some small insight as true enlightenment. When our minds are troubled, studying sutras or attending Dharma lectures can correct our views, calm our minds, and quickly turn our afflictions around.
修行不是言教，但是也不離開言教。假使離開言教，就容易走錯路、容易錯認消息；心裡起了煩惱，藉由研讀經典或聽聞佛法，端正知見，心安住下來，煩惱馬上就轉過來了。
—Words of Wisdom from Grand Master Wei Chueh
(For more words of wisdom)
Buddha’s Birthday Celebration & Gratitude Medicine Buddha Sutra Ceremony
On Saturday, May 14 at 9:30 am, Buddha Gate Monastery will host the annual ceremony of Bathing the Buddha and celebrate Buddha’s 3043rd birthday. Following with tradition, an outdoor altar will be arranged as a flower garden, representing the Garden of Lumbini where Buddha was born. The Abbess will use a special ladle to pour fragrant herb water over the infant Buddha statue. The assembly will then be invited to do the same.
Bathing the Buddha signifies inner purification. By cleansing away our vexations, defilements, and deluded minds, we will bring forward our Buddha nature and become enlightened. We invite you to join us in honoring the birth of the Buddha. May all sentient beings wash away their vexations and realize their intrinsic pure nature.
Gratitude Medicine Buddha Sutra Ceremony During the Sangha Summer Retreat
On Sundays, May 14, June 12, and July 10, join us for the Gratitude Ceremony on Medicine Buddha Sutra. The Medicine Buddha is associated with healing and the curing of illnesses, both physical and mental (of which delusion is the root cause) through the medicine of the Buddhist teachings.
From May 14 to August 27, Buddha Gate Monastery invites all Dharma friends and disciples to join us in the daily recitation of the Sutra of the Medicine Buddha Lapis Lazuli Radiance Tathagata during the Sangha Summer Retreat. To learn more about the Sangha Summer Retreat, and to view the daily recitation schedule, please click here.
88 Buddhas Repentance Ceremony
Join us on Fridays, May 27, June 24, and July 22, from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm, in chanting the 88 Buddhas. It is an excellent way to clear our karmic obstacles and draw out our inner wisdom. Click here to learn more.
One Stick of Incense
One Stick of Incense Buddhist Service consists of chanting the sutras in English, meditating, and Dharma talk. This process helps us purify our minds and develop our inner wisdom and compassion. We finish by dedicating merits to all sentient beings in hope that they will awaken to their pure natures, and obtain inner peace and joy. This one hour service starts at 10:30 a.m., on May 22 & 29, is open to everyone and ideal for first-time visitors.
Half-Day Meditation Retreat
Meditation can help you focus your mind, calm down, become more aware, and see things as they truly are. If you have completed the beginning meditation classes, we invite you to participate in the half-day meditation retreat to further advance your meditation practice. The upcoming half-day meditation retreat is on June 5, 19, & 26 from 8:30 am to noon. (Beginning level of Chan meditation class is required.)
Meritorious Volunteering
Volunteers form an important part of the Buddha Gate community. You can help the monastery by maintaining the buildings and grounds, working in the kitchen, and preparing for ceremonial events. By generously offering your time to support the monastery you not only accumulate blessings, but also practice patience, compassion, tolerance and working harmoniously with others, thereby developing the Chan state of mind and applying it toward everyday life. The monastery invites everyone to participate in the meritorious volunteering every Sunday afternoon.