Buddha's Birthday Celebration at Can Linh Pagoda

(Baonghean.vn) -On the morning of May 24th, thousands of venerable monks, nuns, and Buddhist followers from all directions gathered at Can Linh Pagoda (Vinh City) to attend the Great Buddha's Birthday Celebration (Buddhist calendar 2557 – Gregorian calendar 2013).

Attending the ceremony were Venerable Nun Thich Dieu Nhan - abbess of Can Linh ancestral temple; venerable monks and nuns from the Nghe An Provincial Buddhist Association; and abbots and nuns representing temples inside and outside the province. Representing Nghe An province were officials from the Provincial Fatherland Front, provincial departments and agencies, organizations and associations of Vinh City, representatives from districts and towns in Nghe An province, along with thousands of venerable monks, nuns, and Buddhist followers from all over.



Buddha's Birthday Celebration Program



Students offer flowers to celebrate Buddha's Birthday at Can Linh Pagoda.

Before the opening ceremony began, a spectacular artistic program was held on the main stage, performed by artists, Buddhists, and students from Cua Nam Secondary School. The program recreated the birth of the Buddha, praised his great contributions, and celebrated the homeland, country, and people of Nghe An province.

The opening ceremony of the Buddha's Birthday celebration took place in a solemn and sacred atmosphere with rituals such as the singing of the National Anthem and the Buddhist Anthem, chanting prayers for blessings, students offering incense and flowers to celebrate Buddha's Birthday, chanting rituals, incense offering ceremonies, and releasing doves to celebrate national peace and prosperity, etc.



Delegates representing the Venerable Monks and Nuns.



Delegates attending the ceremony.

The organizing committee of the Buddha's Birthday celebration read the message from the Supreme Patriarch of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha to monks, nuns, lay people, and Buddhists on the occasion of the Buddha's Birthday celebration, Buddhist calendar 2557, Gregorian calendar 2013. The message affirmed that the year 2556 (Buddhist calendar) - Gregorian calendar 2012 marked an important historical milestone in the development of Vietnamese Buddhism. With the spirit of: Inheritance - Stability - Development, the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha successfully organized the 7th National Buddhist Congress (2012-2017), further affirming the tradition of Vietnamese Buddhism accompanying the nation.

We respectfully celebrate the Great Buddha's Birthday, Buddhist Calendar 2557, this year coinciding with the Vietnamese Buddhist Association's solemn commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Bodhisattva Thich Quang Duc and the monks, nuns, and Buddhist followers who sacrificed themselves for the Dharma, for national independence, and for the protection of Vietnamese Buddhist traditions and culture.



Thousands of monks, nuns, Buddhists, and congregations from all directions came to attend the ceremony.



Monks, nuns, and Buddhist followers perform a ritual of releasing animals at Can Linh Pagoda.

In his message for the 2557th anniversary of the Buddha's birth, the Supreme Patriarch of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, Venerable Thich Pho Tue, reminded monks, nuns, and Buddhist followers to live responsibly towards the country, to show respect to the Compassionate Father, and to dedicate time and intellect to participate in the widespread activity of contributing opinions to the draft amendment of the 1992 Constitution, building a Constitution of the people, for the people, towards a sustainable, just, democratic, and civilized society.

During this Buddha's Birthday season, Can Linh Pagoda also distributed dozens of charitable gifts to people in difficult circumstances in Nghe An province.

This year's Buddha's Birthday celebration coincided with the 123rd anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's birth. Before the opening ceremony, the organizing committee and representatives of Can Linh Pagoda, along with monks, nuns, Buddhists, and congregations from all directions, offered incense and flowers at the Ho Chi Minh Memorial House in the Kim Lien historical site, Ho Chi Minh Square, the 12/9 Martyrs' Cemetery in Thai Lao, Hung Nguyen, and the Vinh City Martyrs' Cemetery. In addition, Can Linh Pagoda organized programs such as the Buddhist Arts Festival, celebrations of the Buddha's birthday, and the Lantern Release Ceremony on Con Moc River and the pagoda's lotus pond during the Buddha's Birthday celebration.

Nguyen Khoa