On 16th Feb 2018, it was the beginning of the Chinese New Year, and also the Birthday of Maitreya Bodhisattva; the good blessing and auspiciousness of New Year: a General Buddhist (Buddha) ritual was held at Nanputuo Temple. At 3:00 a.m. in the early dawn, many Buddhist pilgrims gathered at Nanputuo Temple. They were led by the monastics, volunteers and staff to pray, worship, kindle incense and do sincere blessing. At 4:30 a.m., the residential monastics of Nanputuo Temple gathered at Mahāvīra Hall and the Great Master Ven. Ze Wu host the ritual and kindled incense with all the people inside and outside the hall together reciting the Sūtra and worshipping. All the people were blessing and wishing for the coming year with world peace, harmonious country and security of nation, good weather and everlasting of right Dharma.
“Why we need to perform the General Buddhist ritual in the first day of Chinese New Year?”
The General Buddhist (Buddha) ritual is related to: respecting all the Buddhas, repentance of unwholesome actions, offering the Triple Gem to achieve good fortune and auspiciousness, improving fortune and longevity, eliminating disaster and avoiding difficulty. As for the first day of Chinese New Year, in general most of the temples will perform blessing and Buddhist ritual of general activities to welcome the New Year in order to assist the people to accumulate wholesome actions (meritorious deeds) – accepting good fortune and increasing life span, and receiving the benefit of Dharma.
