Earth Day
Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009
Pra Dhammakaya Temple, Pathumtani, Thailand
Casting
of Personal Buddha Statues Ceremony & The Grand Assembly of more than 100,000 Buddhist Monks from 30,000 Temples across country.
As the earth day is rapidly approaching, Buddhist Laypeople from all over the world need not be reminded that
an opportunity has arrived once again to cultivate the supreme
merits through the Earth day ceremony; it is gathered through the casting personal
Buddha statues and the offering neccesities to the assembly of Buddhist monks. The event
is one of the biggest and the most anticipated event of the year at
Wat Pra Dhammakaya. What makes it more special this year is the
fact that the Venerable PraRajpavanavisuth, the Abbot of Dhammakaya
Temple has invited over 100,000 Buddhist monks from over 30,000 temples nationwide to take part in this Sangha Assembly to be offering neccesities at
the Meditation Stadium. This assembly of Sangha is to offer food and basic neccesities required in the daily life of monks (Sangha). Afterward, the casting of Buddha statues will take place at the Grand Meditation Stadium at the vanue of peace, the Maha Dhammakaya Cetiya.
The
Grand Sangha Offering to over 100,000
Buddhist Monks from 30,000 Temples
Lord Buddha praised the congregation of monks as
“A rare event that must be seen even though one has to travel extra long distance”.
Fruits of offering Sangha food and neccesities from over 30,000 temples
Fruits from Offering
Food - Will be blessed with longevity, physical beauty,
happiness, strength and wisdom.
Fruits From
Offering Robe – Will be blessed with glow, aura, super natural
power, fine skin, delicate touch. Once in heaven, the body will always
be miraculously adorned with celestial attire made of the finest fabric. When being born at the time Lord Buddha comes into existence, and having
a chance to be ordained by the Lord Buddha himself (Ehipikku Upasampada),
the body will be miraculously adorned with the finest robe.
Fruits From
Offering Medicine - Will be blessed with longevity, health, physical
strength, power, high social status, love, intellect, happiness, freedom
from danger and unpleasant incidents, abundance of wealth (for it will
not be consumed by health issues).
Fruits From Financial Donation – will be blessed with wealth and the freedom
to grant every wish. Will know no poverty and most importantly
will use the wealth to forever support Buddhism.
Fruits From Offering
bag- Will
be blessed with safety of one’s wealth because bag is considered a
safe keeping place of treasure. Wealth will be safely guarded
from all dangers.
........................................
This highly sacred tradition of casting Buddha statue will come to an end this year as the last set of 30,000 statues are scheduled to be cast on April 22nd, 2009. This occasion will also mark the completion of Maha Damakaya Cetiya (Pagoda) which will be closed as soon as the last statue is enshrined inside.
On April 22nd, 2009, this will be an
occasion for all Buddhists to be united, to pay homage to the Lord Buddha
through making contribution to the casting of Buddha Statues which will
be revered and paid homage by both humans and celestials. These Buddha
statues symbolize the purest of all the virtues (goodness) which will
help extending the boundlessness of happiness to the mass of the people. The personal Buddha statues and the Cetiya will be in existence as the
center of Buddhism for thousands of years. The merit of
paying homage to one Buddha statue is immeasurable; imagine the merit
that one will earn when paying homage to the Maha Dhammakaya Cetiya
enshrined with 1,000,000 Buddha statues. The Cetiya will be the
center for Buddhists all over the world to come to pay homage. Being a part of casting personal Buddha statues adorned and enshrined
on and inside this sacred Cetiya will result in great merit that will
forever continue until the time the ultimate path of Dharma is reached. Think of the impact the sight of Cetiya will have on people. Think
of how many people will feel motivated to have a clear mind and reach
inner peace and eventually reach high Dharma when they pay homage to
1,000,000 statues. The number will be countless and so will be
the merit. The fruition of merit will be transcended to those
who helped adorn this sacred place to have a long and plentiful celestial
life (plentiful in celestial wealth) and so in their reincarnations
thereafter. This merit will be with them until the ultimate path
of dharma and Nirvana is reached.
Please join us in casting personal Buddha
statues with your name or your loved one’s name engraved at the base
of the statue and enjoy the merit of being a part of introducing this
body of enlightenment of Lord Buddha to the world. This body of
enlightenment when visualized as a virtuous symbol, placed at the center
of the body when meditating, will be the gateway of reaching inner peace
and eventually the body of enlightenment or Dhammakaya.
Merit
from Casting Personal Buddha Statues
The merit from casting Buddha statues
is immersurance and can be summarized into the following 3 major elements:
- Physical
Beauty (good appearance) - One will be born with good appearance, fine
skin and all other attractive qualities, along with longevity and freedom
from all disease and sickness.
- Wealth- one will
be born in high places with wealth and prosperity. Any business
one touches will turn to gold. One will be blessed with an abundance
of wealth and will become a generous wealthy person who helps support
Buddhism.
- Good quality (Intelligence & Wisdom) - One will be born with sharp wit and intelligence. One will be a fast learner and will be able to reach inner peace in a short period of time. Will have wisdom in both worldly and Dharma affairs
White Attires is favorite at the
temple to be respectful to the Triple Gems (Buddha,
Dhamma, and Sangha) and to help preserving our fine Buddhist tradition.