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| From Wesak Day 2010 |
To end the celebration was this ceremony. I don’t know much about it except that it is practised every year during the Wesak Day celebrations. I welcome feedback. The pic shows a monk leading by example.
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| From Wesak Day 2010 |
Teaching them from young.
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| From Wesak Day 2010 |
Paying homage to the Lord Buddha.
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| From Wesak Day 2010 |
A crowd rushing to look at the ancient relics from Sri Lanka.
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| From Wesak Day 2010 |
The old master’s relic
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| From Wesak Day 2010 |
This explains the heavy RELA presence during the gathering. Security is of utmost importance where these ancient religious relics are concerned.
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| From Wesak Day 2010 |
The pagoda at the centre is made of solid gold. I was able to take this photo because I took the pic before the crowds surged forward. The one in the centre contains a bone fragment of the Lord Buddha. The two on either side contains relics of the Old Masters of Buddhism. I hope I haven’t interpreted this wrongly in terms of terminology.
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| From Wesak Day 2010 |
The crowds were very respectful of the relics.
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| From Wesak Day 2010 |
A close-up of the solid gold pagoda. The top of the pagoda can be lifted to reveal the holy relic.
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| From Wesak Day 2010 |
The holy relic
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| From Wesak Day 2010 |
Ven. Shante Saranankara was busy blessing the people of Sibu.
After the event was over, as fate would have it, Ah Tuong and I had the honour of sending Ven Shante Saranankara and the relics back to his quarters in Sibu.
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| From Wesak Day 2010 |
Pic shows Ven. Shante Saranankara with the holy Buddhist relic during the Wesak Day gathering while being escorted by the chairman of the Sibu Buddhist Association.
I was like totally in awe of Ven. Shante Saranankara. We had a brief but meaningful and memorable chat. Basically he talked about society and there being so many in need of help and about Buddhism and the temple.
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| From Wesak Day 2010 |
Meeting Ven. Shante Saranankara and having the 2500 year old holy Buddhist relic and other ancient relics in my car was a very heavy responsibility. After we had finished our mission, it rained heavily which made driving difficult. Silently I said a prayer of thanks the rains came after and not before or during the Wesak Day gathering.
a very interesting relic. if by chance i was there, i would definitely want to experience that. interesting tradition. here we similarly do it with a sto nino or a holy child.
Venerable Sarananka is indeed a wonderful guru. I had the honour of having discussions with him when I organized a group from the temple I ‘m attached to; to partake in prayer sessions at his temple in Sentul during the Bodhi structure consecration ceremony.
You are indeed blessed to have gotten the blessings of the relics. ^_^
+Ant+
I can’t wait to celebrate ours.
There are really lots of going ons in Sibu, ya? There was a Wesak mass prayer in PJ recently too, and I took some pics -http://www.flickr.com/photos/horsoon/sets/72157624065851180/