Saga Dawa (Vesak)

The monastery, lit up specially for

Today is Saga Dawa (Vesak), which celebrates Buddha's birth, enlightenment, and death.  I think that makes it Easter and Christmas, all in one day.  The lights on the monastery temple are incredibly impressive, and there is an extra amount of chanting today.  I even heard the horns, for the first time!

At Sunset.

Everything is beautiful, and the chants are louder than normal.  There have been lay Tibetans all around the monastery, and some of the students didn't come to class.  I went to one of the later pujas, which included a light offering.

I had been told that we could just go in the "front door" and there would be a place for us to sit.  But when you walk up to a huge door and inside there are a few hundred monks chanting... it feels a little intimidating to just walk in.  Especially since the monks aren't facing away from the giant door...  After a bit of standing outside, we went to the 2nd floor overlook area.

I'm most impressed by the lack of broken lights, especially after the storms the past 2 days.

From the overlook area it was easy to hear (and it occasionally bordered on deafening) and see.  I couldn't actually see who was leading the chants - I think they were blocked by the pillars.  After some time a monk brought us some cushions to sit on - as he walked up, I was expecting to be told to leave.  I keep feeling like I am going where I am not supposed to.  I'm somewhat concerned the Tibetans are too nice to tell me if I actually did...

After a little bit, the monks filed out for the light offering.  Everyone had candles, there was additional chanting, blowing of horns, and then placing the candles on the ground around the plaza.  The group of monks I teach are roughly my age, but this group had many teenagers and children.  many of them took to jumping over the candles and bushes.

Monks in the plaza chanting

Candles were left at the edge of the plaza, but it seemed like some monks were taking their candles farther away as well.

After the light offering, I went back up to my spot overlooking the prayer hall.  A group came in (I think they are from Taiwan) and made offerings at the altar and to the monks.  There was much more chanting, and I think a reading.  At one point, large groups of younger monks (maybe 10?) ran in - they seemed to be racing each other - and started pouring beverages for the other monks.  Later, there was some sort of ceremony involving 3 monks, elaborate outfits, and the altar.

My view from the overlook, towards the altar

I stayed for an hour (after the light offering).  As I was getting hot and thinking about dehydration, one of the monks brought me a juice box and water.  Later in the ceremony, there was a huge stampede of young monks who ran in and grabbed boxes in the front.  They tore open the boxes and started handing out the contents to the seated monks.  I'm pretty sure I saw bags of chips - I think other things were snacks as well.  Other monks dragged in tubs of bananas.  So, Buddhist equivalent of opening the stockings?

My joints were starting to hurt and I realized I had work to do for tomorrow, so I headed home around 10:30 PM.  I'm very glad that I went, and I hope that Saga Dawa falls during the Physics ETSI week in the future.  Its placement is based on a lunar calendar, so it could be a few years before my ETSI week and the holiday intersect again.  Next time, I'll find out if I was really supposed to walk in the front doors during the chanting and be a bit more bold.