Children's Program on Vesak Day
Dear respected Thay, Dear Brothers and Sisters, Dear Family and young Friends,
On May 6, 2012, a group of young friends, their parents, Sister Hoang Nghiem, and me, Sister Phu Nghiem, sat in the Circle Garden of Solidity Hamlet and shared a story of the young Buddha. Some friends came for the first time, others had familiar faces. We shared our happiness about Buddha's birthday. One of the traditions that we enjoy practicing every year is bathing the baby Buddha. We bathe the baby Buddha to remind ourselves that on that day, a special person was born, and also to remind ourselves that we are special people with understanding and love.
With our two hands forming a lotus bud in front of our hearts, we slowly walk to the baby Buddha. We offer him a gentle smile and ask permission to bathe him. We then carefully scoop a ladle of fragrant water and pour it over the baby Buddha. We gently put the ladle back with deep gratitude from our hearts.
We shared with each other how wonderful it was just to be able to bathe the baby Buddha. We reminded each other to remember to water the flower of love and understanding whenever we take a bath or a shower, so that we will not easily forget that we are a miracle.
