Here are complete details on the GTA Vesak celebrations happening June 1st in Celebration Square, Mississauga:
To All Devotees and Friends,
Please click on the link:
http://www.mississauga.com/ community/article/1618160– party-for-the-buddha-at-the- square
We have pleasure in inviting you to participate in the special celebrations drawn up to mark the 2637th Birth Anniversary of the Buddha on Saturday, June 1, 2013, from 3.30 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. We are naming the event as ‘Buddha’s Birthday Celebration’ in order to attract non-Buddhists from the wider community and encourage them to join us in a unique ceremony which will give them an insight into a different culture and spiritual path which is peacefully co-existing within the Canadian mosaic.
The month of Vesak which falls in May is the time of the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and passing away which has great religious significance to those who follow his teachings as members of the Buddhist community of practitioners. The Buddha attained enlightenment at the age of 35 and taught for 45 years the Path referred as the Middle Way, and passed away at the age of 80 over 2557 years ago in the 6th century BC.
In order to introduce a large and vibrant Buddhist community to the general public, the three largest temples in Mississauga have undertaken to organize this event. Those temples are the Fo Guang Shan Temple of Toronto (at Mill Creek Rd.), the Phap Van Buddhist Temple at Trader’s Blvd. and the West-End Buddhist Temple at Cawthra Rd. An additional 27 temples and societies from around the GTA, representing 13 countries and three Buddhist traditions (Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana), are participating. If you keep an ear open, you will hear Sinhala from Sri Lanka, Mandarin from China, Vietnamese from Vietnam, Japanese, Korean, Laotian, Burmese, Thai, Khmer from Cambodia and Tibetan languages as well as chants in Pali and Sanskrit. Translations of the chants will be available on the big screens above the stage.
The program includes Buddhist blessings and chants delivered by the ordained monks or Sangha, to be followed by speeches from special invitees amongst whom are several MPs, MPPs, a Senator, City Councillor and the Peel Police Chief who have confirmed their attendance. We hope for a surprise visit from our Mayor Hazel McCallion.
The closing session will incorporate Buddhist rituals, cultural songs, traditional dances and a display of martial arts by the devotees of the temples in the GTA. We expect to provide a colorful, active and fun filled afternoon along with the extensive displays and a variety of Vesak decorations to please everyone that would be there.
The organizing committee of this first Mississauga Vesak Festival is being coordinated by Michael Weldon with the cooperation and guidance of Venerable Dr. Bhante Saranapala who is the Chairperson.
We trust you would accept our invitation and look forward to your participation early by contacting any member of the organizing committee named below. Your early confirmation of your ability to cover the event will be greatly appreciated.
With blessings of the Noble Triple Gem.
Dayaka Sabha
West End Buddhist Temple and Meditation Centre
3133 Cawthra Road
Mississauga, ON L5A 2X4
905-891-8412
www.westendbuddhist.com
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