A Note on the 5th Anniversary Celebration, May 2008

The fifth anniversary celebration program which included a two-day chanting practice and a Thrice Yearning Ceremony with the assistance from Venerable Wu He, Venerable Wu Ling, and Venerable Zhao Xu, and friends from Houston, Washington, D.C., ended perfectly on May 25, 2008. The main purpose for this Dharma gathering was to build good fortune and dedicate the merits to the victims of the earthquakes in Sichuan and the cyclone in Myanmar, and also to the victim’s survivors.

Besides local friends, there were friends from Texas, Washington D. C., Iowa, Wisconsin, Georgia, Florida, and from as far away as California. There were thirty-one friends from Houston as well as seven friends from Washington, D.C. who drove eleven hours. The friends from California flew more than four hours. We really praise their sincerity and enthusiasm. The Abbott Venerable Thich Minh Hanh from the Quang Minh Temple in Chicago also participated in the program. We respectfully thank him for his participation.

The event actually began the morning of May 22. The volunteers were busy transporting friends from the airport to the library, assigning hotel rooms, etc. After dinner at the welcome party, Director Lin delivered a warm welcome to all the friends and venerables who came, followed by a dialog with venerables. Everyone listened to their reports on the plans to spread the Dharma teaching for the remainder of the year. The welcome party ended happily.

Chanting was held on May 23 and 24. About eighty to ninety people, wearing their haichings, chanted, prostrated and did walking and sitting meditation. In the evening, the venerables lectured and answered questions, which provided everybody with a good opportunity to learn.

On May 25, the Thrice Yearning Ceremony was held in the spacious Meadow Glens Elementary School gym, which the library had rented for the day. The gym was set up with Buddha tables for Buddha Amitabha, Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara and Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha. We accepted requests from friends who wanted to dedicate merits to their deceased loved ones and to help them transcend samsara. There were hundreds of the name plaques in the Buddha table areas of Avalokiteshvara and Ksitigarbha Bodhasattvas. There were also many Dharma items for free distribution outside the gym area.

There were over one hundred and twenty participants at the Thrice Yearning Ceremony. The Director of the Taipei Economic and Culture Center in Chicago, Mr. Thomas Cheng, also participated in the first section of the ceremony. The ceremony started with the Purification Ceremony followed by many detailed procedures. The music from the instrument team and the singing of the participants melded into splendid and moving rhythms as they sought to persuade the deceased to repent their karmas and make vows to be re-born in the Pure Land.

May 26 was the one-day Chicago city tour. It was a fine day and on the buses the sounds of laughter and conversation filled the air. It was a perfect day trip as everyone had a wonderful time. In the evening, the library held a farewell party. Lotus Tan, a daughter of Director Lin, and her erhu teacher, Ms. Betti Xiang, performed erhu solos and duets. Teacher Xiang’s skills and beautiful music provided a perfect interlude to the celebration. Overall, every participant of the celebration left with a joyful mind. The library thanks everyone for their enthusiastic participation and support.

● Editor's Room