Pictures from OUR Birthday (5/28)

D I D   Y O U   K N O W   that your birthday is in late May? My professor didn't! My professor had explained a few days before that we are all the Buddha, but when I wished her happy birthday on the 28th--Buddha's birthday--I caught her completely off-guard! I still can't get over how beautiful Buddhist philosophy is on the subject of reincarnation and human nature-- we have as much Buddha and Jesus in us as we do Hitler or Bin Laden, which I find true-- we are capable of great goodness and great evil; we are descendants of all that has come before and are channels through which these people and things influence the present and future. These were the things I meditated on this day of Buddha's birthday.

On our agenda for the day was first and foremost to participate in our temple's nationally-televised ceremony. I rose early, meditated my thanks to the Buddha for my breath and for the breath of the world, donned my traditional Korean formal hanbok, and headed to the stuffed Dharma hall to play my part in the festivities!

Fancy!

The Dharma hall was PACKED

S O M E W H E R E   O U T   T H E R E  is a video of myself and my travelmates placing symbolic offerings on the main altar for the Buddha, but alas my lack of Korean language skills means that I have not yet unearthed a link on the internets. It was an immense honor to practice such a privileged ritual in front of so many people live--and broadcast nationally!

The ceremony was actually delightfully short and simple in order to make room for the community festivities that followed.

I think pictures will explain the day's events better than words.

The grounds were swarming with Buddhists!

The crowd was fed from a  beautiful, giant trough-like carved tree trunk

The monks processed together

A celebration of the baby monks on their last day at the temple!

Finn the baby!

Traditional musicians

A women's choir

The Swarm

A lunch of fried rice and North Korean dumplings-- YUM!!!

A F T E R   A N   A F T E R N O O N   of music, performance, and celebration, we headed into the main Dharma hall again for the baby monks' goodbye ceremony! Buddha's birthday marked the end of their experience as monks; at the ceremony, they were commended for their efforts, they doffed their robes, and ran to the loving arms of the mothers they'd been missing. There were tears, "AWWW's," and plenty of laughter for all.

The baby monks prepared to have their last ceremonial meal

What a mix of emotions!

Last glimpse from behind the altar

The whole crew! Laypeople, monks, baby monks and mothers, teachers, and us students!

E S T I M A T E S   H E L D  that over 10,000 people visited Hongbeopsa that day, and to say the least, I was quite exhausted by the end of all the hubbub. I loved the spectacle and performance but couldn't help but feel that social Buddhist practice was less my thing than personal practice. To each their own, no?

To decompress, I ventured off on my own to reflect on the day... and took some more pictures!

The sun beings to set on a gorgeous day at Hongbeopsa

A giant streamer sends blessings out into the winds

The dragon lantern flies in the main hall

The Buddha at sunset

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