Candle Lighting Ceremony online
VIA ZOOM APPLICATION FOR WORLD PEACE
on Magha Puja Day (Wednesday, February 16th, 2022) at Dhammakaya Temple,Thailand
Magha Puja is an important religious festival celebrated by Buddhists on the full moon day of the third lunar Month for more than 2,600 years. It marks the four auspicious occasions in the Buddha time as follows: 1. It was the full-moon day of the third lunar month, 2. There were 1,250 Arahants, the enlightened disciple monks, who came to see Lord Buddha without any prior arrangement, 3. All of them were ordained by Lord Buddha, and 4. Lord Buddha delivered a sermon called the “Ovada Patimokkha” which includes the fundamental ideology, the moral standards and the conducts of Buddhism.
Dhammakaya Temple has organized annually the Candle Lighting Ceremony where several-hundred thousands of Buddhists, non Buddhists and peace lovers in various races, nationalities, religions around the world have attended in the sacred and holy ceremony, we have mass and collective meditation session in front of the Dhammakaya Cetiya in paying homage to Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha and spreading loving kindness as well as the Universal Love to our loved ones such as families, friends, relatives and all living creatures in the world.
On Wednesday, February 16th, 2022, we would like to kindly invite everyone to join in the brightness and sacred Magha Puja Ceremony by lighting the candle lights together with several-hundred thousands of people around the world via zoom application and humbly sending our bright minds to the Dhammakaya Cetiya, the cetiya of one million Buddha-images as well as observe and appreciate the beauty of several-hundred thousands of candle lights and bring our minds back to see the inner light and access the inner peace.
All our candles symbolize the light of World Peace
Magha Puja Day
In Candle Lighting Ceremony, people around the world will meditate together by closing their eyes softly and being mindful at the center of the body. Through meditation, we will spread our collective pure energy and good wishes to all people and all beings around the world, to be free from their sufferings, to have only true happiness and pure loving kindness.The power of our collective pure energy from our center of the body will be expanded to all directions and with our great intention from our still minds will finally embrace and filter our world to be more refined and brighter, to be the better place for everyone. Also, everyone lights up the candles and this collective candle lights around the world symbolize the Light of World Peace.
The significance of Magha Puja Day
Throughout this Dhammayatra Project, not only will the monks have a chance to train themselves, they will also have time to recollect the immense compassion of the Great Master Phramongkolthepmuni (Sodh Candasaro), the re-discoverer of the Dhammakaya Meditation. The Great Master, overflowing with virtues and abilities, led his virtuous life in the footsteps of the Buddha. He continuously trained himself, gave Dhamma lessons, and taught people to meditate in order to attain Dhammakaya. Eventually, both Thais and foreigners who followed his teachings discovered for themselves the true goals of life and felt confident that Buddhism was the highest refuge.
Humankinds have been searching for true happiness but no one has proclaimed to find it. Around 2,600 years ago, after Lord Buddha enlightened under the Bodhi tree, he had attained the truth of human’s life and the truth of the universe. Moreover, he had attained the true happiness, it was the utmost happiness which let him not reborn again in the cycle of lives.
On this important day during Lord Buddha time, he delivered the “Ovada Patimokkha” sermon which consisted of Ideologies, Principles, and Methods of propagation of Buddhism.
Ideologies
The Buddhist Ideology is the ultimate objective of every Buddhist. As outlined in Lord Buddha’s sermon, Buddhist Ideology comprises the followings:
- We should be patient in order to reach our achievement. As our life may be burdened by suffering, we should be patient. Furthermore, patience toward sensual desire can prevent us from sensual indulgence.
- All Lord Buddhas have taught that Nirvana is the state of supreme bliss and Nirvana is the ultimate goal for Buddhists. Not harm other living beings.
- Before we give advice and guidance to others to attain true happiness, we have to practice and inspect ourselves first.
Principles
- Abstaining from misdeeds because the Law of Karma still controls us. If we break precepts or commit bad deeds, karmic retribution will return to us either in this lifetime or during a future lifetime.
- Doing only good deeds. When the karma from good deeds bears fruit, our life will be joyful, prosperous and successful.
- Purifying our mind by practicing meditation. This is the only way that we are able to attain true happiness and Nirvana.
Methods of propagation of true peace
Method of propagation with recommendation to convey, to behave appropriately, and to be a good role model to the world:
- The propagation of true peace should be made without insulting or making slanderous allegations against each other.
- The propagation of true peace should be made without assaulting or harming each other.
- Peace seekers should observe the precepts.
- One should be content in consuming food.
- One should live in a tranquil place which is suitable for meditation practice.
- One should always practice mindfulness meditation in all activities.
After Lord Buddha delivered a sermon “Ovada Patimokkha” to 1,250 Arahants, they separated and went into different directions to share and propagate Dhamma teaching of Lord Buddha to people in various places of the world to have the right ways to attain true happiness from within. If everyone practices according to the principles of Ovada Patimokkha , the world will realize true peace, humanity, harmony, well-wishes, forgiveness, and generosity to one another. A universal love that comes with true peace will occur in the world.
True Happiness and World Peace begins from within
Magha Puja day is one of the most important days in the world. Without Magha Puja’s Day, the world will not know the right way to live the perfect and complete life and to lead us to our true goals. Therefore, we should reflect on the Ovada Patimokkha and the Buddha teachings in order to pay respect to Lord Buddha and 1,250 Arahants who introduced the great wisdom to mankind.
Since Lord Buddha time until nowadays 2564 B.E., the Dhamma teachings have been propagated around the world, they are the universal practices which many millions of the world citizen have been practicing and let them find true peace within.
When we purify the mind by meditation , we will generate the sense of deep understanding towards ourselves and others, we will have compassion and universal love to others without any conditions. From individual’s true happiness and lastly spread to people who are surrounded us, spread to our village, to our country and to our beloved entire world, then world peace is really possible and occurred if we practice the universal goodness from Lord Buddha’s teaching.
World Peace is in your hands
In many ways peace is one of the most sought in the world. This is perhaps because true peace is so rarely found. Human seeks for peace in all places; books, music, exotic destinations, companionships. We even spent great amounts of money in this pursuit.
However, the greatest miracle of human being is that peace always lies within. In fact, it does not lie any further than where you are right now. The key to peace lies in its simplicity. To find peace, one only needs to close one’s eyes and become still.
Peace already exists within us. We only need to be aware of it. Each human being has the potential to look within, to be still, to experience inner peace. We can see for ourselves that the road that will lead to world peace lies within our INNER PEACE. And the journey starts right now.
“When the mind of each person in this world knows true peace, the world will know peace. When the mind is peaceful it will start to see the true cause of peace, and at the same time the true cause of war. With this clarity, we can finally put an end to conflict, greed, and anger and usher in an era of peace. Once we know peace for ourselves, it will be reflected in our thoughts, our speech and in our actions. Love and good intention for mankind will arise and we will become the center of peace for people all around like the sun shining warm light to big and small stars, both near and far.”
May we kindly invite everyone to be part in this auspicious occasion, to attend the candle lighting ceremony together.
Candle Lighting Ceremony
Magha Puja Day
Schedule of events (GMT+7)
18:00 Presiding Monk arrives / Paying homage to the Triple Gem / Meditation session
18:30 Principle patrons light the Magha Puja Lanterns / Declaring the verses to the offering of Magha Puja lanterns
18:40 Passing on the light of peace / Resolution making in offering and lighting the Magha Puja lanterns / Lighting of candles by everyone throughout the world / Meditation session
19:20 Circumambulating the Maha Dhammakaya Cetiya / Chanting the Buddhist parittas by the Sangha community and lay people throughout the world / Making a resolution Loving kindness meditation
20:10 Ceremony ends
