Wat Phra Dhammakaya organized lifetime ordination for 11 ordinands, casting of a principal Buddha image, Vesak lantern lighting and Dhammacakka chanting in honor to the Buddha on International Vesak Day.
On 3 June 2023, Venerable Phrakrusamu Sanitwong Wuttiwangso, Director of the Communication Department mentioned that Vesak Day is an important day of Buddhism on the full moon day of the sixth lunar month. It is the day that the Buddha was born, became enlightened, and attained complete nirvana. This day is also recognized by the United Nations as the International Day of Vesak. To express our gratitude to the Buddha on this occasion, the temple held 5 big merit making activities for the Buddhists to accumulate merit all day long.
At Dhammakaya Assembly Hall, the morning event was the almsgiving ceremony for over 1,000 monks, followed by the mass meditation, the sustenance offering to the Buddha and the food and principal Buddha image offering to the monastic community. In the afternoon, there were 2 big activities which were the lifetime ordination for 11 ordinands at Tipitaka Chapel of Wat Phra Dhammakaya and the casting of principal Buddha image for Kaew -Sa-Ra-Pad-Nuk 2 Assembly Hall. The evening session was the lighting of Vesak lanterns, arranged in the images of the significant events of the Buddha: his birth, enlightenment, and attainment to complete nirvana at the grounds of Dhammakaya Cetiya and the celebration for achieving 5,399,999,999 rounds of Dhammacakka recited in honor to the Triple Gem and the Great Masters on Vesak Day.
“Besides the Buddhism promotion activities at Wat Phra Dhammakaya, the temple in collaboration with other Buddhist organizations in many foreign countries arrange various Buddhism promotion activities on Vesak Day. For example,
- the temple coordinates with Nepali government, Lumbini Committee, Nepali monastic community, Lumbini Thai Temple and international Sangha community to arrange Paritta chanting, a pilgrimage and the lantern lighting in honor to the Buddha at Lumbini , the birth place of the Buddha in Nepal.
- The temple collaborates with Malaysian monastic community and Dhammakaya Meditation Center of Selangor to organize the chanting, mass meditation, listening to the sermon and the lantern lighting in honor to the Buddha.
- The temple coordinates with the Buddhists in New South Wales to celebrate International Vesak Day with the activity, called “THE AUSTRALIAN OBSERVANCE OF THE UNITED NATIONS DAY OF VESAK” at Phuoc Hue Temple, Sydney, Australia.
- The temple coordinates with Korean Buddhists to organize Lotus Lantern Festival 2023.
- The temple coordinates with Vietnamese government and Buddhists to celebrate International Vesak Day at Ba Vang Pagoda and over 60,000 Buddhists joined this event.
- The temple coordinates with Indonesian government to organize the lantern lighting event, called “WAISAK NASIONAL LIGHT OF PEACE” at Param Buddho, Indonesia.
- In Mongolia, the temple organizes the event of lighting 3,116 lanterns in honor to the Buddha on Vesak Day.” said Venerable Phrakrusamu Sanitwong.
