Gold Summit Monastey—What a Joyful Day!

The ten-day Jeweled Repentance of the Emperor of Liang at Gold Summit Monastery concluded with the annual Honoring Elders Day. With only six days to prepare everything, everyone was very busy!

On September 28, enthusiastic laypeople transported more than 80 seniors to the temple, where they first bowed to the Buddhas in the Buddhahall. Those who didn’t usually have the chance to pay respect to the Buddhas created a wholesome affinity with the Triple Jewel on this occasion. The luncheon began at 10:30 with a Dharma Master’s welcome speech. The elders enjoyed songs, dances, instrumental music, Cantonese opera, and a choir performance by laypeople and children, while partaking of a delicious vegetarian meal that couldn’t be bought with money.

A special feature this year was a slideshow introducing the Venerable Master Hua and the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, presented with explanation by two MCs in Mandarin and Cantonese. The performances interspersed with drawings for gifts.

Finally, the Sunday School children performed Taiwanese aboriginal dance three times, upon earnest request and to the great delight of our guests!

Every guest received a present. Some seniors were moved to tears, saying how delighted they were to participate in this event and how embarrassed they were to take a present home; some said that each year’s Honoring Elders Day is better than the last, and they wish to come back next year!

A Grand Festivity: Honoring Elders Day at Avatamsaka Monastery

On Sunday, October 12, the Sangha and assembly of Avatamsaka Monastery in Calgary, Canada, hosted Honoring Elders Day at the same time as they celebrated Guanyin Bodhisattva’s Anniversary of Leaving the Home Life. The weather was very pleasant and more than two hundred elders came. The total in attendance was nearly four hundred.

The assembly started reciting Guanyin Bodhisattva’s Universal Door Chapter at 8:00 a.m. and then bowed to Guanyin Bodhisattva. During the Liberating Life Ceremony which followed, scores of pigeons were liberated. After the Meal Offering Ceremony, the assembly proceeded to the Dining Hall downstairs where a delicious vegetarian luncheon was served. Performers entertained the guests while they enjoyed their meal. The performances included martial arts, songs with sign language by Tzu-Chi, and a Sunday school student’s keyboard performance. Students also recited part of the Confucian text, “Standards for Students,” in English, Mandarin, Cantonese and Vietnamese. The Monastery’s Expansion Project was outlined, and Dharma Master Heng Tso, upon request, gave a Dharma talk.

Many people volunteered for the event. Union is strength and the celebration was successful. All the seniors had a wonderful day at the Monastery and we all hope to see them again next year.

Honoring the Elders at Avatamsaka Vihara

More than ninety elders came to Avatamsaka Vihara on the morning of October 26th. After reciting Amitabha Buddha’s name, they were entertained by an hourlong program of performances, which included modern and traditional Chinese opera singing, an amateur actor mimicking two famous Chinese people, and performances on the guzheng [Chinese harpsichord] and violin. A physician gave a talk on how to take care of the body in old age.

Elder Huang Zhengqin, a former Chinese opera singer, enthralled the audience with kuai ban, knocking bamboo slats in quick rhythm while reciting rhyming verses. He also presented to each performer a paper silhouette cut of his/her likeness at the completion of each performance. A group mostly their 50’s and 60’ s did an elegant Tai Chi performance with youthful vigor.

The real treat for the seniors—those 65 years or above— was the lunch banquet served by uniformed young volunteers. Following the meal, the elders were given a special quiz, and whoever answered correctly got a prize. The eldest senior present was 93 years old. At the end, each elder was presented with a gift. May all elders be cared for, and through this memorable celebration, may their hearts be nourished anew.

Gold Dharma Monastery— May You Be Forever Young Like Pine Trees

Gold Dharma Monastery in Louisiana celebrated Honoring Elders Day on October 26. The Dharma Masters led the assembly to recite the Universal Door Chapter. After a delicious luncheon, a Dharma Master welcomed the honored guests and thus began a joyful, two hour program of poetry reading, a magic show, songs, Chinese dance, games, and the recitation of the Buddha’s name. The highlight of the celebration was the cutting of a cake and everyone singing and extending the wish, “May You Be Forever Young.” Each senior received a present. In the midst of the recitation of the Buddha’s name, people said good-bye!

Gold Buddha Monastery: Jolly Festivity

At 9:30 in the morning on November 1st, the program began by a grand and resonant recitation of the verse:

Gold Buddha emits light shining upon the great thousand worlds;
Men and women honor elders at Gold Buddha;
The Sagely City is renowned in the ld;
Elders and youngsters cultivate in the Sagely City.

This verse pointed out the theme—honoring the elders, having a great time in the assembly, and introducing the wonderful scenery from the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas (CTTB).

Since more people signed up to attend than could be acommodated, Gold Buddha Monastery held the celebration for two consecutive days on November 1st and 2nd. About six hundred elders gathered in the Hall and had a merry time.

Another special part of the celebration was a slide show introducing the history and facilities of CTTB. The elders savored the show and were deeply impressed about CTTB. Tzu-Chi volunteers supported the celebration with their enthusiastic programs. Everyone applauded their play of The Sutra of the Deep Kindness of Parents and the Difficulty of Repaying It which was performed with sign language. Honoring Elders Day was a success, and upon leaving the elders said, “Till Honoring Elders Day next year!”

Gold Sage Monastery— Creating Joyful Affinities with the Buddhas

On Sunday, November 2nd, 224 seniors dressed up for the long awaited Honoring Elders Day. At 9 a.m., Dharma Masters led the assembly to recite The Sutra of the Deep Kindness of Parents and the Difficulty of Repaying It, which rekindled the memory of parents who had passed away. Dharma Masters gave brief introductions after the recitation and subsequently Dr. Peter Wu demonstrated practical acupressure massage in a health talk and encouraged seniors to recite the Buddha’s name to prevent calamities and lengthen life.

During the ensuing 40-minute discussion period, Mrs. Shuxin Wang talked about her personal experience. She had joined the Virtue Society as a student and had benefited from learning about virtue. She pointed out that if we can reflect on ourselves and not find fault with others, then the Buddhaland will be right within our hearts and not far away in the West. Mr. Tian Long (Heavenly Dragon) raised a good laugh by comparing himself to a dragon in heaven and a worm on the ground. He used the example of his wife who had died of cancer and his personal experience in fighting cancer to encourage people to get early physical exams and early treatment to fight cancer. The MC reminded the audience not to forget the keys to longevity: “Start reciting the Buddha’s name and become a vegetarian soon.” Mrs. Xiehuiying Lu encouraged the audience, using her personal experience, to come to the monastery to bow to the Buddhas often and attend lectures for spiritual nourishment.

Lunch began at 11:30 a.m. with a feast of delicious delicacies. The skilled performance of students and volunteers on violin, viola, cello, and Chinese instruments including lute and zither as well as their singing of old Mandarin and Taiwanese songs added joy to this year’s celebration. A Dharma Master led the assembly to recite the Buddha’s name for a minute before the meal ended, calming everyone’s mind. The Dharma Master reminded everybody that this is the best “music of the nature.” She also introduced the principle in the Shurangama Sutra to help us recognize that within this impermanent body that has gray hair and wrinkles there exists something free from birth and death—our Buddha nature.

The exquisite vegetarian meal this year was prepared entirely by volunteers. Everyone did their best and showed great teamwork, which is truly meaningful for this special day. May everyone cultivate the Way and virtue, perfecting both blessings and wisdom.

Two Dancing Lions Welcome the Honored Guests at Prajna Guanyin Sagely Monastery in Malaysia

Since September old folks have been making a beeline to our way-place to register as participants in this year’s Honoring Elders Day. Volunteers of our temple quickly organized themselves into teams in charge of the kitchen, service, ushers, traffic control, transport, decorations, set-up and cleaning, entertainment and a host of other small but important jobs. Everyone was happy to prepare for this celebration.

At nine o’clock sharp on the big day, November 9, a golden lion and a black and silver lion pranced into the Buddha hall to pay respects to the Buddha as well as welcome our honoured guests. Our temple youth and disciples performed drama, songs, recital of classics, dances as well as classical Chinese music in a program that lasted right into midday. Students from the Dharma Realm Kindergarten stole the hearts of the old folks with their charm and performances.

The Meal Offering was at 10:30 as usual. During the tea ceremony that followed, kindergarten students offered tea to the seniors as a token of respect, and then invited elderly representatives to cut birthday cakes as the assembly sang “A-mi-to-fo” to the tune of “Happy Birthday”. Our guests broadly acclaimed lunch as a gastronomic delight. The feast was interspersed with entertainment and Buddhist questions-and-answers. Ten elders were honoured for their vigorous cultivation in the celebration.

After the festivity, an eighty-eight year old woman blissfully sat alone. Volunteers quickly attended to her and she declared that she was so happy that all she could remember was “A-mi-to-fo”. Even though space constraints limited the performances, with everyone’s whole-hearted cooperation, the elderly guests had a wonderful time.

The City of Ten Thousand Buddhas— Wonderful Programs to Entertain the Honored Guests

The City of Ten Thousand Buddhas celebrated Honoring Elders Day on Saturday, November 15. As usual, the large dining hall was packed with seniors as well as parents, students, and special guests such as students from Berkeley’s Graduate Theological Union, and families with adopted Asian children from Santa Rosa.

Guests stepping in the door were greeted by two rows of smiling girls bowing and saying, “Good morning!” The boys’ Dragon Dance opened the program, which included plays and songs by the elementary school, a Western string trio, and a multimedia play of the ancient epic Gilgamesh, adapted, produced, and presented by the girls’ high school, complete with music and projected backdrops. There were three Chinese dances. The boys’ vigorous taiko drumming concluded the morning program.

Lunch consisted of many delicious Chinese vegetarian dishes cooked by the kitchen staff and served by student ushers. The performances continued with songs, four Chinese Orchestra performances, and, finally, the boys’ Lion Dance. The three and a half hour program showcased the talents of the students of Instilling Goodness and Developing Virtue Schools, who had been rehearsing for weeks to make this the most enjoyable day of the year for local seniors.

The honored guests enjoyed a holiday in which they were the center of attention and left with smiles on their faces, paper lotuses in their hands, and warmth in their hearts. One visitor commented, “I am very impressed with the program. It is truly a delight to see how many talents the students have and how wonderfully the teachers have inspired their students.”

The City of the Dharma Realm—Dragons, Violins, Old & New Friends

“When these people honor, they honor BIG,” said Reverend Georgia Prescott, as she entered Five Contemplations dining hall. Round tables covered with purple table cloths were arrayed with vegetarian delicacies. The Chinese orchestra honed out the last notes of “The Seashore of Shanghai,” while the dancers practiced for the Dragon Dance in the plaza. Elders from ages 65 to 95, and of various nationalities, filled the room with warm smiles and bright eyes. “I didn’t even know about the City of the Dharma Realm (CDR) until I read that article in the newspaper. I’m going to bring my friends next year. I know they’ll enjoy it as much as I am,” said an elder from the West Sacramento. Although it was mid-November, a touch of summer warmth still lingered in the air, making it a perfect day to honor our elders. Elders were met at the door and presented with corsages decorated with lace and ribbons.

The morning started at 8:30 a.m. with reciting the 12 Great Vows of Medicine Master Buddha, followed by a program of entertainment in the back of the Buddha Hall, converted into a small theatre. The program began with a Lion Dance, music performed on the pipa [ancient Chinese instrument], a Tai Chi performance, and a puppet show by CDR Instilling Goodness Dharma School, about a kind monk who influenced bad people to become good.

During lunch, children played traditional Chinese instruments and the CDR Chinese Orchestra played songs that brought tears to the eyes of the Chinese elders.

After a performance by the Tzu Chi choir from San Jose, Mr. Robert Boche, a professor of music at UC Davis and a concert violinist, played the violin at the invitation of David Judd, State Attorney. Mr. Boche, who is over 70 years old, shook hands with Mr. Gan, the conductor of the Chinese orchestra, acknowledging the musical meeting of East and West.

“The children’s choir from the Center of Spiritual Awareness is here to sing,” someone said. “And their parents and sisters and brothers are with them—about 50 in all.” As they squeezed into the dining hall, their pastor, Reverend Georgia Prescott said, “We’re not going to have lunch. There’re too many of us. We just came to sing and see the Dragon Dance.” The children celebrated the elders with songs of soul and gospel, and then presented them with gifts of bookmarks they made. When the kitchen manager invited them for lunch, Reverent Prescott responded, “That does it. We’re going to eat! How can we turn down such hospitality?” So fifty more people ate. As Dharma Masters took the parents and children on a tour of the Buddha Hall, Dharma Master Gwei said, “If a tree has good roots, it will grow straight and tall. Its limbs will be strong and its leaves green. Parents are like the roots of a tree. They are the foundation of the family and the children are the limbs and leaves. As children, we must take care of our parents and help them so the family will grow and prosper. Then our bodies will be strong and flexible like the limbs of a tree and our minds will be bright and shiny like new leaves. This is what I want to say to you.”

The elders were presented with beautiful, handmade gifts. Jin Ren Shr, at the golden age of 95, was asked to cut the first slice of a huge birthday cake.

Outside in the plaza, students from Developing Virtue Boys School beat the drums, calling everyone to the Dragon Dance. Eight dancers lifted the dragon up into the air and set it spinning and swirling over the crowd. And thus Honoring Elders Day on November 19, 2003 at the Sagely City of the Dharma Realm drew to an end.

Gold Mountain Monastery –May All Be Healthy and Happy

Upon the conclusion of the Emperor of Liang Jeweled Repentance Session, on November 30, Gold Mountain Monastery held its 11th Honoring Elders Day celebration. Due to the limited space, we could only accept about 100 guests, even though more had signed up.

The morning program began with the recitation of the Chapter on Universal Worthy’s Conduct and Vows. Lonna Denny, a Western chiropractor, shared with seniors how to take care of the bones and points to pay attention to when visiting a doctor. She also demonstrated many simple and beneficial exercises. After the talk, many questions were raised from the audience. It was a very successful presentation.

The guests attended the meal offering and then enjoyed the luncheon and entertainment. First, two elders over 90 years old were invited to cut the cake to open the afternoon program. More than 20 Dharma friends from Tzu-Chi Foundation performed dances and songs, a skit, as well as songs accompanied by sign language. Tan’s Marshal Arts Studio played music and demonstrated kung fu and a lion dance with exceptional vitality and awe-inspiring prowess. Our Sunday school students also played several very moving Buddhist praises.

The performances brought great joy. On this special occasion everyone extended a profound wish: May all be healthy, happy, safe and peaceful. The merit and virtue amassed by all the good advisors on that day was dedicated to world peace, the prosperity of the nation, and well-being of the people. The program concluded with the giving of gifts.

Dharma Realm Buddhist Books Distribution Society (Taipei)-- Every Day Is Honoring Elders’ Day

Venerable Master Hua said, “The foundation for being a human is to practice filial respect, honor the elders and revere the worthy. We should treat all elders as our own parents.” Therefore, at the Venerable Master’s Way-places, at the end of every fall and the beginning of winter, when it is neither too cold nor too warm, we celebrate Honoring Elders Day.

On December 9, the program began with Dharma Masters leading everyone to recite The Sutra of the Deep Kindness of Parents and the Difficulty of Repaying It and then giving instructional talks. Next, guests were invited to share how they came to study Buddhism as well as being given advice on staying healthy, and everyone learned some stretching exercises.

At the luncheon following the meal offering, volunteers cordially served the elderly guests as enjoyed the entertainment, which included a personal account of a visit to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas (CTTB), gently flowing classical Chinese music, a Tai Chi performance by children, and recitation of poetry and the Vajra Sutra by students of the Dharma Realm memorization class.

Dharma Realm Buddhist Youth in Taiwan also prepared two performances—a puppet show about a novice monk who saved ants and songs performed with sign language. Then the parents recited poetry, and the Dharma Realm Lotus Friends recited the Venerable Master’s verses. Finally, the children presented Chinese buns of longevity to the honored guests. The elders said they hoped to come again next year.

Celebrating Honoring Elders Day is a tradition in Dharma Realm Buddhist Association. This event which the young and old celebrate together allows young people to realize that if they can expand their filial thoughts in daily life, and respect and care for their elders, then every day will be Honoring Elders Day and warmth and kindness will fill the world.