On Sunday, May 4, 2014, the Hellenic Shaolin Cultural Center [EPOKES] celebrated Sakyamuni birth day for the 3rd year. According to the lunar calendar, the 8th day of the 4th month, people celebrated the Bathing Buddha Festival, where the devotees went for pilgrimage to the monasteries and were bathing the baby Buddha.
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An infant Prince Siddhartha statue, with one arm pointing towards the sky and the other pointing towards the ground, was placed on a plate on the Lotus alter table so that followers can use fragrant water from scented flowers and sandalwood, camphor, aloe, lilac and other fragrances to bathe the statue. This activity symbolized the Fourfold Assembly's offering, and it is a day of joy and blissful celebration.
All attendees used a ladle to pour fragrant water three times over the statue of the infant Buddha, with reverence, realizing the great value and the enlightening character of the festival.
The Bathing Buddha ceremony is not just a ritual for Buddhists. It's very important for all human beings. By pouring water over the shoulders of the Buddha it serves as a reminder to purify the mind from greed, hatred and ignorance. The ceremony symbolizes the washing away of greed, hatred and ignorance and purification of one's heart and mind. Master Shi Yan Kong, the Director of the Athens Shaolin Cultural Center said to the gathering.
The General Director of the [EPOKES] Master Shi Yan Zhuo, the 34th Shaolin Generation Master who brought the Shaolin Teachings in Greece back in 80's send a message to all for this special day:
During the Buddha Birthday ceremony, we whole heartedly pray and wish that his spiritual power of great compassion and full perfect virtues will enable us to purify our polluted mind of greed, hatred, and stupidity, and will help us to achieve perfect merit and virtues in moral precepts, samadhi, and wisdom.
We should be mindful in “chasing” away our ignorance and care for the well being of others.
Bathing the Buddha celebration origin
Sakyamuni Buddha was born in the Garden of Lumbini, located near the present day of Kapilavastu , Nepal. His mother was Queen Maya and young Siddhartha was the crown prince of the Sakya tribe. At the time of his birth, his mother was traveling home to see her parents and had stopped in the lush garden to rest. After his birth, Siddhartha took seven steps, each treading on a lotus flower. He said he had come into the world to become the Buddha. At this the heavens offered flowers and the nine celestial dragons washed him with fragrant rain that sprang from their mouths. After the bath, the young prince was purified in body and mind.
