Photo from Pixabay
Elizabeth Quay will be hosting a Multicultural Festival from the 14th to the 15th of April to pay tribute to the birth of Buddha. This colourful event will be free and open to the public and will spread Buddhist teachings and philosophy about respect, tolerance, consensus, openness and harmonious co-existence.
The bathing of the Buddha
There are a lot of activities planned for this smoke-free and alcohol-free two-day festival. Come and see traditional ceremonies, rituals, cultural displays and exhibits and learn just how much Buddhism has changed the lives of people living all over the world.
Join a meditation session
The founder of Buddhism, Sakyamuni Buddha, was born in northern India over 2,500 years ago. Celebrate his life by taking part in activities like an Official Prayer Ceremony, which is scheduled to be held on Saturday at 6pm, and will include guests from local and state government, multi-faith religious representatives, and people from the community and local businesses.
The Bathing of the Buddha is a sacred ritual that Buddhists have been performing on Buddha's birthday to celebrate his birth since ancient times. Buddhists bathe a statue of an infant Buddha three times in fragrant water. This is an important act that symbolises the cleansing of the body, mind and heart of anger, greed and ignorance. The goal is to wash away evil thoughts and to cultivate good ideas and wisdom.
Other activities include a mass meditation session hosted by representatives from the Fo Guang Shan Monastery, a Baby Blessing & Baby Shower Ceremony where babies, toddlers and children under the age of six will be blessed by Venerables from the Fo Guang Shan Monastery, a Buddha's Birthday Education Project, a Multi-Faith Blessing Ceremony, Tea & Incense Appreciation, an Exhibit about the Life Story of Sakyamuni Buddha, Chinese Calligraphy, an Alms Round Procession, Children's DIY Art & Craft, a 'Be Kind Be Vego' Display, Chinese Lion and Dragon Dancing, Fireworks, Multicultural Entertainment and a Vegetarian Food Fair.
This diverse and multicultural festival is being supported by the Office of Multicultural Interests, the Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority, the City of Perth and the City of Bayswater. For more information check out their
website or
Facebook event page.
