May and June are two busy months in Tung Lin Kok Yuen in Vancouver,
Canada. First of all, there is a ceremony of taking refuge on Bathing
the Buddha Festival (the birthday of Sakyamuni Buddha), which is held
annually. Secondly, another great event of Taking Eight Precepts and
No Eating After Noon will be held during June 4 to June 11 in the monastery.
It is expected many Buddhist devotees will participate and gather together
in these events. In Buddhism, it is emphasized that we cultivate in
both blessings through the practices in all kinds of Buddhist activities,
as well as wisdom through the study of Buddhist scriptures and lectures,
etc. Both are equally important. Without adequate blessing, one may
encounter difficulty in understanding the Buddhist doctrines. Without
the aid of wisdom, one may lose the bearing toward the Buddhahood or
take more effort to achieve the goals. Buddhistdoor website provides
a good platform for the readers to have a better understanding in Buddhism,
thus facilitates them in the cultivation of wisdom. However, the readers
are always encouraged to participate in some Buddhist activities in
the monasteries, as that is an effective way to help us to remove some
obstacles in the course of studying, to open up ones' mind, and to improve
ones' lives as well. The Archive section of the Buddhistdoor has been expanded to include the commentaries of the Amitabha Sutra and Ksitgarbha Sutra, all the past Zen stories, and all the past chapters of the Buddhism in a Nutshell. Readers will likely find a better sense of continuity by browsing these series one article after another. |