Now that everyone’s slept for a week, reacquainted themselves with family pets and rediscovered what a drag it is to actually cook for themselves (ok, that might all be a case of projection… it might just be me)… a request!

There’s about to be a meeting of the various Vesak section heads to review the event and make notes for tweaks and changes for next year. Obviously no-one is everywhere and sees everything during the celebration, and your input is valued.

What went right for you, what went wrong? What worked for you, what didn’t? Did you go to grab a pair of scissors only to realise they weren’t where you thought they should be, or were you busting to go to the loo only to realise the queue snaked down the pathway?

Ok… that was projection too… it was probably just me.

Seriously, your feedback IS important, and all comments/issues/questions, good or bad, will be looked at.

Everyone should get a word in, and here’s how to do it!

To get you started, here’s mine… I’d like to see a suggestion box on the site next year, so we can jot down our thoughts on the spot, while they’re in our head.

OK… your turn.

Just hit the COMMENTS link at the end of this post (it’ll say “No Comments” if you’re the first, or tell you how many comments there are if you’re not) and have your say. With a bit of twiddling around, you can probably put in a nickname if you want to remain anonymous. Alternatively, drop me a mail here and I’ll pass your comments forward for you (if you want me to hide your email address just let me know and I will).

What did you think of it this year? How can we improve next year?

Veggie lovers please scroll down… this is mainly a reminder for the carnivores/omnivores amongst us, but there’s some news for everyone at the bottom.

Meat-eaters, Please Note…

Don’t forget… if you’re joining the procession on Friday (16th), you’ll need to be vegetarian from 11pm on Tuesday (13th). If you’re joining the procession on Saturday then it’s the same time on Wednesday for you.If you’re not joining the oil lamp processions, you might still need to note that to walk the lotus path you need to be vegetarian from 11pm the day before.

Everyone Else… 

One other thing to note about the oil lamp procession… participants (including those who aren’t taking part themselves but have asked family members to do so on their behalf) should not attend any funeral events or auspicious events (like wedding dinners, birthday celebrations etc) for 12 days after.And now that I’m done with the stern warnings… I can do the fun part and announce something new this year! Keep a lookout for the Oil Lamp Procession booklets at the site. It’s the first of a series and the team have done a fantastic job of explaining and translating the symbols, chants and meanings. There’s lots of interesting stuff in it, so grab a copy to take home and keep.

Yet another scribble on your calendar, if you’re old fashioned like me and use a paper one. It was announced over the weekend that the date for Deepavali has moved from Tuesday 28th October to Monday 27th October.

The Shrine’s open on that day and I’ve placed my order for lovely weather, so see you there.

Just a reminder that last date for Healing registration is this Sunday (27th April). If you’re having problems registering in person then do contact Emily and let her know.

The sessions are:

• Saturday (8pm to 10pm)
• Sunday (9am to 1pm)
• Sunday (8pm to 10pm)

There’s been some changes in the dates for these two months. The Shine will be open:

• June: 8th & 22nd
• July 6th & 20th

We’re looking forward to everyone coming together in celebration again this year, and as usual there’ll be plenty going on.

As always, family and friends of members, residents of the area and members of the public are warmly welcome to come down to pay respects to the Buddha, take a look around, enjoy the music and performances on the stage or just relax in the shade of the marque with a bottle of water. Each year we open with a lion dance, and there are some interesting events during the celebration. We’ll post more about these in the leadup to Vesak, so do check back. Vesak is an important time of worship for members of Moh Hong Buddhist Shrine, so we do ask that visitors be respectful of any ceremonies or member activities which might be going on.

A summary of the timing of the key member events is below:

Basic Guidelines

Offerings for the Deceased (Seet Goh)

• One share of offerings is recommended for each deceased member of the immediate household (i.e. husband, wife, parents, or children). Not recommended for distant relatives e.g. parents-in-law. Each deceased member can receive multiple offerings but these should be made by different relatives.
• Please provide names of the deceased, the person making the offerings and the relationship during registration.

Healing and Blessing

• All participants are advised to observe vegetarian diet beginning at 11:00pm on 15th May (Thursday).
• There will be an allocated time for this event which will be advised later.

Oil Lamp Procession

• All registered participants are advised to observe vegetarian diet as indicated above. For aged participants, please advise the registrar if you require assistance.
• Menstruating ladies are advised against participating in this event and lighting the oil lamp in person. They can, however and appoint a proxy (who must observe the same guidelines) while they observe the procession on the sideline.
• Please arrive 30 minutes before the recommended time to enjoy the serene ambience
• Upon successful completion of this event, participants are advised to avoid attending funeral wakes, celebratory events such as new born’s first month, and wedding preparation for the following 12 days.

Offerings of Ten Gifts (Chap Hiang)

• Participants for this event are appointed by Master. Participants will be notified in due time.
• Upon successful completion of this event, participants are advised to avoid attending funeral wakes, celebratory events such as new born’s first month, and wedding preparation for the following 12 days.

Once again we’re in the padang area opposite Block 156 Bishan Street 11. Hopefully everyone found convenient places to park last year, or worked out where to jump off the 410 bus from Bishan MRT. Here’s a map of the location. Carparks are marked CP or MSCP and bus routes are listed at the bottom of the map.

If you’d like a high-res one suitable for printing, we’ve got one online here.

Yes, it really has been nearly a whole year, and Vesak is on the horizon again. Once again the theme of our celebrations is One Heart. This is to remind us of Master’s teaching to have “one heart”, and as we go about marking the day to remember to have one common objective, one focus, one syncopated beat and one voice.

We’ll post full details of the location and timetable over the next couple of days, but a quick summary:

• Prayer Hours: Thursday, May 15 to Monday, May 19, 9am to 10.30pm
• Location: Opposite Block 156, Bishan Street 11 (same as last year)

Some of the events require pre-registration. If you haven’t done so yet, pre-registration is open on the following days:

• Sunday, April 13, 10am to 2.30pm
• Sunday, April 27, 10am to 3pm
  

Pre-registration is required for the following events: