Auspicious Light Festival

The public, Dharma class students and families from the community of about 1453 people attended the Auspicious Light Festival to ignite their life with wisdom at BW Monastery, Woodlands from 1.30pm-9.30pm on the Sunday 17 Nov 2019. It is to plant the seeds of enlightenment of Buddhahood while supplicating for and receiving blessings, as wisdom is the key to success, harmony, prosperity and a meaningful life.

1st Station 第一站: Wisdom of Learning 学习的智慧

2nd Station 第二站: Wisdom of Listening 聆听的智慧

3rd Station 第三站: Wisdom of Perspective 清澈的智慧

4th Station 第四站: Wisdom of Giving 分享的智慧

5th Station 第五站: Wisdom of Appreciation 感恩的智慧

6th Station 第六站: Wisdom of Practises 实践的智慧

7th Station 第七站: Wisdom of Harvesting 丰收的智慧

Make aspirations, put into the lamp bottle, bring the wisdom home 发愿，放入灯瓶里， 把智慧带回家

3rd floor: Sutra Copying 三楼抄经

4th floor Ray of Hope- stations for children 四楼儿童希望的光芒

Art teachers guided the parents+children- DIY paper lantern making 折纸浮水灯

Wrote their aspirations on the 4 corners of the lantern写下他们的心愿

Placed the lantern onto the wishing pond 拿到许愿池供灯

Zen music playing 无忧鼓

Manjusri Mantra Om Ara Pa Za Ra Na Di 文殊心咒

Sculpting of firefly 手工雕塑萤火虫

Dark Forest Tunnel - experiential walk (seeing, touching, listening)

Prize for children, Q&A after the walk

Fun Dominoes Game

Ice cream, everybody's favourite! 冰淇淋，大众所好!

Delicious snacks on the 4th floor, children stations

Healthy steamed sweet corn

Passion fruit juice

The professional Emcees (MC) 专业司仪

Lights offering 供灯

Turning of prayer wheel 转经轮

Parents, youths and children had a good time as there were experiential and interactive fun-filled game stations and food:

1. There were seven game stations in the main shrine hall, of which their themes were to draw out the wisdom on helping one another, arise compassion and concentration, appreciate other's kindness, how to listen, obtain clear perspective of understanding other's, reduce plastics to protect our environment, and making aspiration, and there was redemption of gifts too!

2. Sutra copying and 35 Buddhas Repentance Practice to accumulate vast merits and clear obscurations were on the 3rd floor.

3. Children and family-bonding games, musical experiential station by hitting the notes of Manjusri Bodhisattva mantra song, sculpting of “firefly”, experience the dark forest tunnel walk-through, art and craft: lantern wishing pond, and ice cream and savoury snacks on the fourth floor.

4. Light offerings at the Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva shrine, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva shrine and behind the main shrine hall

5. Turning of the prayer wheels

The main event was the bilingual Wisdom Enlightening Ceremony at 7.30pm-8pm presided by Venerable Bensi, who led the Sanghas and participants to sing the Manjushri mantra sincerely, and marched through the convoy of sword bearers team, signifying the riddance of the darkness of ignorance, to ignite wisdom through light offerings. A blessed item of a clear key holder embedded with Manjusri Bodhisattva mantra was given by the Sangha to each participant.

Wisdom widens our perspective and unravels the troubles we face in daily life. Auspicious Light Festival brought sparkles to our life with wisdom.

We look forward to seeing you at our next event soon!