The Chief Priest of Buddhist Maha Vihara Temple , Brickfield, Kuala Lumpur... 
A Malay lady who is a Muslim, asked an Indian lady who happens to be a Christian how Vesak Day is celebrated and the latter, turned with wide eyes and asked me instead, How do Buddhists celebrate Vesak? Well, I suppose many Buddhists will visit temples on this day to pay homage to Buddha. Thirty thousand people for instance were expected to take part in the Vesak Day celebrations in a Buddhist temple in Jalan Berhala, Kuala Lumpur . In the local paper, The Star, it was also reported that the celebrations at the Buddhist Maha Vihara Temple however, will be a subdued affair compared to the year before. As the Chief High Priest of Malaysia, the Most Venerable K. Sri Dhammaratana Maha Nayaka Thera put it, the temple wanted to channel funds to cyclone victims in Myanmar and earthquake victims in China. Donation boxes had therefore been set up in the temple. Of course, there would be other activities there. Other than the usual burning of josssticks and candles and offering of flowers and oil lamps or chanting sessions at the Brickfield temple, stalls would be erected and I suppose the stalls would sell food, flowers as well as books or Cds on Buddhism. The temple is also organising a blood donation campaign in the morning and holding a candlelight procession in the evening. There probably would be dharma talks too and wait, the paper reported that there is a theme for this year's celebration for the Brickfield temple which is Creating a Harmonious Society with Compassion and Equality. How is that achieved, I wonder...
A Malay lady who is a Muslim, asked an Indian lady who happens to be a Christian how Vesak Day is celebrated and the latter, turned with wide eyes and asked me instead, How do Buddhists celebrate Vesak? Well, I suppose many Buddhists will visit temples on this day to pay homage to Buddha. Thirty thousand people for instance were expected to take part in the Vesak Day celebrations in a Buddhist temple in Jalan Berhala, Kuala Lumpur . In the local paper, The Star, it was also reported that the celebrations at the Buddhist Maha Vihara Temple however, will be a subdued affair compared to the year before. As the Chief High Priest of Malaysia, the Most Venerable K. Sri Dhammaratana Maha Nayaka Thera put it, the temple wanted to channel funds to cyclone victims in Myanmar and earthquake victims in China. Donation boxes had therefore been set up in the temple. Of course, there would be other activities there. Other than the usual burning of josssticks and candles and offering of flowers and oil lamps or chanting sessions at the Brickfield temple, stalls would be erected and I suppose the stalls would sell food, flowers as well as books or Cds on Buddhism. The temple is also organising a blood donation campaign in the morning and holding a candlelight procession in the evening. There probably would be dharma talks too and wait, the paper reported that there is a theme for this year's celebration for the Brickfield temple which is Creating a Harmonious Society with Compassion and Equality. How is that achieved, I wonder...
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