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Birthday splash for Buddha in Richmond

Whole host of events planned to celebrate the occasion this weekend
buddha
Chang Wu, director at Dharma Drum Vancouver Center on No. 5 Road, is welcoming everyone to celebrate Buddha's birthday with them this Sunday

If you fancy bathing the Buddha, partaking of a Chan tea ceremony or joining in a prayer session, then Richmond is the place to be this weekend.

Buddha’s birthday is upon us and the Dharma Drum Vancouver Center on No. 5 Road is marking the auspicious occasion on Sunday, May 24 by opening its doors to the public.

As part of the big day — which is officially May 25 — the centre is urging the local community to come out and celebrate Buddha’s big day with them for the first time ever.

“The Buddha’s birthday is the most important and joyful day for all Buddhists and we want to share it with our community,” said Venerable Chang Wu, the centre's director.

“This is a great opportunity to meet the people in our community and a way we feel we can give back a little.”

Wu pointed to the four sessions of prayer/blessing, that will be hosted at various times throughout the day, because of “all the suffering going on around the world.

“I’ve studied in different parts of the world and I find people in the Vancouver area are very open-minded and more receptive to others of different faiths,” she said, referring to the reception she and her fellow Chan Buddhists have received since they opened the centre in Richmond in 2006.

Other activities on the day, which goes from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., include: lion dancing; drumming, kids’ games and traditional Chinese music and meditation. For the full schedule and more information, go to www.ddmba.ca.

Meanwhile, the BC Buddhist Festival will be held at the UBC Doug Mitchell Sports Arena on May 30. Four of the 30 B.C. Buddhist communities will be from Richmond.