Mother's Day Dana (Virtual only)
falls on January 17, 2021 (Sunday).
- Due to COVID-19 PANDEMIC, There will ONLY be a simple Dana ceremony and evening
- Buddha Vandana with a limited audience as we have to follow the cdc guidelines.
Mother's Day is a celebration honoring the mother of the family, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. In fact, Mother's Day should be everyday. So is the Father's Day. They are our life line. They gave us life. They molded us to who we are today. Their unconditional love and affection are unique and so powerful. Let us pray together to all our Mothers on this special day, good health, long life and the best of spirit if they are alive. Let us talk to them affectionately, dearly and respectfully and never resentfully. Let us call them if they are far away. Let us hug them as many times as we can to make them feel happy. Let us bring smile to their face happiness to their hearts as much as we can as good loving sons and daughters. Let us take care of them whenever we can with good clothes, good food, good housing and good medicine and most of them all good strong LOVE. May all our mothers be well and happy and healthy!
This is a beautiful Pali Stanza to salute mother:
Dasa mase urekatva - posesi vuddhi karanam
Ayu digham vassa satam - matu padam nama'maham.
(Having cherished me in your womb of divine cradle for nearly ten months of time, you raised me up wishing me all the success. My dear mom, please let me bow down at your feet wishing you long life!)
Ref. p.46, Vandana: A Book for Buddhist Chanting
SCHEDULE
10:30 a.m. - Buddha Vandana
11:30 a.m. - Lunch Dana
5:00 p.m. - Bodhi Vandana
7:00 p.m. - Buddha Vandana
Join us online on January 17, 2021 (Sunday)
Meeting ID: 598 200 4357
Passcode: dhammausa1
It is exactly five years ago that she passed away after living a memorable life of 80 years. She had 7 children and worked for 38 years as a dedicated school teacher in many parts of rural Sri Lanka. She started her career as a school teacher in Kurunegala Namalalanga Vidyalaya and retired from teaching after serving at Halkandaliya Vidyalaya, Nivitigala, Ratnapura. She opened the eyes of many thousands of children and was known to about a thousand Buddhist monks all over Sri Lanka as a staunch Buddhist upasikā (lay female devotee).
I am so grateful and thankful to her for she was an amazing mother and she is the one who is responsible for most of who I am today. As anyone else for their mother, I too am in short of words to express my gratitude to the mother who gave me birth and took well care of me without any complain or without any burden. May I take this opportunity to transfer all the merits to her that I have accrued so far in my life and throughout my Samsara (circle of transmigration or circle of rebirth according to Buddhism).
May all these meritorious deeds become one united power and bless her, help her, protect her and guide towards her final Samsaric goal - the Supreme bliss of Nibbana! (final goal of all Buddhists - the liberation from samsara.)
Salutation to the Mother (Sri Lankan Tradition)
Transferring Merits to the Departed Relatives
(Let this merit be with our relatives, and may they be well and happy! Let this merit be with our relatives, and may they be well and happy! Let this merit be with our relatives, and may they be well and happy!)
I wish to share this poem that I wrote sometime back as a mark of respect to my mother. Hope this would be a little token of appreciation and salutation to all the mothers on earth.
Some of the Social Welfare Activities that we did together with our mother:
Flood Relief to a village in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. Support to the Children's Home in Anuradhapura. Flood relief to a remote village in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. We supported the entire village walking from house to house and helping them with food items and other requisites. Nearly 50 volunteers were involved in this beautiful humanitarian service.
Photos from the previous Dāna Ceremonies to transfer merit to her at Lankarama Buddhist Institute, La Puente, CA 91744. The late Venerable Aluthnuwara Sumanatissa Nayaka Thero, Most Venerable Ahangama Dhammarama Nayaka Thero, Venerable Vanavasi Rahula, Venerable Dhammavaro, Venerable Yonghwa Sunim, Venerable Khemananda, Venerable Medhankara, Bhikkhuni Chanda and Bhikkhuni Susila blessed the occasion.
With her daughter and grand daughter
with her sister and grand daughter
May she attain the supreme bliss of Nibbana!
(Nibbanassa paccayo hotu)
