KUALA LUMPUR – Although the wet weather may slow down certain activities on the eve of Buddha Day, it did not stop devotees from visiting their local Mahaviharas.
This was evident at the Sri Lankan temple located along Jalan Berhala built more than a century ago in 1895.
The religious institution was brightened by the attendance of its congregation. Wesak is the holiest day for Buddhists, celebrating the Buddha's birth, enlightenment and passing away.
The Vibes Culture & Lifestyle visited the Buddhist Maha Vihara Brickfields and Wat Chetawan Petaling Jaya, two known monasteries that have been serving its communities for decades, to observe how Wesak celebrations are being welcomed this year.
Retiree Lee Leong Poh has been frequenting the establishment for 20 years since he moved to Kuala Lumpur from Penang.
“This excluded the last two celebrations due to the pandemic, so I made sure to free myself of any plans, reminding myself as early as a month ago, so that I can come to visit the temple this year.
“Personally, I would not call myself religious, and I love observing the many festivities we have here in Malaysia. But if I don’t make myself available (for Wesak) I wouldn’t feel good. So, I feel a little at ease that I can be here at the temple – it is like tradition,” expressed the 58-year-old.
“It is very much toned down still because normally the square (in front of the prayer hall) would be packed with people that you can’t even stand still and free food would be distributed. The street outside would also be full of traders lined up from one end of the street to the other,” added Lee.
True enough, there was no Wesak float procession at the location being observed, and annual blood donation drives and activities were maintained solely within the gates of the temple.
Last night purely saw devotees fulfil religious obligations through Puja (evening service/prayers), lighting of the first oil lamp as well as being sanctified with blessed water and strings prepared for this year’s programme.
Exchanging views on current realities
While busy assisting the writer in relocating small birds found across the compound of the temple to a safer spot where there is less human traffic, Lee shares, “releasing caged animals on Wesak Day is part of a ritual known as mercy release – this is partly an act of good karma that the congregation would exercise.”
“If you notice, these birds are quite easy to capture even out here in the open because they don’t really know how to handle themselves in the ‘wild’. It could be that they have been confined for far too long.
“There are devotees that actually argue the merit of this particular practice because today, where people may be looking to profit, these animals today are bred just for the business of it.
“It is almost like an industry already and may not necessarily be good for the environment. Instead of understanding the context of mercy, most focus on the aspect of ‘set free’ despite the good intentions,” noted the retiree.
When asked what he hopes for the coming year, Lee wishes that his fellow Malaysians can be free of becoming victims of ill and unlawful deeds.
“If you look at news reports lately, many fall prey to scams where their entire life savings are gone within a blink of an eye. It is upsetting.
“We have to be more careful with who we interact with, and look out for those close to us. A lot of scamming activities are happening now because they know people are desperate.
“The recent report about job scam victims where you hear helpless Malaysians being held in prison-like conditions in the Thai-Myanmar border is scary. There are a lot of bad people and we need to give more attention to this situation,” he highlighted.
A much-awaited celebration
Over on the Wat Chetawan Thai Buddhist temple located off Jalan Gasing, a steady increase in the congregation can be seen.
Built in 1957 and officiated by the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the temple opened its doors as early as 6am this morning.
Like other monasteries of its kind, they had reminded devotees to follow certain SOPs set for the safety of the entire congregation.
The morning began with a Wesak Day morning chant and Tak Bart ceremony, an ancient and compassionate Thai act of giving morning food offerings to Buddhist monks.
It is specifically a traditional activity that provides guests with a unique understanding of a community practice that is highly valued in Thai Buddhist culture and society.
Wat Chetawan’s programme will reconvene with a Phapa Offering and presentations of Saffron robes, later today at 6pm and a Paritta Chanting at the main shrine hall at 8pm. – The Vibes, May 15, 2022
*We would like to wish all Buddhists a blessed Wesak celebration!
