Sangha of Lingyin Temple Share Year’s Buddhist Practice by the Fireside on Chinese New Year’s Eve
2015 Chinese New Year’s Eve falls on February 18 and at Lingyin Temple, a fireside chat began with drumbeats through the monastery. On this auspicious Chinese New Year’s Eve, Buddhist masters all sat by the fireside, sharing experience of Buddhist practice in the previous year.
Venerable Abbot Guangquan illustrated the significance of the fireside event, which means to celebrate on New Year’s Eve the reunion of family members who have been travelling in a place far away from home--the traditional family gathering. For Buddhist masters, a fireside chat means more than that. With extraordinary merits and virtues, it is the first time in more than a decade for Buddhist masters to have a cozy discussion by the fireside, sharing experience of Buddhist practice and achievements for the year. The Sangha of Lingyin Temple wished everyone a happy Chinese New Year and a grateful mind to give back while serving the public.
The three monastic managers, Master Miaohong, Master Yankong and Master Yiguang respectively expressed their own best wishes to the other Buddhist masters in the coming new year.
By the warm fireside, everyone enjoyed tea and various performances by Buddhist masters. In such refreshing quietness, great joy and auspiciousness were felt in every corner of the temple, driving away all unpleasant noises and troubles as if body and mind were stretching at ease.
The fireside event concluded at around 22:00 with Buddhist masters wishing each other a happy Chinese New Year of the Goat. The fireside chat is a good way to ring out the Old Year and in with the New Year with each other. It is the first New Year’s Eve fireside event in the history of Lingyin Temple—a brilliant and memorable one.
