On May 24, the eighth day of the fourth lunar month in the Bingwu Year, Lingyin Temple in Hangzhou held a Buddha Bathing Ceremony early in the morning to celebrate the sacred birthday of Buddha Shakyamuni. The merits accrued were dedicated to favorable weather, national peace and prosperity, the everlasting glory of Buddhism, and the perpetual turning of the Dharma wheel.
At 4:45 a.m., the monastic community of Lingyin Temple, dressed in ceremonial robes and carrying ritual implements, assembled in orderly rows. Upon hearing the chime, they prostrated three times in reverence and chanted in unison, "Namo Original Teacher Buddha Shakyamuni." The ceremonial procession then proceeded to the reception hall to escort the sacred statue of Prince Siddhartha and placed it in a golden basin adorned with nine dragons, filled with fragrant holy water.
Inside the Mahavira Hall, the air was filled with sutra chanting and the serene melody of Buddhist hymns. All devotees piously invoked the holy name of “Namo Original Teacher Buddha Shakyamuni.” Ven. Guangquan, Abbot of Lingyin Temple, scooped three ladles of fragrant water to bathe the golden statue of Prince Siddhartha. Following this, the congregation took turns performing the bathing ceremony. Together, they prayed for the prosperity of the nation, the enduring presence of the Dharma, and that all beings across the Dharma realm may forever be free from afflictions and defilements, and swiftly realize the pure Dharmakaya.
According to Buddhist scriptures, when the Buddha was born in ancient India, heaven and earth radiated brilliant light, heavenly flowers fell in profusion, and a fragrant breeze spread in all directions. Nine dragons sprayed water to bathe the newborn Buddha, while celestial beings played music to celebrate with joy. As the Buddha stepped onto the ground, lotus flowers bloomed naturally under his feet. He took seven steps in each of the four cardinal directions, pointed one hand to the sky and the other to the earth, and declared, "Above heaven and below earth, I alone am the honored one." Later, he renounced the secular life to practice cultivation and attained supreme enlightenment. He beat the great Dharma drum, poured the great Dharma rain, blew the great Dharma conch, and raised the great Dharma banner, benefiting countless beings. To commemorate the Buddha’s profound grace and kindness, and to celebrate the auspicious day of his birth, later Buddhist followers hold the Buddha Bathing Ceremony on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month each year, in remembrance of the scene at the moment of his birth.
