BUDDHA’S BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS IV – TAIWAN
Kyaemon 
http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=48,10118,0,0,1,0
Taipei, Taiwan — Buddhists, politicians and diplomats gathered in front of the Presidential Office yesterday to celebrate Mother’s Day and the 2,633rd birthday of Sakyamuni Buddha.
Thousands gathered on Ketagalan Boulevard on what was the third time the annual event had been held outside the Presidential Office.
Buddha’s birthday, Mother’s Day celebrated – The China Post
http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/national/national-news/2011/05/09/301642/Buddhas-birthday.htm
Tens of thousands of believers gathered to celebrate Buddha’s birthday, also officially known as Veska Day, along with Mother’s Day and the 100th anniversary of the Republic of China on Ketagalan Boulevard in front of the Presidential Office, yesterday.
Guests from around the globe and mothers from all over Taiwan congregated and “bathed the Buddha” in hopes of bringing peace and prosperity to Taiwan ….
2010
Ma observes Buddha’s birthday – Taipei Times
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2010/05/10/2003472640
……After President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) gave a speech, he led participants in making the “Three Acts of Goodness” pledge. They pledged to do good things, say good words and think good thoughts in a bid to foster greater social harmony.
Ma said to practice the “three acts of goodness” was not enough. It would bring more “confidence, joy, hope and convenience” to the world if there was concord in all families, respect for each other, order in society and peace in the world.
“If we reach such a state, we will be in Sukhavati, or Pure Land,” he said. “I hope the annual event will help us get closer to the Pure Land one step at a time. I believe you are as confident as I am that we will eventually reach the destination.”
As it was also Mother’s Day, Ma encouraged children to visit their mother, give her a hug and tell her that they love her and need her.
Marking the Bathing Buddha Festival, Ma also led participants in performing the “bathing Buddha” ritual where he held a wooden ladle and poured water over a small statue of the Buddha.
Bathing a statue of the Buddha symbolizes a fresh start in life and the care given to newborn babies. Many other countries celebrate the Buddha’s birthday on May 2.
Legend has it that when the historical Buddha, Prince Siddhartha, was born, there were auspicious signs heralding his birth. They describe the sky as blue and clear on his birth, with dragons spurting purified water to bathe him. Since then, Buddhists have celebrated his birthday by using fragrant water to bathe the image of Buddha……(HE HAS A HARVARD DOCTORATE IN LAW)
YouTube – Buddha’s Birthday 2011
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DZIeA9fw_Y
May 8, 2011
Buddhas Birthday 2011 at Tzu Chi Temple (Jing Si) Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Please go to
http://knowbuddhism.info/2011/05/buddhas-birthday-2011.html
YouTube – 2006年龍津宮 (2006 Taipei Taiwan Buddha Birthday Festival Video)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QlqLW_rwa8
Notice the tall costumed people were on walking stilts (wooden sticks).
Those with flags on their backs, were “generals.” (The flags indicate rank – like the “stars” as in “four star generals”)
15 comments
Kyaemon
May 22, 2011 at 7:44 pm
Seems to me like invoking the Guardian Angels before the religious procession. (“Sasana/tha ta na saunk nats/spirits”)
YouTube – 2004集義宮 [2004 Taipei Taiwan Buddha Birthday Celebration]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZzRqAU9WOk
[2004 Taipei Taiwan Buddha Birthday Celebration]
Kyaemon
May 22, 2011 at 7:45 pm
YouTube – 2009-屏東慈鳳宮-家將.官將首大賽-05(台東 五靈會)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sE7UP-2Lo6o&feature=related
Kyaemon
May 28, 2011 at 3:51 pm
YouTube – 潮州城隍廟-縣城隍爺-駕前將爺-(潮州三山宮)-06
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPYuwyTPUyU&feature=related
Kyaemon
May 28, 2011 at 5:01 pm
YouTube – TAIPEI – CELEBRATION.wmv
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIyAFwhcVfI
HUNDREDS of amazingly decorated buses heading for Da Dao Cheng wharf at night. Something special was happening…. but what? It was Mothers Day and the birthday of Buddha. Second Sunday in May is Mother’s Day, Buddha’s Birthday as well as Global Tzu Chi Day. Every year, Tzu Chi holds a global Buddha bathing ceremony on this special day. Tzu Chi volunteers hope to express gratitude to the Buddha, parents and all living beings, and bring peace and blessings to everyone through this ceremony. Dharma Master Cheng Yen, the founder of Tzu Chi, said that the purposes of choosing Buddha’s Birthday and Mother’s Day to be Global Tzu Chi Day are the following: first of all, Tzu Chi is an organization based on Buddhist teachings and spirit, so we express our gratitude to Buddha; second, we are grateful to our parents for giving birth to us, and grateful to our teachers for their guidance; third, we are grateful to all the suffering living beings, because we learn from their sufferings. This year marks the 44th year anniversary of Tzu Chi. In Taipei city alone, nearly 40,000 people attended the Buddha bathing ceremony. Over 15,000 people wore white or green eco-friendly polo shirts made from recycled PET bottles, to spread the message of loving and protecting Mother Earth.
Kyaemon
May 29, 2011 at 5:36 pm
YouTube – 2006新莊官將首喊班 (Taipei Taiwan Buddha Birthday Celebration)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hg23xv63Yg
(Taipei Taiwan Buddha Birthday Festival in Temple)
65,380
Kyaemon
May 30, 2011 at 8:54 am
YouTube – 2006新莊地藏庵遶境1 (Taipei Taiwan Buddha Birthday Celebration)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nONWOcd9moo
(Taipei Taiwan Buddha Birthday Celebration)
10,775 
Kyaemon
May 31, 2011 at 9:27 am
YouTube – 新加坡天慈宮-銃吉堂-國際會香-13 潮州城隍廟 恭迎聖駕
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Jwrc6NjX94&NR=1
nature
May 31, 2011 at 11:04 am
youtube တွေတခုမှဖွင့်မရဘူး။
Kyaemon
May 31, 2011 at 8:09 pm
To nature,
I. There are two links for each topic.
If you cannot open with the first link (the upper one), try clicking on the second link (the lower one).
The lower link has “http://www.youtube… It might work. (It works for me).
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II. If above clicking doesn’t work,
“copy” the link with “http://www…..” and “paste” this on to the browser.
The browser is the blank space when you first open the “window” to Mandalay Gazette.
(You can also use a second “window” to do this).
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zoe
June 1, 2011 at 4:51 am
I have noticed that Taiwanese (or shall we say Chinese) emphasize a lot on the gods 門神 on most of the religious ceremony. It becomes part of the tradition and culture. Santaizi 三太子 is the most popular god, because he’s a child and his frolic dances are boisterous.
Below is an interesting link.
http://www.culture.tw/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1988&Itemid=156
Kyaemon
June 1, 2011 at 6:54 pm
To Zoe
Wow!
Truly Enlightening!
Thanks for your comment and link.
zoe
June 2, 2011 at 3:12 am
@Kyaemon
You are welcome… 🙂
zoe
June 2, 2011 at 3:27 am
Here’s a song that was popular in Taiwan a while ago with gods dancing in the background. This is a copy of Korean song, but it shot the slacking not- so- young singer back to the stage… which is good..:) Enjoy..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gWu5Y6yY4E
Kyaemon
June 16, 2011 at 8:44 am
YouTube – 潮州城隍廟-縣城隍尊神-駕前十二家-16
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_coLbX_ei3o&feature=related
Kyaemon
June 25, 2011 at 8:35 pm
Taiwan Buddha Birthday Photo,Taiwan Buddha Birthday Pictures, Stills, Some 40,000 Taiwanese hold
http://newshopper.sulekha.com/taiwan-buddha-birthday_photo_1305433.htm
Taiwan Buddha Birthday Photo,Taiwan Buddha Birthday Pictures, Stills, A Taiwanese girl prays
http://newshopper.sulekha.com/taiwan-buddha-birthday_photo_1816451.htm
Taiwan Buddha Birthday Photo,Taiwan Buddha Birthday Pictures, Stills, Taiwanese people shower on the Prince Siddhartha Gautama,
http://newshopper.sulekha.com/taiwan-buddha-birthday_photo_800798.htm