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.
This was also the first time President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) did not personally attend the event.
Photo: Patrick Lin, AFP
Ma, who was in Greater Tainan in the morning, phoned in and gave his greetings, which were broadcast to the crowd.
Vice President Vincent Siew (蕭萬長), who attended the event on Ma’s behalf, said the occasion held profound significance as it commended the benevolence of Sakyamuni Buddha and recognized the devotion of all mothers.
“We also want the world to see Taiwan’s democracy, freedom and vibrant development of religion,” he said.
The legislature approved a proposal in 1999 to designate the birthday of Sakyamuni Buddha — which falls on the eighth day of the fourth month of the lunar calendar — a national holiday and to celebrate the special occasion concurrently with International Mother’s Day, which is celebrated on the second Sunday of May.
Siew urged the public to practice the “three acts of goodness” and the “five harmonies,” adding that if such universal values could reach every corner of the planet, the world would be a better place.
The “three acts of goodness” refer to doing good deeds, saying good words and having good intentions. The “five harmonies” refer to being kind to oneself, sensitive to one’s family, generous to friends, devoted to social harmony and committed to world peace.
The event was organized by the Fo Guang Shan Foundation.
Marking the Bathing Buddha Festival, Master Hsing Yun (星雲法師), founder of the Fo Guang Shan Monastery, 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 newborns. Legend has it that when the Supreme Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, 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 their religion’s founder’s birthday by using fragrant water to bathe the image of Buddha.
Master Hsing Yun said people bathing today were cleansing the impurities of anger and hatred from their minds.
Master Hsing Yun said that Sakyamuni Buddha is a human being, not a god, as a god has emotions.
A god punishes and rewards, “but a Buddha does not do that,” he said.
What a mother gives to her child, he said, is compassion, wisdom, tolerance, generosity and the ability to discipline and guide oneself. As long as a person can discover these treasures, that person could make the best of himself or herself, he said.
A Japanese lawmaker from Yamanashi Prefecture presented a thank-you certificate to Master Hsing Yun issued by Sadakazu -Tanigaki, president of Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party, to thank Taiwan for the NT$5.8 billion (US$1.8 billion) in cash donations and 500 tonnes of provisions given to the country in the wake of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.
EXPRESSING GRATITUDE: Without its Taiwanese partners which are ‘working around the clock,’ Nvidia could not meet AI demand, CEO Jensen Huang said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) and US-based artificial intelligence (AI) chip designer Nvidia Corp have partnered with each other on silicon photonics development, Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) said. Speaking with reporters after he met with TSMC chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) in Taipei on Friday, Huang said his company was working with the world’s largest contract chipmaker on silicon photonics, but admitted it was unlikely for the cooperation to yield results any time soon, and both sides would need several years to achieve concrete outcomes. To have a stake in the silicon photonics supply chain, TSMC and
IDENTITY: Compared with other platforms, TikTok’s algorithm pushes a ‘disproportionately high ratio’ of pro-China content, a study has found Young Taiwanese are increasingly consuming Chinese content on TikTok, which is changing their views on identity and making them less resistant toward China, researchers and politicians were cited as saying by foreign media. Asked to suggest the best survival strategy for a small country facing a powerful neighbor, students at National Chia-Yi Girls’ Senior High School said “Taiwan must do everything to avoid provoking China into attacking it,” the Financial Times wrote on Friday. Young Taiwanese between the ages of 20 and 24 in the past were the group who most strongly espoused a Taiwanese identity, but that is no longer
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake and several aftershocks battered southern Taiwan early this morning, causing houses and roads to collapse and leaving dozens injured and 50 people isolated in their village. A total of 26 people were reported injured and sent to hospitals due to the earthquake as of late this morning, according to the latest Ministry of Health and Welfare figures. In Sising Village (西興) of Chiayi County's Dapu Township (大埔), the location of the quake's epicenter, severe damage was seen and roads entering the village were blocked, isolating about 50 villagers. Another eight people who were originally trapped inside buildings in Tainan
SHARED VALUES: The US, Taiwan and other allies hope to maintain the cross-strait ‘status quo’ to foster regional prosperity and growth, the former US vice president said Former US vice president Mike Pence yesterday vowed to continue to support US-Taiwan relations, and to defend the security and interests of both countries and the free world. At a meeting with President William Lai (賴清德) at the Presidential Office in Taipei, Pence said that the US and Taiwan enjoy strong and continued friendship based on the shared values of freedom, the rule of law and respect for human rights. Such foundations exceed limitations imposed by geography and culture, said Pence, who is visiting Taiwan for the first time. The US and Taiwan have shared interests, and Americans are increasingly concerned about China’s
RSS