Experience Fansipan at night, watch thousands of lanterns light up the mountain top during Buddha's Birthday 2023

Before the main ceremony on June 3, hundreds of Buddhists registered to attend the Buddha's birthday celebration, held at the Amitabha Buddha Statue area, part of the Fansipan spiritual complex, with highlights including a grand ceremony to pray for national peace and prosperity, a Dharma talk program "Buddha's blessings" given by Venerable Thich Duc Thien, a ceremony to offer 1,000 lamps forming the swastika, and a Buddha bathing ceremony.

The sacred peak of Fansipan sparkles at night.

Buddha's Birthday is one of the three biggest holidays of the year in Buddhism, commemorating the birth of Buddha Shakyamuni in the 7th century BC. Since 1999, Buddha's Birthday on the 15th day of the 4th lunar month has been recognized by the United Nations as a world cultural and spiritual festival.

At the spiritual complex on Fansipan peak this year, activities and ceremonies to celebrate Buddha's birthday will take place from 10am to 9pm on June 3 (April 16th of the lunar calendar). Up to now, all the spiritual architectural works at an altitude of 2,900m on Fansipan peak have been decorated with thousands of colorful festival flags. Along with that, Buddhists across the country have offered nearly 3,000 fresh lotus flowers to Fansipan, all of which will be combined into a large lotus scene in the cloud yard area.

This year’s program is themed “Buddha’s Blessings” and is chaired by Most Venerable Thich Duc Thien - Vice President and General Secretary of the Executive Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha. As of May 30, the event has attracted hundreds of monks, nuns, and Buddhists from all over the country.

Accordingly, on the morning of June 3, at the Fansipan spiritual complex at an altitude of 2,900m, a grand ceremony to pray for national peace and prosperity will take place. The grand ceremony will be solemnly held with traditional Buddhist rituals, including a flag-raising ceremony from the Great Amitabha Buddha Statue, through the La Han path along the mountain and ending with an incense offering ceremony at Kim Son Bao Thang Tu. In front of the Buddha, eminent monks, nuns and Buddhists will pray for peace and luck for the country and its people.

National peace and prosperity ceremony at Fansipan in 2020.

On the afternoon of June 3, inside the Great Amitabha Buddha Statue at the highest altitude in Asia, the "Buddha's blessing" ceremony will take place. Venerable Thich Duc Thien and monks, nuns, and Buddhists in blue robes will chant the Dharmachakra Sutra and the Birthday Sutra. These are all sutras for Buddhists to better understand the Buddhist teachings and the meaning of the Buddha's teachings, and to review their own practice. Visitors and Buddhists wishing to attend should not forget to wear modest, polite clothing to maintain the solemnity of the ceremony.

In particular, this is the first time that a Dharma talk has been held at Fansipan to celebrate Buddha's birthday. The Dharma talk program has the theme "Buddha's blessings" and is taught by Venerable Thich Duc Thien. The Dharma talk is also a lesson to nurture wisdom and compassion in each person. In the solemn space of the ceremony, listening to the echoes of the sutras, the Dharma talk mixed with the sound of the wind of the great forest, all worries seem to be left outside the Zen monastery, in each person's mind there is only peace and serenity.

In particular, attending the Buddha's Birthday celebration at Fansipan this year, visitors and Buddhists have a "unique" opportunity to attend the "Thousands of flower lanterns offered to Buddha" ceremony at the Amitabha Buddha Statue area. According to Buddhist beliefs, flower lanterns are a traditional ritual, as a tribute to Buddha, who transmitted the light of wisdom to monks and Buddhists. At the same time, through each lighted lantern, each person sends their prayers for peace and health for their family and all living beings.

Therefore, Sun World Fansipan Legend, with the merit of many Buddhists, has prepared nearly 1,000 lanterns for the participants of the ceremony. In the vast space of the sacred peak, the light of the lanterns is like a lamp of wisdom, illuminating the way for Buddhists to conquer more than 100 stone steps towards the tallest Amitabha Buddha Statue in Asia. Nearly 1,000 lanterns will also be used to arrange the words "Quoc Thai", "Dan An" and "Van" in the yard surrounding the Buddha Statue. All will create a masterpiece of light, bringing a shimmering, magical scene to the sacred peak of Fansipan.

The lantern offering ceremony was held bySun Group at Ba Den Mountain, Tay Ninh 2023.

An indispensable part of the Buddha's birthday celebration is the Buddha bathing ceremony, which will be held in the yard outside the Great Buddha Statue. Each ladle of water used to bathe the Buddha represents a wish: The first ladle bathes the left shoulder - vowing to abandon all evil; the second ladle bathes the right shoulder - vowing to do all good; the third ladle bathes from the knees to the feet: vowing to save all sentient beings. The Buddha bathing ceremony is also considered as bathing oneself to attain peace of mind and body, and cleanliness.

Attending the Buddha's birthday ceremony at Fansipan is also a "unique" opportunity for tourists and the dead from all over to admire the magical sunset scene at the sacred peak of Fansipan. When the last light of the day blends into the rolling sea of clouds and the sun gradually sets behind the mountain range, the stone paths along the mountain and 12 spiritual structures at an altitude of more than 2,900 m of the spiritual complex on the top of Fansipan will be simultaneously lit up, creating a more sparkling and impressive scene than ever.

Between the “Buddha’s Blessings” ceremony and the lantern offering ceremony, Sun World Fansipan Legend will organize the “Vesak Day Celebration” art program. The background music of Buddhist songs will be gentle and graceful lotus dances. Also on the holiday, the resort will prepare vegetarian cuisine with a variety of attractive dishes for visitors and Buddhists at Van Sam, Van Son Tra Quan and Do Quyen restaurants at the arrival terminal.

The great statue of Amitabha Buddha between heaven and earth.

Fansipan with a height of 3,143m is the highest mountain in Vietnam and the Indochina countries. According to researchers, Fansipan peak is located in the middle of the sacred axis connecting from the highest peak of the world Himalaya to the sacred peak of Vietnam - Ba Vi mountain. Fansipan is also considered a sacred peak, a place that absorbs a lot of energy and spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Today, located at Fansipan peak, the sacred peak of Vietnam, is the Fansipan spiritual complex, stretching from an altitude of 2,900m to the top. The complex includes 12 architectural works in the style of ancient Vietnamese pagodas from the 15th-16th centuries. The balance of Buddhist culture with the indigenous spiritual world has created the unique value of Fansipan peak. That is why every year, especially during Buddhist holidays, thousands of Buddhists return here to worship and pay homage before the spiritual complex amidst the clouds and mountain winds.

This year, with many activities and ceremonies being held for the first time on an unprecedented scale and methodical manner on the occasion of Buddha's Birthday, Fansipan will certainly be a destination that Buddhists should not miss during the biggest Buddhist holiday of the year.

NL

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/van-hoa-giai-tri/trai-nghiem-fansipan-ve-dem-ngam-ngan-dang-thap-sang-dinh-nui-trong-le-phat-dan-2023/187332.htm