萬佛聖城附設育良小學與培德中學於五月二十三日舉行「懷少節」慶祝活動,以發揚中國文化「幼吾幼以及人之幼」的精神。每年春季的「懷少節」與秋季的「敬老節」都是宣公上人生前訂定的節日
,目的在提倡儒家「老者安之,朋友信之,少著懷之」的理想。
萬佛聖城附近的曼都仙諾學院董事會主席卡爾﹒厄曼博士,該學院教授湯姆﹒麥克米倫與曼都仙諾郡的警長蓋瑞﹒哈得遜都欣然參加懷少節的活動,與同學們共渡這個屬於青少年的節目。
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萬佛聖城於六月八日為開山祖師上宣下化老和尚舉行涅槃二週年紀念法會,亞洲美加等地的信眾紛紛前來參加這項紀念法會。
是日上午七時整開始拜華嚴懺。八時半,宣公上人的舍利自無言堂請出至萬佛殿,供大眾瞻仰。接著舉行傳供儀式,一份份的果品代表大家無限的追思。當天下午有三皈五戒與放生法會,接著展開「華嚴法會」將以三週的時間念誦整部「大方廣佛華嚴經」,因為「華嚴經」不僅是經王之王,更是宣公上人在遺言中交代弟子們要念誦的一部大經。
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培德中學男、女校分別於六月十三、二日舉行畢業典禮。今年男校有二名畢業生,女校有五名畢業生。
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On May 23, Instilling Goodness Elementary and Developing
Virtue Secondary Schools at the City of Ten Thousand
Buddhas celebrated Cherishing Youth Day in the spirit of
"treating all children as our own children." The annual
celebrations of Cherishing Youth Day in the spring and
Honoring Elders Day in the fall were initiated by the
late Venerable Master Hua with the ideal of "making
elders feel safe and at ease, establishing trust among
friends, and caring for young ones."
Dr. Carl J. Ehman, President of the
Board of Trustees of Mendocino College, Mr. Tom
Macmillan, an instructor at that college, and Lieutenant
Gary Hudson with Mendocino County Office of the Sheriff
also joined the students in this celebration for young
people.
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On June 8, the City of Ten Thousand
Buddhas commemorated the second anniversary of the
Nirvana of its founder, the Venerable Master Hua. The
ceremony was attended by Buddhists from Asia, the United
States, Canada, and other places. On that day, the
Avatamsaka Repentance Ceremony began at 7:00 a.m. At
8:30 a.m., the Venerable Master's sharira were
respectfully taken from No Words Hall to the Hall ofTen
Thousand Buddhas for public viewing. Then there was a
ceremony of Passing Offerings, in which fruit and other
articles were offered as a token of everyone's
remembrance of the Master. The Three Refuges and Five
Precepts were transmitted in the afternoon, followed by
a Liberating Life Ceremony. Then the Avatamsaka Dharma
Assembly began. The entire Avatamsaka (Flower Adornment)
Sutra will be recited over a three-week period. This
King of Kings of Sutras was the Sutra that the Master
told disciples to recite in his final instructions.
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Developing Virtue Secondary Girls and
Boys Schools held their commencement exercises on the
twelfth and thirteenth of June, respectively. Two boys
and five girls graduated this year.
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