7_NMC - OctDec09 [28Oct09] lowres.pdf - Kechara

Celebrating
Enlightenment
The biggest Wesak
celebration in the history
of Kechara was a
resounding success this
year. Relive this special day
through our picture diary…
Every being, big and small, deserves a
lot of loving! A pet adoption campaign
held during the day encouraged people to
consider the welfare of animals and learn to
care for other beings.
Never before in the history of Kechara
House (KH) has Wesak Day been
celebrated with such grandeur. In the
true spirit of Wesak – commemorating
Lord Buddha’s birth, Enlightenment
and passing into Parinirvana – Kechara
celebrated this most auspicious day
with plenty of joy, celebration and
enlightened activity.
This year’s Wesak Fair was filled
with a huge variety of activities
including Dzambala bathing, blood
donation, balloon sculpting, animal
adoption, face-painting, hair-styling,
dance performances, massage and
health testing, and stalls selling
everything from food to clothes to
offering items.
The annual Kechara House
Manjugosha Debate Finals held on the
same day saw an exciting finish to this
year’s tournament. More importantly,
it emphasised the importance of
studying the Dharma and gaining
knowledge for our spiritual journey.
The day ended with a most inspiring
teaching about gratitude from our kind
Lama, H.E. Tsem Tulku Rinpoche, and
a wonderful refuge-taking ceremony
where 43 people took their first step
onto the Buddhist path.
Led by KH Liaison Yap Yoke Fui,
the Wesak Day Committee did a
fantastic job of organising the Wesak
Fair, successfully creating awareness
about Kechara and its activities in
the surrounding community. All
items at the fair were sponsored by
kind donors and the proceeds will go
towards supporting the operating
expenses of Kechara House.
Kechara would like to thank
everyone for their support. Start getting
ready for next year’s celebration!
The afternoon featured one of the day’s highlights – the
Kechara Manjugosha Debate finals for 2009. Kechara Media &
Publications were pitted against the Kechara House puja group
in an exciting, animated debate session that had the audience
at the edge of their seats. This year, the topic was on Refuge,
a most stunning prelude to the actual Refuge Ceremony in the
evening with Tsem Rinpoche. Eventually, the KH puja group
took home the trophy!
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