Several members of the SiVIC Board were invited to attend the annual “Bathing the Buddha” ceremony at the Chung Tai Zen Center in Sunnyvale on Sunday, May 24. Abbot JianYing not only welcomed them to the celebration, but invited them and others to bring greetings from their home communities. He emphasized the need to make connections among our different traditions.

Interfaith leaders at Bathing the Buddha Ceremony at Zen Center 2015

Board members included President Rev. D. Andrew Kille, Vice-President Prof. Boo Riley, Outreach Chair Diane Fisher, Nina Bhaisa, Deacon Steve Herrera, Arvind Patel, Samina Sundas, and Shobha Vora. State Assembly member Kansen Chu and County Supervisor Dave Cortese also attended, as well as representatives from the Pacifica Institute, the Center for Spiritual Enlightenment, and the Tzu Chi Buddhist relief agency.

The “Bathing of the Buddha” is held each year to commemorate the birth of the Buddha. It includes a ritual of pouring “auspicious water,” water that has been specially prepared with spices, over an image of the young Buddha, portrayed with one hand pointing upward toward heaven and one pointing down to the earth. The ceremony invites participants to cleanse themselves inwardly even as they wash the image outwardly.