AS the Covid-19 pandemic is still raging, many events and festivals are either put on hold or have been cancelled to avoid spike in cases.
The annual Wesak Day celebration here will be held for the second consecutive year on a low-key. Before the lockdown, devotees would usually throng temples or Buddhist associations to offer prayers and take part in street procession on the auspicious day.
The celebration to mark Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, and death took place virtually last year to ensure that all Buddhists in the nation as well as overseas could follow the online programme.
With this year’s Wesak Day falling on next Wednesday (May 26), the event will again be held in a moderate but yet meaningful manner.
Penang Buddhist Association (PBA) assistant secretary Peter Khoo said nothing much could be done by all the temples, especially under the current movement control order (MCO 3.0).
“On our side, we will be having a short prayer service in our main shrine hall, which will only be attended by the key committee members in accordance with the strict standard operating procedures (SOPs).
“The association will not be open to the public as the pandemic is still ongoing. We need to follow the rules and regulations to ensure everyone is safe.
“Nevertheless, our PBA Dharma Sunday School (PBADSS) will come out with a series of online activities from 10am to 11.30am on Wesak Day,” he told Buletin Mutiara.
Over to the mainland, Butterworth Lay Buddhist Society chairman Law Wei Pin said an online viewing of Buddha bathing ceremony would take place, just as how it was similarly conducted last year.
“An online worship ceremony will also be taking place whereby devotees can offer their prayers virtually.
“More than 800 devotees have also registered themselves for the ‘Orchid Lantern Offering to the Buddha” ceremony. The response is overwhelming this year,” he said.
Butterworth Buddhist Association board chairman Phee Boon Chong said any events organised by his association would be held through online.
“There will be three types of offerings, which are offering flowers, lanterns, and fruits.
“The devotees can follow the prayer proceedings through our live broadcast on social media,” he said.
Story by Edmund Lee
Pix by Chan Kok Kuan