Written by Celine Lee, Nancy Lin, and Jennifer Thai
Translated by H.B. Qin
Edited by Ida Eva Zielinska
On May 12, 2024, Tzu Chi USA Northwest Region’s Oakland Service Center in Northern California celebrated Buddha Day, Mother’s Day, and Tzu Chi Day with a grand outdoor ceremony in Clinton Park across the street from the Service Center. The solemn event attracted nearly 400 people and was attended by Amaya Lin, a representative from the office of Oakland City Council President Nikki Bas, who presented an award to recognize Tzu Chi Oakland’s contribution to the local community and to wish the event success, acknowledging the peace and serenity that the Buddhist prayers during the ceremony brought to all in attendance.
A Solemn Ceremony Brings Peace and Tranquility
Buddha Day, also known as Vesak Day, is a significant Buddhist occasion commemorating the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, and death. Tzu Chi USA Oakland Service Center’s ceremony in Clinton Park honoring Vesak was solemn and conducted with supreme mindfulness. The Oakland team had placed eight glass statues of the Buddha, symbolizing the awakened one’s enlightened wisdom and compassion, in a row on a long table adorned with beautifully arranged flowers and greenery.
Participants lined up in an orderly fashion, hands pressed together in prayer, and followed the instructions of the master of ceremonies. With pious and grateful hearts, they each had a turn to approach and face the Buddha while aspiring to awaken their own innately pure and enlightened Buddha Nature. Thus, they all received the Buddha’s blessings jointly in an atmosphere of peace and tranquility that brought everyone a sense of spiritual upliftment.
Each ceremony attendee has a chance to approach and face the Buddha while aspiring to awaken their innate, pure, and enlightened Buddha Nature. Photos/Novita Tang
According to Tzu Chi volunteer Albert Zhang’s careful arrangements, a large painting of the Enlightened One watching over the world was displayed directly behind the table of Buddha statues and suspended from a majestic tree in the middle of the park. On that day, sunlight poured through the tree’s foliage, creating a serene atmosphere bathed in fleeting shadows and soft light. It was as if the Buddha silently watched over each person, shining infinite wisdom and compassion upon them through the beams of sunlight.
As part of the ceremony, the attendees also walked around the tree, maintaining a slow and consistent pace in step with the music. They focused on each step as if communing with the Buddha, cultivating inner stability and calm. The walking meditation was a way of honoring the Buddha and a spiritual practice in its own right that allowed people to experience a moment of profound peace amid their busy lives.
An Exhibition Informs About Buddhism and Tzu Chi
In addition to the ceremony, the Tzu Chi Oakland team prepared an exhibition and interactive area for the public. The exhibition presented a brief history of Buddhism and the Buddha’s life and introduced the humanistic and socially engaged Tzu Chi School Buddhism established by Dharma Master Cheng Yen. The exhibition attracted many visitors. While the writing on the displays was in Chinese, the team prepared English and Vietnamese translations, allowing more people to learn about Tzu Chi and Buddhism.
Parent-Child Activities Celebrate Mother’s Day
The area in Clinton Park that the Tzu Chi Oakland team designated for celebrating Mother’s Day attracted many families. Some booths served tea; others offered Mother’s Day gift-making or outdoor recreational activities for kids. At the tea-serving booth, children could serve their mothers a cup of tea, taking advantage of this special moment to express gratitude for her love and care. Many mothers felt moved to tears receiving this mindful gift from their children. Overall, the mood in the Mother’s Day area was touching to anyone who came by.
Although I'm not a Buddhist, Tzu Chi's Buddha Day ceremony touched me, and I'm grateful for this opportunity to feel my son's love for his mom.
Community Organizations Come Together
Tzu Chi Oakland invited various organizations to participate in the event, including the community-based nonprofit Trybe, Dharma College, Academy of Chinese Culture & Health Sciences (CCHS), Asian Health Services, International Chinese Affairs, Center for Empowering Refugees and Immigrants, the American Red Cross, Oakland Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce, Saigon Printing, and Jimmy Nguyen, a representative of the Little Sai Kung community, a Vietnamese-American enclave in Oakland. The participation of such social welfare organizations active in the community enriched the event.
Big Hands, Small Hands, Warm Hands
During the day’s festivities, Tzu Chi Oakland also distributed food to those in need. While some volunteers were busy setting up for the Buddha Day ceremony, the participants in a parent-child class at the event assisted in the food distribution. Under the guidance of parents and teachers, the children experienced the joy of helping others by giving out food supplies.
At the same time, Tzu Chi Oakland’s volunteer catering team prepared more than 100 lunches for attendees of events that day. The tasty meal added warmth to the day, allowing the participants to feel the Tzu Chi family’s attentive care.
At the end of festivities that day, participants in Tzu Chi Oakland Service Center’s Buddha Day, Mother’s Day, and Tzu Chi Day celebration in Clinton Park on May 12, 2024, prayed for the United States and the world, and for communities to live and work together in peace and harmony. Such aspirations for an end to strife and conflict and for humanity to join as one family in addressing the needs of others and creating a better world for all are at the heart of Tzu Chi. Learn more by volunteering with us if you feel a calling!
