Qingming Two-day Buddha Name Recitation Retreat for Expressing Gratitude and Eight Precepts Observance

The Qingming season is a time for cleansing and purifying our body and mind. We remember the kindness we have received and pay it forward with gratitude. Let us pray for blessings and honor our parents and all sentient beings with devotion.

The Qingming Festival is a time to honor our ancestors and express filial gratitude. We invite everyone to join us for this two-day Buddha-name recitation retreat. By the special merit of calming the body and mind and purifying the three karmas, we honor our parents and dedicate the merit to our departed family and friends, as well as to our ancestors and all sentient beings.

To honur our parents and repay their kindness, we recite the Buddhas’ names. Buddha-name recitation is one of the simplest methods for liberation, regardless of the time or place, and no matter one’s background or capacity. As long as you recite the Buddhas’ names, you will gain benefits. ​Buddha-name recitation benefits not only those who have passed away but also the living. In other words, it is about “using faith, understanding, practice, and realization in the Buddhadharma to transcend the burning house of the three realms and cross the bitter sea of birth and death”.

​The Eight Precepts Observance serves as the gateway and starting point to the path of liberation from birth and death. By observing these precepts for a day and a night, we establish the causes and conditions for transcendence and freedom in our lives.

The contents of the Eight Precepts Observance include: (1) No killing; (2) No stealing; (3) No sexual conduct (celibacy); (4) No false speech (no lying); (5) No alcohol, drugs, or intoxicants; (6) No adornments or entertainment: no perfumes, cosmetics, flowers, or garlands; no singing, dancing, music, or shows; and not intentionally going to watch or listen to entertainment; (7) No high or luxurious beds (or large, elevated seats); and (8) No eating at inappropriate times (no food after noon).

*If you are interested in learning more about the Eight Precepts Observance，please click here

【Date/Time】Please feel free to attend the full program, or join any sections as your schedule allows.

• 3/28 (Saturday) 9 am – 9 pm
• 3/29 (Sunday) 9 am – 5 pm

【Registration Instructions】

• Please register in advance. Registration is automatically accepted upon submission.
• ​Please wear loose, comfortable clothing and bring your haiqing (a long black ceremonial robe) along with your own reusable, eco-friendly cup.
• ​Check-in starts at 8:30 am. Please arrive early and finish check-in before the programme begins.
• Lunch will be provided.
• ​Preparatory practice: Each day, perform either 30 prostrations (bowing to the Buddha) or 1,000 recitations of the Buddhas’ names.
• Daily practice during the two-day retreat: Each day, either 300 prostrations (bowing to the Buddha) or 3,000 recitations of the Buddhas’ names.
• Participants registering for the Eight Precepts Observance must attend the full-day Buddha Recitation Retreat (One-Day) programme on 28 March, from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm.
• ​Participants registering for the full programme of both the Eight Precepts Observance and the Two-Day Buddha Name Recitation Retreat are required to complete a waiver form.

【Registration】

• To register for the March 28 — Eight Precepts Observance (9:00 am–9:00 pm),  or the Two-Day Buddha Name Recitation Retreat afternoon session (1:00 pm–9:00 pm); ​and/or  the March 29 — Two-Day Buddha Name Recitation Retreat full day (9:00 am–5:00 pm), DDM Bay Area San Francisco/Fremont Activities-Please click here to register.
• For drop-in (as you are able) participation，  DDM Bay Area San Francisco/Fremont Activities-Please click here to register.
•  

【Online Blessing Memorial Tablets】Click here to register for the “Peace Blessings” and “Remembrance Prayers” tablets — Online Blessing Tablets. Online Blessing Tablets

* ​The program is free​. Donations are appreciated if you’d like to support it. Click here to ​d​onate/make an offering. I want to donate/make an offering.

【Schedule】