A composite image of the Hana Matsuri celebration. Showing the baby Buddha statue being bathed by participants with a bamboo dipper, challah bread, and flower pot shaped cake.
Last Saturday, May 7th, members of the NBZ sangha gathered for zazen and to celebrate Buddha's birthday. The Hana Matsuri ceremony is a simple ceremony that comes to us from our Japanese tradition, people take turns ladling sweet tea over a statue of the baby Buddha. Rev. Ōshin told us the story of Buddha's birth and life. Afterwards the sangha shared their own aspirations for the spring time, then we sang and signed "Happy Birthday Buddha" before the whole sangha blew out candles and cut whimsical flowerpot-shaped cake.
Sangha members brought wonderful home made foods to share, including freshly baked sweets and even a home made sweet challah, brought to us from the leader of the campus Hillel organization. A wonderful day of community and fun, a great way to wrap up the semester on campus and herald in the spring!