31st Anniversary Celebration of Wat Greensboro Buddhist Center

Posted on March 25, 2017 by Nye

We celebrated the 31st Anniversary Celebration of Wat Greensboro Buddhist Center in Greensboro, North Carolina last Sunday, March 19, 2017. Back in the 80s, we had a very small Buddhist community in this area. We fled from our war-torn countries, some immigrated from Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos. The Thai community was small in the 80s. We couldn’t speak each other’s languages but what we have in common is the belief of the Buddhist teachings. The original founders rented a house for 2 years, then purchased this place 31 years ago. We are fortunate to have Ven. Phramaha Somsak Sambimb as the temple abbot that fluently speaks Khmer, Thai and English. Wat Greensboro welcomes members, visitors, and educators that seek to practice and learn more about the Buddhist teachings.

We have generous members that donated to the temple building fund. We recently had a new roof installed last year, a new carport for the holiday events’ vendors installed this year, the paving is a work in progress.

We have completed the men and women’s bathrooms project on January 1, 2017.

We have volunteers that help make these projects possible and also help cleaning up the temple ground on the weekends. The temple sits on a 10 arcs lot and during the clean up the crew members found an old Spirit house that has been hidden from view of the overgrown bamboo trees. We are thankful for all the work that they have done for the temple and their dedications to make Wat Greensboro great again.

The 31st Anniversary service was held in the Buddha’s room.

Alms-giving

The foods prepared for the monks.

Money offering to the temple and monks.

Ven. Phramaha Somsak Sambimb giving the sermon.

Pouring water merit making ceremony.

Offering foods to the monks.

We have young dancers practicing for the upcoming Songkran event in April, looking forward to seeing them perform.

Thank you for your interest in reading this post.

1st Sart Festival (Kanben) or Merit Making Transference at Wat Greensboro

Posted on September 21, 2016 by Nye

We celebrated 1st Sart Thai Festival at Wat Greensboro on Sunday, September 18, 2016. The temple called it small Sart day, and the big Sart day will be in 2 weeks. Sart day is a Buddhist tradition where it’s a memorial day for the dead, it is a time to remember dead relatives and merit making on their behalves. This is a belief that once a year the hell gates open for 15 days for the deceased ancestors to visit their living relatives. Lao people called it Boun Kao Padap Din where the Laotians also believe that once a year the hell gates open for souls in hell to come visit the living world. People would leave foods around the temple gates or under big trees as offering to the spirits.

Almsgiving

Foods offering to the monks.

Please see more photos at Wat Greensboro’s Facebook 1st Sart Festival (Kanben) or Merit Making Transference

The Buddhist Lent Day 2016

Posted on July 25, 2016 by Nye

Sunday, July 17, 2016 was the Buddhist Lent Day at our local temple Wat Greensboro. On the day we also observed Asalha Puja Day, the day of the announcement of the first sermon of the Buddha also known as the Sangha Day. The Buddhist Lent Day is the annual three-month Rains Retreat known in Laos and Thailand as Punsa, which dated back to the early Buddhism in ancient India, this is the time where monks spent three months of the annual rainy season in permanent dwellings. This is to avoid unnecessary traveling during the period when crops were still new for fear that they might accidentally step on young plants.

Alms’ Bowl.

Food offering to the monks.

Alms giving.

Offering the robes and candles to the monks.

Local vendors

Huge Jackfruit from Florida.

It’s nice to see that the offering flowers were mostly flowers from the garden.

Please visit Wat Greensboro’s Facebook to see more photos of The Buddhist Lent Day 2016.

Songkran Festival 2016 at Wat Greensboro

Posted on April 25, 2016 by Nye

We celebrated a Southeast Asian New Year at our local temple Wat Greensboro last Sunday April 17, 2016. The celebration was later than the actual New Year celebration which was celebrated on April 13 to the 15th in Southeast Asia, it’s celebrated for 3 days.

Cups of sand were prepared for Jaydee Cide or sand stupas.

There were plenty of foods brought in by worshipers to offer to the monks.

The traditional morning Almsgiving of offering foods to the monks.

The vendors were busy, many food vendors donated their profits to the temple.

It’s a tradition to visit your elders and pour water over their hands and wish them good health and happiness for the New Year and this year we took the opportunity to do it at the temple. It’s nice to be able to pass down the tradition to the younger generations.

I’m always behind the camera and this time my sister offered to take the picture for me. I’m glad I handed her my camera, this image is priceless.

We also pour water over Buddha images for blessing and cleansing the rust from our hearts and souls and wish a good year of health and prosperity.

The traditional Khmer dancers.

I normally don’t do a video without my tripod and my reading glasses but I don’t think that still photos will do justice. The video is a bit shaky and not as sharp as I like for it to be, hope you will enjoy watching these young dancers.

Please visit Wat Greensboro’s Facebook to see more photos of Songkran Festival 2016.

Sart Thai Festival at Wat Greensboro

Posted on October 15, 2015 by Nye

We celebrated Sart Thai Day at Wat Greensboro on Sunday October 11, 2015. Sart day is referred to as a memorial day for the dead, it is a time to remember dead relatives and merit making on their behalves. This is a belief that once a year the hell gates open for 15 days for the dead to visit their living relatives. This made me think of Lao Boun Kao Padap Din where the Laotians also believe that once a year the hell gates open for souls in hell to come visit the living world. People would leave foods around the temple gates or under big trees as offering to the spirits.