Festivals and Ceremonies

At Dragon Bell temple we celebrate the festivals of the Buddhist year, focusing on the teaching appropriate to the occasion. The resident monk also serves as a priest for the congregation and she can be the celebrant for the ceremonies of lay Buddhist life. For marriage blessings where the couple undertake to make their union a blessing for all beings and naming ceremonies for children, where the child is offered to the care and protection of the Buddhas until they are old enough to make their commitment to the religion of their choice.

It is also possible to have a Buddhist funeral. The funeral ceremonies include a private ceremony, where the person's body is made ready and placed in their coffin, usually with only immediate family present: the public funeral where the deceased is placed on the altar as recognition that this person too is Buddha, scriptures are recited and the mourners are invited to offer incense. Finally there is the committal where we say farewell to the deceased.