The first annual Southeast Texas Bamboo Festival and Kathina Celebration was a success. People from across Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana found their way to the Buu Mon Buddhist Temple. The visitors enjoyed wandering through the four garden areas, viewing over 30 different types of bamboo of the clumping variety (not invasive bamboo). The guests were impressed with the large variety of tropical plant life, especially the Ficus Roxburghii, also known as the Giant Indian Fig, a very rare fig. The temple gardens annually invite the public to share the beauty of its lotus and water lily ponds each year in June. This time they had the opportunity to see the bamboo at its best. The temple was fortunate to have co-sponsored the festival with the Texas Bamboo Society. The TBS, as it is commonly referred to, members brought to the festival their vast knowledge of bamboo which they willingly shared by giving lectures and individual discussions through the two day event. Not only did they freely share their knowledge, they also had a large variety of bamboo plants and bamboo art and crafts for sale. The attendees also had an opportunity to experience a variety of traditional Vietnamese cuisine for purchase by local vendors. Other items included for sale by the Buu Mon Youth Organization; were calendars, t-shirts, and photos.
The Southeast Texas Bamboo Festival commenced on Saturday Nov. 4th and continued to Sunday Nov. 5th. The Sunday’s highlight was the Kathina ceremony with venerable monks from the Phap Luan Buddhist Temple of Houston, Texas and the Houston Buddhist Vihara, as well as, venerable monks from the Chua Phat Phap Buddhist Temple in St Petersburg, Florida and venerable nuns from Minh Dang Quang Monastery in Houston, Texas honoring the Buu Mon Buddhist Temple with their presence. We were fortunate to have in attendance the newly ordained American monk, Su Kassapa. Su Kassapa was not only attending the ceremony but he has been assigned to Buu Mon Temple.
Su Kassapa came to the Buu Mon Buddhist Temple in Port Arthur, TX from the Phat Phap Buddhist Temple in St Petersburg, Florida, whose abbot is Venerable Tri Tinh. He was introduced to the Buddhist temple in Florida 8½ years ago after meeting the late Venerable Giac Chanh, former abbot of Phat Phap Buddhist Temple. His journey into understanding the teachings of the Buddha and the Buddhist way of life had begun. It continues still as the first American ordained in a Vietnamese Theravada tradition. Su Kassapa’s ordination master was the Most Venerable Buu Phuong of the Chua Phat Phap Buddhist Temple, also graced us with his attendance at this year’s Kathina ceremony.
The Kathina celebration, not only included venerable monks and nuns, it was attended by Buddhist parishioners from Houston and the surrounding area that joined the local congregation in the offering of new robes to the venerable monks and nuns. The ceremony began with the visiting venerable monk’s and nuns enactment of a traditional alms walk around the temple grounds followed by the congregation taking part in the offering of robes procession. The procession started with a reading by Su Kassapa of the meaning of Kathina. It was then the processions of parishioners were led around the interior of the temple by Venerable Tri Tinh, Abbot of Phat Phap Temple and Su Kassapa. They carried the robes above their heads around the temple’s interior while chanting in unison with the venerable monks and nuns. After the robes procession the newly offered robes where placed in front of the community of venerable monks and nuns. It was then the robes were presented in formal celebrative manner to each revered monks and nuns, as well as the other gifts donated by the Buddhist congregation.
The Kathina celebration ended with those in attendance of the ceremony and those taking advantage of the Bamboo Festival, being served a traditional Vietnamese vegetarian meal. The remainder of the day was spent investigating the bamboo gardens and listening to lectures. All who attended appeared to have enjoyed their weekend at the festival. Buu Mon Buddhist Temple is already planning the 2nd Annual Southeast Texas Bamboo Festival and Kathina Celebration; a tentatively scheduled date is the weekend of October 27th and 28th, 2007. Please keep in mind June 2nd and 3rd, 2007 we will be holding our 9th Annual Lotus Festival and Vesak Ceremony. We will also have the honor of celebrating the 80th birthday of The Most Venerable Thich Ho Giac and the Most Venerable Thich Quang Do. Please mark your calendar and plan to attend this coming year’s most celebrated festival, an event all who are interested in tropical plants should attend.
The next celebration the Buu Mon Buddhist Temple we have is the Lunar New Years Eve celebration on Saturday 17, 2007 at 12:00 p.m. (midnight). The temple will be open for the first three days of the Lunar New Year: Feb 18th, 19th, and 20th, 2007. Please plan to join us in celebration for the Year of the Boar.
On a personal note, Su Kassapa is now a resident monk at the Buu Mon Buddhist Temple. We are very happy Su Kassapa has joined us. We will now be able to enact programs Rev. Viet has wanted to move forward with for quite awhile such as meditation classes. Su Kassapa was teaching Vipassana meditation in the Florida temple before arriving at our temple. Buu Mon Temple will be starting classes on Wednesday, February 7th, 2007 from 7:00 p.m. till 8:30 p.m.. There after the meditation class will meet every Wednesday of the week. You can learn more about Su Kassapa and his Sept. 29th ordination by opening these websites:
American monk to teach meditation classes
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