Today 7 July 2017 (Tuesday)
19th day of 9th lunar month is
The Renunciation Day of Guan Yin Bodhisattva
The Birthday, Enlightenment Day, and Renunciation Day of Guan Yin Bodhisattva are important dates for Buddhists. It is recommended that you perform more recitations, make more vows, perform more Life Liberation including releasing fish, make more prostrations, and accumulate more merits and virtues on these dates.
You can wake up earlier on these dates, and then offer incense once you have showered. It would be best to recite the Great Compassion Mantra (Ta Pei Chou) 49 times, and Heart Sutra (Hsin Ching) 49 times. This would help the accumulation of virtues to be complete for these dates.
If conditions allow, you may offer the grand incense at home. After you offer incense and oil lamp in front of the altar, you can then light a piece of sandalwood using an oil lamp on the altar. You can find sandalwood at most Buddhist shops. After you extinguish the flame on the sandalwood, the smoke that comes out is regarded as the grand incense, the fragrance of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Please note that you must not extinguish the sandalwood by blowing with your mouth. You can perform the offering of grand incense three times, and then you can say your prayers, make your wishes and prostrations, and perform your recitations.
If conditions do not allow you to offer the grand incense at home, you can offer extra incense in front of the altar. For example, if you normally offer one incense stick, then on these special days, you can offer three incense sticks. You can also offer extra oil lamps, fruits and flowers. The above practice is that you are putting in extra effort in making offerings so that it is different to your usual routine.
Most importantly, use your sincere heart to communicate with Guan Yin Bodhisattva. As we are practising Mahayana Buddhism, it would be best to wish for a safe and peaceful life on these dates.
In addition, please avoid performing intimate actions on these days.
Extract from: Metaphysics Q&A 054 – Guan Yin Bodhisattva’s Birthday
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