"Weekly Contest 09 || The Diary Game || Attended to the Upasampada Ceremony in my temple."

Good day, steemian friends. Today I'm here to compete in the Diary Game, organized by @m-fdo through the Steem Kids & Parents Community.

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The day was Sunday, July 14, 2024, which was a public holiday for all Sri Lankans. That day, I awoke early with excitement since I had accepted cutlets for the 'Upasampada Ceremony' at my temple. On July 6th, three Buddhist monks in my temple gained Upasampada level. In Buddhism, the term "upasampada" refers to a ritual in which a monk or nun officially enters the Buddhist monastic community. On their behalf, our Chief Monk organized a welcome ceremony for these monks. He wanted to accompany three monks on a parade to the temple from the junction closer to the temple.

On July 10, when I went to the temple to meet with our Chief Monks to see what kind of assistance we could provide, he stated that he would want some snacks for the people in the procession. When I asked him how many people he hoped for, he said roughly 400, so I promised him to provide over 400 cutlets with the help of my neighbors. After discussing with my neighbors, we decided to make 50 cutlets each.

First, I finished my routine and then arranged breakfast and lunch together, as the parade was scheduled for approximately 2 p.m. We had to hand over all of the snacks to the food service crew before 2.00 p.m. After our breakfast, my daughter-in-law and I began preparing cutlets. I first boiled the potatoes and then mashed them. Meanwhile, my daughter chopped the onions, curry leaves and green chilies finely. Later I add the chopped onions, green chilies, curry leaves, and the canned fish to the mashed potatoes. I mix everything well, adding salt, pepper, and other spices to taste. Then, using a pan on the stove, I carefully fry the cutlets until they are golden brown and crispy.

I showered and dressed for the temple ceremony after having my lunch. My husband dropped us off at the temple before 2 p.m., and we handed over our snacks to the food service crew. Another group had brought sweet union buns. We were then driven to the junction by a temple vehicle to join the procession.

The procession featured a decorated vehicle, drummers, dancers, flower-decorated bicycles, and people walking on stilts. We too joined the parade, carrying Buddhist flags. More than 300 people marched in the parade, carrying Buddhist flags, and led three monks who had gained upasampada level.

When the procession reached the temple, the ceremony began with the lighting of the oil lamp by the VIPs. First, the Nayaka Thero addressed the importance of becoming a monk and the criteria required. Another monk gave a teaching (Anusasana. Later, three monks who attained upasampada presented a maximum of 5-minute speeches to appreciate merit (Punchanumodanawa). The ceremony concluded at 5.15 p.m. with the thank you speech delivered by our chief monks. Before heading home, we receive a blessing from the chief monks.

Because I was exhausted that day, I went to bed early, consuming only a glass of milk. I embraced sleep, grateful for the opportunity to have such an enjoyable day.

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@sofian88
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Thank you for reading my diary.