Buddhists mark Vesak Day with hybrid celebrations

Buddhists will mark Vesak Day today with virtual celebrations, but temples are looking at how they can better include seniors left out of events held online amid tighter rules to curb Covid-19 infections.

This year, activities on the holy day have been scaled down and there will be no fringe activities and processions, but Buddhist organisations will go ahead with other rituals like the Buddha bathing ceremony, several organisations told The Straits Times.

A spokesman for Singapore's largest Buddhist monastery, Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery in Bright Hill Road, said that Vesak Day prayers this year will be conducted behind closed doors and streamed live on the monastery's social media platforms.

It is common for senior devotees who are not digitally savvy to call and seek help in navigating the monastery's booking system or social media platforms.

"Our staff will guide them through the online portal and help them with step-by-step instructions," the spokesman said.

For devotees who are digitally savvy, the monastery has found ways to make Vesak Day more meaningful through interactive and immersive virtual activities.

A dedicated web portal designed for devotees to perform the symbolic ritual of bathing a Buddha statue and submitting recitation counts of the Shakyamuni Buddha chant online are some of the activities on offer.

On Vesak Day, the monastery usually welcomes thousands of devotees for overnight festivities.

In past years, devotees would turn up in the evening to perform the "three steps, one bow" ritual - a long procession done in repentance, and reverence for Buddha, that could take two to three hours.

Since the pandemic broke out last year, the monastery has shifted from physical celebrations to online activities.

Vesak Day marks the birth, enlightenment and death of Buddha.

The Singapore Buddhist Lodge said it will conduct a few rites, capped at 50 devotees at a time. They are to follow safe distancing rules and stick to all safety measures like temperature screening.

Sanitiser will also be provided, and devotees will be required to wear disposable gloves when bathing the Buddha.

To ensure that elderly devotees are able to join the ceremonies streamed live on YouTube, the lodge said it has encouraged family members and friends to help the seniors access the live stream.

President Halimah Yacob, in a Facebook post yesterday, wished Buddhists a happy and peaceful Vesak Day, which she said is a holy day that Buddhists around the world celebrate.

She said: "Although devotees will have muted celebrations this year due to phase two (heightened alert) measures, I am confident that they will continue to find ways to practise love and compassion.

"I also hope Singaporeans will continue to show care and empathy to the vulnerable in our midst during this challenging time."

Mr Lawrence Lee, 40, who is the Singapore Buddhist Federation's youth chairman, said the festival was a time for him to reach out to older devotees.

He said: "There are many elderly folk who are not so digitally savvy, who may not own digital gadgets or be able to navigate social media platforms. Our challenge is to find ways to connect with them."