Guanyin’s Birthday—Pray for Longevity and Peace

Guanyin Bodhisattva’s birthday is one of the most significant festivals for Buddhist devotees. Each year, it is observed on the 19th day of the 2nd, 6th, and 9th lunar months, commemorating Guanyin’s birth, enlightenment, and ordination, respectively. In 2025, these dates fall on March 18, July 13, and November 8 in the Gregorian calendar.

On these sacred occasions, Buddhists worldwide chant sutras, offer prayers, and reflect on Guanyin’s boundless compassion, seeking blessings for peace, health, wisdom, and prosperity. In honor of Guanyin’s birth, many devotees begin a vegetarian fast from the 1st to the 19th day of the 2nd lunar month as an expression of sincere devotion.

Choosing a Place of Worship

Different places of worship carry distinct rituals and atmospheres. Choosing the most suitable way allows for a more sincere expression of respect and devotion.

Temple Worship

• Ideal for those who wish to benefit from the Guanyin Temple’s spiritual power.

• Devotees can participate in scripture recitations, religious ceremonies, and even acts of mercy such as animal release.

Home Altar

• Suitable for families with a home shrine or a Guanyin statue.

• Devotees can prepare offerings, light incense, and recite scriptures on their own.

Preparation of Offerings

Offerings must be pure and free from meat, pungent spices (such as onions, garlic, leeks, shallots, and chives):

• Clean Water/ Tea

• Five Fruits (usually apples, tangerines, bananas, grapes, and pears)

• Vegetarian Pastries

• Luo Han Jai/Vegetarian Dishes

• Fresh Flowers (commonly lotus, lilies, and chrysanthemums)

Worship Procedure for Guanyin’s Birthday

Follow the worship process with reverence, praying to Guanyin with a devout heart to accumulate blessings and wisdom.

Purify the Body and Mind

Purifying the body and mind is the first step in worship. Maintain solemnity and respect to show your reverence for Guanyin.

• Bathe and change clothes before the ceremony to ensure both body and mind are clean.

• Wear modest, simple attire and avoid loud colors or overly revealing clothing.

• Abstain from meat, alcohol, killing, and frivolous talk.

Lighting Incense and Prayer

Offer incense with sincerity and bow in gratitude and prayer to Guanyin Bodhisattva. The steps for offering incense are as follows:

1. Light three sticks of pure incense (do not use poor-quality or mixed incense).

2. With hands clasped, hold the incense and silently recite the name of Guanyin Bodhisattva.

3. Kneel and bow three times, inserting the incense into the holder (you may insert three sticks at once or one by one).

4. Make your wishes and prayers (After making a wish, say Namo Guan Shiyin Pusa)

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Reciting Scriptures

Reciting scriptures can increase wisdom, purify the mind, and dispel misfortunes. Recommended texts include:

Heart Sutra

Enhances wisdom, dispels worries, and brings clarity and peace to the mind.

Great Compassion Mantra (Da Bei Zhou)

Prayed for eliminating misfortunes, increasing blessings, and fostering good karma.

Universal Gate Chapter (Pu Men Pin)

Praises the compassion and salvation of Guanyin, praying for relief from suffering.

The number of recitations can be adjusted based on personal practice, whether it is 1, 3, or 108 times, with sincerity and focus being the key.

Acts of Charity and Merit Accumulation

Guanyin teaches compassion and the salvation of all beings. During the festival, devotees can accumulate merit through:

Life Release

Save living beings with a compassionate heart, such as releasing fish or birds, to cultivate virtue.

Charitable Giving

Offer food, donate clothing, or provide financial assistance to those in need, bringing benefit to others.

Offering Lamps and Printing Sutras

Make lamp offerings, donate lamp oil, or sponsor the printing of Buddhist scriptures at the temple to spread the Dharma and accumulate merit.

Observing Precepts and Practicing Good Deeds

Refrain from eating meat, maintain a vegetarian diet, repent for past wrongdoings, and actively engage in good deeds to cultivate blessings.

Important Reminders for the Worship Ceremony

Worshiping Guanyin requires a heart of reverence and adherence to traditional rituals, allowing devotees to receive the Bodhisattva’s compassionate blessings and accumulate spiritual merit.

Purity of Offerings

Offerings should be fresh and clean, free from spoilage or deterioration. After the ceremony, they may be consumed or shared to avoid waste.

Vegetarian Diet and Abstinence

Maintain a vegetarian diet before and after the ceremony, avoiding meat, alcohol, and killing, as a sign of devotion.

Modest Attire

Dress respectfully in simple and dignified clothing, avoiding overly bright, revealing, or inappropriate outfits as a gesture of respect.

Mindful Speech and Conduct

Approach the ceremony with a reverent heart, refraining from idle chatter, jokes, or disruptive behavior to maintain a solemn atmosphere.

Receiving Blessed Items

After worship, one may take home sacred items such as Guanyin statues, prayer beads, or protective amulets as a reminder to cultivate kindness and virtue.

In summary, worshiping Guanyin’s Birthday is not just a ritual; it is a way to carry forward family traditions and the spirit of filial piety.

Through incense, offerings, scripture recitation, and acts of charity, every devotee expresses sincere reverence for Guanyin and honors the legacy of compassion. May every heartfelt prayer bring inner peace and an abundance of blessings.

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