Buddhists, politicians and diplomats gathered in front of the Presidential Office yesterday to celebrate Mother’s Day and the 2,633rd birthday of Sakyamuni Buddha.
Thousands gathered on Ketagalan Boulevard on what was the third time the annual event had been held outside the Presidential Office.
This was also the first time President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) did not personally attend the event.
Photo: Patrick Lin, AFP
Ma, who was in Greater Tainan in the morning, phoned in and gave his greetings, which were broadcast to the crowd.
Vice President Vincent Siew (蕭萬長), who attended the event on Ma’s behalf, said the occasion held profound significance as it commended the benevolence of Sakyamuni Buddha and recognized the devotion of all mothers.
“We also want the world to see Taiwan’s democracy, freedom and vibrant development of religion,” he said.
The legislature approved a proposal in 1999 to designate the birthday of Sakyamuni Buddha — which falls on the eighth day of the fourth month of the lunar calendar — a national holiday and to celebrate the special occasion concurrently with International Mother’s Day, which is celebrated on the second Sunday of May.
Siew urged the public to practice the “three acts of goodness” and the “five harmonies,” adding that if such universal values could reach every corner of the planet, the world would be a better place.
The “three acts of goodness” refer to doing good deeds, saying good words and having good intentions. The “five harmonies” refer to being kind to oneself, sensitive to one’s family, generous to friends, devoted to social harmony and committed to world peace.
The event was organized by the Fo Guang Shan Foundation.
Marking the Bathing Buddha Festival, Master Hsing Yun (星雲法師), founder of the Fo Guang Shan Monastery, led participants in performing the “bathing Buddha” ritual where he held a wooden ladle and poured water over a small statue of the Buddha.
Bathing a statue of the Buddha symbolizes a fresh start in life and the care given to newborns. Legend has it that when the Supreme Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, was born, there were auspicious signs heralding his birth. They describe the sky as blue and clear on his birth, with dragons spurting purified water to bathe him. Since then, Buddhists have celebrated their religion’s founder’s birthday by using fragrant water to bathe the image of Buddha.
Master Hsing Yun said people bathing today were cleansing the impurities of anger and hatred from their minds.
Master Hsing Yun said that Sakyamuni Buddha is a human being, not a god, as a god has emotions.
A god punishes and rewards, “but a Buddha does not do that,” he said.
What a mother gives to her child, he said, is compassion, wisdom, tolerance, generosity and the ability to discipline and guide oneself. As long as a person can discover these treasures, that person could make the best of himself or herself, he said.
A Japanese lawmaker from Yamanashi Prefecture presented a thank-you certificate to Master Hsing Yun issued by Sadakazu -Tanigaki, president of Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party, to thank Taiwan for the NT$5.8 billion (US$1.8 billion) in cash donations and 500 tonnes of provisions given to the country in the wake of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
TRADE: A mandatory declaration of origin for manufactured goods bound for the US is to take effect on May 7 to block China from exploiting Taiwan’s trade channels All products manufactured in Taiwan and exported to the US must include a signed declaration of origin starting on May 7, the Bureau of Foreign Trade announced yesterday. US President Donald Trump on April 2 imposed a 32 percent tariff on imports from Taiwan, but one week later announced a 90-day pause on its implementation. However, a universal 10 percent tariff was immediately applied to most imports from around the world. On April 12, the Trump administration further exempted computers, smartphones and semiconductors from the new tariffs. In response, President William Lai’s (賴清德) administration has introduced a series of countermeasures to support affected
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
CROSS-STRAIT: The vast majority of Taiwanese support maintaining the ‘status quo,’ while concern is rising about Beijing’s influence operations More than eight out of 10 Taiwanese reject Beijing’s “one country, two systems” framework for cross-strait relations, according to a survey released by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Thursday. The MAC’s latest quarterly survey found that 84.4 percent of respondents opposed Beijing’s “one country, two systems” formula for handling cross-strait relations — a figure consistent with past polling. Over the past three years, opposition to the framework has remained high, ranging from a low of 83.6 percent in April 2023 to a peak of 89.6 percent in April last year. In the most recent poll, 82.5 percent also rejected China’s