Lamp Offering for Pacifying the Pandemic

May 8th, 2021 marked the auspicious birth anniversary of Buddha Shakyamuni and Mother’s Day. The Lanyang Dharma Center of Ling Jiou Mountain (LJM) collaborated with the Association for Filial Piety and Honouring Teachers held the 14th Interfaith Lamp Offering for World Peace and the Filial Foot Washing Ritual in front of the Yilan Sports Park. 10,000 lamps were lit to celebrate the birth of Buddha Shakyamuni and the pray for healing from Covid-19. 

This pandemic struck mankind unexpectedly. Yet, it is an alert for us that the disease is the result of our mental afflictions, in particular, the five poisons (greed, aversion, ignorance, pride, doubt). We need to reflect on our misdeeds and make a change. While the virus continues to mutate smartly, mankind seems so ever-vulnerable. One’s life can be taken away in a breath. 
 Now, we are witnessing all sorts of disasters worldwide. In a place like India where the healthcare system is poor, dead bodies are left on the street that'd only create more public health hazards. All the challenges that many countries face are telling us that we've damaged planet Earth severely and violated environmental ethics. Hence, we must return to the origin, keep the world at peace, and make the planet healthy.  
As we’ve invited people across different faiths to work on “mental purification”, we’re becoming closer through the filial activity and lamp offering. We’d be more respectful and inclusive of others as we recognize the interdependency and interconnectedness that we share. Together, we can join hands to restore world peace and pray for the pandemic to go away. 

May the success of today’s activities bring a harmonious connection among religions and remind people of the beautiful environmental ethics we once cherished when the world was at peace.