Shaolin Temple Hosts the Sutra-Basking Assembly

Publish Date:2021-10-18

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The 6th day of the sixth lunar month is the time of sutra basking. The 6th day of the sixth lunar month or July 15 is the traditional Sutra-Basking Festival in Buddhism. In the morning Shaolin monks chanted sutra in the Sutra-Keeping Pavilion while Buddhist literature basked. Buddhist literature basking encouraged monks to continue inheriting tradition and attain wisdom.


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It is said on the 6th day of the sixth lunar month Monk Xuan Zang from Tang Dynasty on the return journey from the West whose Buddhist books carelessly fell into the water. To protect books perfect, Monk Xuan Zang put Buddhist books basking on stones and then took them back when they were dry. To mask the cause, all temples will take out Buddhist books from bookcases on the 6th day of the sixth lunar month every year and put them back after basking. Therefore the Sutra-Basking Day is also called the Page Turning Day. Meantime, sutra-basking also has the significance that sutra basking can deliver beings and gain countless merits and virtues.



In the sutra basking assembly, Shaolin monks chanted sutra, prayed around Buddha, turned Buddhist books to bask and blessed all beings going deep into sutra and having wisdom as the sea, hoping that the public pay more attention to classics to inherit and carry forward the excellent traditional Chinese culture.


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