Wed, Apr 4th 2007। This is the day I took the Buddhist 5 precepts. It all happened last year, the same day and month; I casually told a friend that I'd like to take the 5 precepts. He looked at me seriously, "If you've decided, you know the old ones up there will do something about it... are you sure you're ready for this?" With that kind of question posed to me, I began to have doubts if I could take the precepts well....
Now, the day before, I felt very unnerved. It was like a normal day. I did said to myself, I'm taking the precepts finally. Nothing came into my mind, no more doubts, worries, fear. Nothing. The night before, I did some chanting to share merits, and I asked for strength and wisdom so that the my small special event will go smoothly...
The morning after, I'm at the Fo Guang Shan (Buddha Light Mountain) Dong Zen Monastery in Jenjarom. Feeling a little blur, walking aimlessly around the temple grounds, decided to go to the main shrine hall to pay my respects to the Buddha. Met some friends who were so surprised to see me there, asking me questions and some of them guessed that I was going for the precept taking ceremony.
While being prepped on the meaning of the 5 precepts, the rituals and the protocols by a good looking young Bhikkhu, I wandered into my own world, imagining about alien things like the Buddha land, the lotuses and the Bodhisattvas, flying about in their lotus dias, worshipping and praising the Buddhas, offering flowers and other magnificant gifts to the Honored ones, etc.. Suddenly, I got tapped by the shoulder by my friend
'It's time..."
And so, after our vegetarian lunch, I along with five hundred men and women, young and old, went and took our precepts। It was a good day...
May the merits accrued by the taking of 5 precepts be shared amongst all sentient beings of the 10 directions... Amitabha!
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