Zen Buddhist Temple Celebrates Buddha's 2,554th Birthday

May 27, 2010

Author: Katherine Axelsen

Source: AnnArbor.com

http://www.annarbor.com/faith/zen-buddhist-temple-celebrates-buddhas-2554th-birthday/

On the full moon of the fourth month in the year 544 B.C., Siddhartha Gautama Buddha was born. According to the Mahayana Buddhist lunar calendar, this May marked his 2,554th birthday.

The Zen Buddhist Temple at 1214 Packard St. celebrated the birth of Buddha this past weekend. Each year, the temple hosts a two-day celebration.

The events started on Saturday with a friendship-themed poetry reading. For dinner the temple presented a vegetarian buffet, a feast prepared by residents of the temple with food donated by local restaurants including Whole Foods Market, Dynasty Buffet, Earthen Jar, Afternoon Delight, Tuptim Thai Cuisine and Starbucks. “The temple has the best food in all of Ann Arbor tonight,” said Robert Rhodes, who was visiting with his wife, Nancy.

After dinner the "sangha," or members of the temple, gathered to hear storyteller Yvonne Healy. Her first story was about Cuba and the value of speaking another language. Her second story was called “The Golden blackbird." Joe Reilly concluded the night by singing four songs.