11/17/2024

Austin BLIA Celebrates Gratitude and Birthday Event

On November 17, following the Chinese Dharma Service session, the Austin BLIA Chinese Chapter hosted a special Gratitude and Birthday Celebration for the members born in October, November, and December. Over 60 people attended the event.

The event host, Dharma Sister Zhi Ding, invited the birthday celebrants to offer a "Lamp" in front of the Buddha, praying for blessings for themselves and their parents, with merits dedicated accordingly. She explained that the purpose of the birthday celebration is to honor the kindness of parents and all beings while encouraging the practice of avoiding harm to others. Following this, the birthday celebrants stepped forward to receive blessings from the attendees.

The adorable Youth group members sang "Happy Birthday" in Mandarin, English, and Cantonese, and presented handmade birthday cards, flowers, and commemorative gifts to the celebrants. Amid the warm and joyful atmosphere, Venerable Jue Ji led the cake-cutting ceremony and organized a solemn group photo in front of the Buddha.

To conclude the event, the Youth members performed a lively rendition of "Country Roads," earning a resounding round of applause and perfectly wrapping up the celebration.