Vesak 2020 is on Saturday, May 9th, 2020, from 7:30 am to 6:30 pm

Vesak 2020 will be celebrated online on Saturday, May 9th, 2020, from 7:30 am to 6:30 pm. We invite you all to join the program.

We are celebrating Vesak 2020 adhering to the social distancing on Saturday, May 09th, 2020, from 7:30 am to 6:30 pm. Georgia Buddhist Vihara warmly invites you to be a part of the triple commemoration online at home. The Vesak Festival is celebrated around the world for three events of the utmost significance in the life of Prince Siddhartha, who became a Buddha – His Birth, his attainment of Enlightenment, and his passing away.

 

Notes:

·        GBV Vesak 2020 is a full-day online program on Saturday, May 9th, 2020, at 7:30 am – 6:30 pm.

·        We invite you all to observe eight precepts at home. You can have your breakfast before the program at 7:30 am and can have Lunch after the Buddha Puja at 11:00 am.

·        In the morning, at 9:00 am, we have two breakout sessions with English and Sinhala medium. Please note that the Sinhala medium session is continuing with the same meeting room, and the English session will have a different link. (See below)

·        In the afternoon, we have two invited Dhamma Sessions from Bhante Suthadara and Bhante Kondañña from the Ventura Buddhist Center, Ventura, CA, and Staten Island Buddhist Vihara, Staten Island, NY, respectively.

Program 

Time	Event
7:30 am – 8:00 am	Observation of Eight Precepts and Vandana
8:00 am – 8:50 am	Guided Meditation by Bhante Bodhi (Sinhala Medium)
9:00 am – 10:50 am	Dhamma Deshana  by Bhante Koswatte Ariyawimala (Online streaming) (Sinhala Medium)
9:00 am – 11:00 am	Dhamma Discussion and Q&A Session (English Medium) by Bhante Deepankara ·        Guided meditation ·        Dhamma discussion ·        Question & answer session Host: Mr. Justing Howell
10:50 am – 11:00 am	Break
11:00 am – 11:30 am	Buddha Poojawa by Bhante Bodhi
11:30 am – 12:45 pm	Lunch Break
12.45 pm – 1:45 pm	Dhamma Deshana  by Bhante Piyananda (Sinhala Medium)
1:45 pm – 2:00 pm	Break
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm	Family Dhamma Discussion For all Kids, Youth, and Adults (English Medium) by Bhante SuthaDara from Ventura Buddhist Center, Ventura, CA.
3:00 pm – 3:15 pm	Break
3:15 pm – 3:45 pm	Family Dhamma Discussion For all Kids, Youth, and Adults (English Medium) By Bhante Kondañña from Staten Island Buddhist Vihara, Staten Island, NY.
3:45 pm – 3:55 pm	Break
3:55 pm – 5:25 pm	Sutta Discussion and Q&A Session  Bhante Deepankara (Sinhala Medium)
5:25 pm – 5:35 pm	Observation of Five Precepts for those who observe Sil by Bhante Deepankara
5:35 pm – 5:45 pm	Break
5:45 pm – 6:30 pm	Atlanta Vesak Celebrations (A short film)

 

For those who have not subscribed to GBV, Please subscribe to GBV events at https://www.gavihara.org/p/contact-us.html for future e-mails from Vihara in order to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and US data privacy regulations.

 

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COVID -19 GBV Message

Dear Devotees and Friends of the Georgia Buddhist Vihara,

As many of you are aware, circumstances are quickly changing regarding COVID-19 (Coronavirus) here in the Atlanta area. With the World Health Organization (WHO) now categorizing this virus as a global pandemic and the growing number of community members diagnosed with COVID-19 in Georgia, the Georgia Buddhist Vihara has decided to cancel all group and public activities (such as Sunday’s public meditation sessions, Sunday School for children, Pali classes, monthly Poya observances, etc.) until further notice in order to prioritize our community’s health and wellbeing.

We encourage our devotees and friends to closely follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) COVID-19 personal preventative guidelines to protect yourself and your family members:

• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water or hand sanitizer using the WHO method for handwashing
• Avoid touching your face, mouth, nose, or eyes
• If you have a fever and a cough, stay at home and do not go out into public or to work. If you are experiencing fever and coughing, please contact your primary care physician to inquire about the best way to receive medical attention.
• Use the inside of your elbow to cover your mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing – and wash your hands after coughing and sneezing
• Avoid unnecessary gatherings/meetings

In addition to following these guidelines to ensure you and your family’s health and wellbeing during this time, the monastic community members invite you to join in reciting or listening to the Ratana Sutta and dedicating one’s thoughts and merits for the wellbeing of our community members, people in our city and state, throughout the US, and worldwide who have been impacted by this illness and their loved ones.

We will continue to follow guidance from the Georgia Department of Public Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to determine when we can resume our normal public community events. We will continue to respond to community members’ via our phone line (770-987-8442). We kindly ask that you contact us before making any visits to the Vihara.

We continue to wish all community members good health and peace of mind.

Theruwan Saranai,
Bhante Wajirabuddhi and resident monks of the
Georgia Buddhist Vihara

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March Poya Program on Saturday, 7th

March Poya Program will be Observed on Saturday, March 7th, 2020 from 7:30 am to 6:00 pm at the Georgia Buddhist Vihara. We invite you all to join the program.

N.B.:  Next Program will be Observed on Saturday, April 4th, 2020

Sign up for the program

Morning Program
7:30 – 8:30 a.m.	Observance of the Eight Precepts, Buddha Puja and Heel Dana (Self Serving)
8:30 – 9:30 a.m.	Dhamma Desanawa
9:30 – 9:45 a.m.	Break
9:45 –11:00 a.m.	Bhavana
11:00 –11:15 a.m.	Buddha Pooja (Will start @ 11.00 )
11:30 –12:00 nn	Dana offering to the Bhantes and those who observe eight precepts
12:00 –1:00 p.m.	Luncheon
Afternoon Program
1:00 – 3:45 p.m.	Sutra Discussion by Bhante Deepankara (Please bring your favorite reading device)
3:45 – 4:00 p.m.	Tea & coffee break
4:00 – 6:00 p.m.	Dhamma Discussion (Cont.)
6:00 p.m.	Termination of the Sil and Gilanpasa Puja

KIDS PROGRAM
1:00 - 3:45 pm       Loving Kindness Discussion and Q&A Session
4:00 - 6:00 pm       Art and Craft session

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February Poya Program on Saturday, 8th

February Poya Program will be Observed on Saturday, 8th, 2020 from 7:30 am to 6:00 pm at the Georgia Buddhist Vihara. We invite you all to join the program.

Morning Program
7:30 – 8:30 a.m.	Observance of the Eight Precepts, Buddha Puja and Heel Dana (Self Serving)
8:30 – 9:30 a.m.	Dhamma Desanawa
9:30 – 9:45 a.m.	Break
9:45 –11:00 a.m.	Bhavana
11:00 –11:15 a.m.	Buddha Pooja (Will start @ 11.00 )
11:30 –12:00 nn	Dana offering to the Bhantes and those who observe eight precepts
12:00 –1:00 p.m.	Luncheon
Afternoon Program
1:00 – 3:45 p.m.	Sutra Discussion by Bhante Deepankara (Please bring your favorite reading device)
3:45 – 4:00 p.m.	Tea & coffee break
4:00 – 6:00 p.m.	Dhamma Discussion (Cont.)
6:00 p.m.	Termination of the Sil and Gilanpasa Puja

KIDS PROGRAM
1:00 - 3:45 pm       Loving Kindness Discussion and Q&A Session
4:00 - 6:00 pm       Art and Craft session

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January Poya Program on Saturday, 11th

January Poya Program will be Observed on Saturday, 11th, 2020 from 7:30 am to 6:00 pm at the Georgia Buddhist Vihara. We invite you all to join the program.

Morning Program
7:30 – 8:30 a.m.	Observance of the Eight Precepts, Buddha Puja and Heel Dana (Self Serving)
8:30 – 9:30 a.m.	Dhamma Desanawa
9:30 – 9:45 a.m.	Break
9:45 –11:00 a.m.	Bhavana
11:00 –11:15 a.m.	Buddha Pooja (Will start @ 11.00 )
11:30 –12:00 nn	Dana offering to the Bhantes and those who observe eight precepts
12:00 –1:00 p.m.	Luncheon
Afternoon Program
1:00 – 3:45 p.m.	Sutra Discussion by Bhante Deepankara (Please bring your favorite reading device)
3:45 – 4:00 p.m.	Tea & coffee break
4:00 – 6:00 p.m.	Dhamma Discussion (Cont.)
6:00 p.m.	Termination of the Sil and Gilanpasa Puja

KIDS PROGRAM
1:00 - 3:45 pm       Loving Kindness Discussion and Q&A Session
4:00 - 6:00 pm       Art and Craft session

Sign up for the program

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December Poya Program on Saturday, Dec, 14th

December Poya Program will be Observed on Saturday, Dec, 14th, 2019 from 7:30 am to 6:00 pm at the Georgia Buddhist Vihara. We invite you all to join the program.

Morning Program
7:30 – 8:30 a.m.	Observance of the Eight Precepts, Buddha Puja and Heel Dana (Self Serving)
8:30 – 9:30 a.m.	Dhamma Desanawa
9:30 – 9:45 a.m.	Break
9:45 –11:00 a.m.	Bhavana
11:00 –11:15 a.m.	Buddha Pooja (Will start @ 11.00 )
11:30 –12:00 nn	Dana offering to the Bhantes and those who observe eight precepts
12:00 –1:00 p.m.	Luncheon
Afternoon Program
1:00 – 3:45 p.m.	Sutra Discussion by Bhante Deepankara (Please bring your favorite reading device)
3:45 – 4:00 p.m.	Tea & coffee break
4:00 – 6:00 p.m.	Dhamma Discussion (Cont.)
6:00 p.m.	Termination of the Sil and Gilanpasa Puja

Sign up for the program

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Poya Program and Two-day Retreat on November 16th & 17th

Dear friends of GBV,

We are organizing a two-day retreat for the November Poya Program (Il Poya) with Bhante Thapovanaye Sutadhara from Ventura Buddhist Society, California.  We invite all devotees to attend this two-day retreat conducted by this very knowledgable monk and reap benefits. We will also have a kids program on Sunday, November 17th in place of the dhamma school.

Please take your breakfast prior to arrival at the Vihara.  Venerable Bhanthes will have their breakfast early in order to start the program on time.  Saturday program will be conducted in Sinhalese. The Sunday program will be conducted in English. Kids Program is from 2:00 p.m to 5:00 p.m.

Please note that there will be only Bhante Sutadhara who will be at the Vihara on Sunday as the other three monks have to leave for another event.

Schedule (Saturday, November 16th)
Time	Event
8:30 am	Observance of Eight Precepts and/or Five Precepts and start of Noble Silence other than for Dhamma discussions and questions
8:45 am	Dhamma sermon
10:00 am	Break
10:15 am	Meditation
10:45 am	Buddha Pooja
11:00 am	Dana offering to the Bhantes and those who observed eight precepts and Lunch Break
12:30 pm	Discussion on Benefits of Metta Meditation
1:00 pm	Metta Meditation in practice
1:30 pm	Sermon on mindfulness and its benefits
2:00 pm	Vidharshana Meditation
3:00 pm	Tea Break
3:30 pm	Walking Meditation
4:00 pm	Dhamma Discussion by a venerable Bhanthe
5:00 pm	Observing the five precepts for those who want to and punnyanumodana

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Schedule (Sunday, November, 17th)
Time	Event
The schedule will be the same as Saturday until 12:30 p.m.
12:30 pm	Sutra Discussion on Dependent Origination.
2:00 pm	Kids Program with a discussion on kindness to oneself, family and others.
3:00 pm	Break
3:30 pm	Metta Meditation for kids
4:00 pm	Discussion on Refraining from harmful actions for oneself and others and the benefits of Seela (virtue, moral discipline) in the long run.
4:30 pm	Mindfulness Meditation
5:00 pm	Five precepts and Punnyanumodana (Sharing of Merits)

We are kindly asking kids to not bring any electronic devices (cell phones, video games, etc.)  to keep the distractions to a minimum.

May the Triple Gem bless you all.

Bhante Wajirabuddhi,
Ajith & Shyamalie Wijeratne (the Sponsors and Organizers of the event)

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Exploring Buddhism with abbot of GA Buddhist Vihara

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The Retreat - Mihini Senanayka

The Retreat
Before the retreat, I wondered, what will the retreat be like? I realized
that the retreat would be a challenge for me because I don’t wake up that
early. I was a bit nervous about writing a journal because the hardest thing
was being truthful. I’m really excited and nervous but I think this will be a
fun, good experience.
Day 1: July 29, 2019
This morning we lit the candles in the shrine room. It was really calm.
When we did the meditation and gathas, my mind couldn’t stay in one
place. I couldn’t hear what the Bhante was saying. To keep my mind in one
the place I focused on what Bhante was saying and everything settled down.
As I was listening, Bhante said, “We must work on our imperfections and
learn to fix them as soon as you see them arise.” We also observed the 10
precepts instead of the normal 5. When these 10 precepts were stated, I
realized I have broken some of them and will try not to in the future. After
the long day, we went to sleep. I thought to sleep on the ground would be a
problem. When you don’t think about it, you will fall to sleep quickly. Lights
out!
Day 2: July 30, 2019
Today we woke up really early. We all got dressed in our clothes
and brushed our teeth. Then we drank tea. We lit the candles in the dark
and did the meditation. It was calming and helped me stay awake.
Yesterday, my mind couldn’t stay awake because I wasn’t focusing my
mind into meditation. Now I feel improved on making my mind stable
and focused. I also remembered what Loku Hamuduruwo was saying the
other days. Loku Hamuduruwo was talking about the immediate benefits of
meditation, I put my heart into it and it actually worked! Abhidhamma today
was very interesting. Deeptha Uncle said that knowing a tomato is a fruit is
a knowledge. He also said that knowing not to put a tomato in a salad is
wisdom. It was really logical to me. I also realized there is a lot to learn
about in dhamma.
Day 3: July 31, 2019
The retreat went so fast! I learned a lot and can’t wait to tell my
parents and siblings about it! We ate breakfast and did the Buddha pooja.
After that, we did a little bit of walking meditation. My feet didn’t hurt
because I do gymnastics and I do all sorts of things to my feet. After we did
the mindful working, we went to a Vietnamese temple. We met a really cute
little boy named Rylie and saw the most beautiful peacocks ever. Soon, a

The Retreat
nun greeted us in the sweetest way. We learned that the future Buddha
would be the laughing Buddha and the Bodhisattvas. What’s different is
that they recite things in Vietnamese, not Pali. All these things at the retreat
I learned was really interesting. We went to the temple and recited gathas
to our parents. I gave a special thanks to my mom and dad for encouraging
me to make my dreams come true. This year’s retreat was fun and had lots
of things for me to learn. Next year, I am totally going to the retreat.

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Katina Ceremony - October 13th, 2019 (Sunday)

Dear Devotees and Friends of Georgia Buddhist Vihara,

We would like to extend a warm invitation to all of you to participate for the upcoming Katina ceremony and all the events at Georgia Buddhist Vihara as scheduled for 12th (Mahapirith followed by Dammachakkapawathwana Suthra Deshena) and 13th (Katina ceremony) of October 2019.

We encourage all of you to participate for these events with your fullest potential and gain as much as merits to all of your lives.

Saturday, October 12, 2019 - Mahapirith 
3.00 pm - 4.00 pm - Refreshments
4.00 pm - 4.30 pm - Evening Buddha Pooja
4.30 pm - 6.30 pm  - Mahapirith and Dammachakka Suthra Deshana
6.30 pm - End of the program.

Sunday, October 13, 2019 - Katina Ceremony
5.30 am - 6.00 am   - Bringing the Katina Cheewara to the temple and handing over to Mahasanga
7.00 am - 7.30 am   - Morning Buddha pooja
7.30 am - 8.15 am   - Offering Heel dana to Mahasanga
8.30 am - 9.45 am   - Dhamma Discussion
10.00 am - 10.30 am - Pindapatha pooja-Offering needy items to Mahasanga
10.45 am - 11.15 am - (Dahawal) Buddha Pooja
11.15 am - 12.00 pm -  Offering Dana to Mahasanga
12.00 pm - 1.30 pm  - Luncheon
1.45 pm onwards     - Katina Ceremony-Welcome speech
                                Offering the Katina Cheewara to Mahasanga
                                Offering Pirikara to Mahasanga
                                Vote of thanks-Pinanumodana
                                Katina Anisansa Dharma Deshana
                                Evening Buddha Pooja
                                End of the Pinkama

Please use the following link to find the information to sign up for all the Buddha Poojas and other items for both days.



We truly appreciate your generous contribution to make this meritorious event (Kusala Karma) a success.

All are welcome.

Theruwan Saranai,

With Metta,

Bhante Panamwela Wajirabuddhi
and Ranga/Ayesha Jayasinghe Family (Sponsors 2019 Katina GBV)

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