Mid-Autumn Fest, Hsi Lai, Los Angeles

Like the Buddhist Goddess of Compassion Guanyin, Moon Goddess Chang'e shines.

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Who possesses Buddha-nature?

The Mid-Autumn Festival, held in the month of September, is a community event that inspires mindfulness and reflection as friends and family gather together.

In keeping with Taiwanese and Chinese cultural tradition, treats such as rice ball desserts and yummy mooncakes are offered to the community.

Often, the youth make paper lanterns to adorn the festivities of the event or perform musical performances for the Buddhist community.

I am a lotus ready to bloom here and now.

As everyone contributes in some way to the event, both generosity and gratefulness can be observed in action.

Under the West Coast's bright full moon for the Mid-Autumn Festival, we often reflect on our own bright intrinsic Buddha-nature -- an inherent purity and perfection of the heart/mind. Similar to how sometimes the light of the Moon is hidden behind clouds, our own difficulties and hardships can sometimes obscure our intrinsic (and fundamentally good) nature.

Buddhist nuns sit under moon with American visitors for tea in courtyard of massive LA temple

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Our Buddha-nature will shine through

It is through right-practice and right-mindfulness that we can dispel the dark clouds from our own minds/hearts and reveal the full splendor of our Buddha-nature, our innate capacity to attain enlightenment (bodhi) and liberation (nirvana), awakening to the great ultimate truths of existence.

"Coming West" (Hsi Lai) Temple welcomes all to share in this reflection while spending time with family and friends and visiting this nunnery and monastic complex during this month. More: Hsi Lai Temple

• Hsi Lai Calendar of Events
• Coming West Temple Programs
• Hsi Lai Vegetarian Food and Toy Drive

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  Like a lotus, I can blossom in mud.

  The Tathāgatagarbha Sūtras use the image of a Buddha (a fully awakened being) inside a lotus flower as a metaphor for the tathāgatagarbha: Sanskrit तथागतगर्भ, buddha-dhātu, sugata-garbha, buddha-garbha  (a "womb for a buddha," us realizing our intrisnic Buddha-nature as human beings in this world that seems so far from budhhahood). The term Tathāgata-garbha can mean "the womb" or "embryo"... More
• Hsi Lai Temple (hsilai.org/en); CC Liu, Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly