Happy Vesak–Buddha Day! This is the most important day of the year for us in the Buddhist community because it commemorates the Buddha’s birth, death, and enlightenment. Ajhan Lee Dhammadharo said, “Every year when this important day comes around again, we Buddhists take the opportunity to pay homage to the Buddha as a way of expressing our gratitude for his goodness. We sacrifice our daily affairs to make merit in a skillful way by doing such things as practicing generosity, observing the precepts, and listening to the dhamma.”

Today we’ll observe Vesak very … We’ll decorate the meditation hall with flowers, candles, and incense–unlit, of course–and we’ll have a short talk about the three jewels and tea.