the chant, the temple and the vegan breakky

I was easily persuaded to come with my sister (and her Buddhist friends) to listen to a dharma talk and have a big breakfast after. In tagalog term, I am such a "kaladkarin" that I had to wake up around 4:30 in the morning to prep up for the early morning ritual in the Buddhist temple. So while waiting for everyone to come, I took some photos inside -- it is so serene here -- an ideal place to generate good vibes or to simply meditate.

the chant

It puzzles me everytime I read the lines from the book, which must be read from top to bottom, from the right side of the page to the left. On each page, I see Chinese characters and their phonetic equivalent (written in English alphabet) next to them. I can sometimes follow, reading the lines to join the chant. But sometimes the chanting tends to be a bit fast that I can no longer catch up. There must be a special breathing technique used in chanting. The monks and Buddhists recite it as if they are singing. *amazed*

The temple
My sister frequents this temple a lot that it seems like she lives here. She now knows the ins and outs of the place and rubs elbows with almost everyone. Although I often feel like a stranger here, she always accompanies me and tries to make me feel comfortable. Anyway, the temple is huge and has special rooms for different meditation- or Buddhist-related activities. Further, it is a mix of old and new. It has the traditional Buddha statues and other artworks related to Buddhism but it also has a touch of modernity from the free wi-fi service to the up-to-date facilities in the building.

The vegan breakky

The vegan breakfast was a delight. It is something that I look forward to every time because it is for sure going to be a healthy meal. Indeed, the breakky was a hearty one, lots of vegan dishes to choose from and healthy drinks too.

Too bad I was not able to take photos of the healthy foodies-- I focused much on feeding my tummy than completing the temple photoshoot. hahaha

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wander:

Fo Guang Shan Mabuhay Temple

656 Pablo Ocampo St., Malate, Manila

wonder: 

Since the beginning of this year, I have been hearing and reading this phrase in most activities in the temple:

Do Good Deeds, Speak Good Words, Think Good Thoughts.

                                             -- The Three Acts of Goodness