Mahayana Temple

Dharma Service - Emperor Liang Repentance Service
2023-09-02 - 2023-09-09 | Mahayana Temple Retreat, 700 Ira Vail Road, Leeds, NY, 12451, United States
Mahayana Temple Retreat is going to hold a 7-day Emperor Liang Repentance service for devotees to pray for the country’s disaster relief and transferring merits to people for safety and auspiciousness, to grow wisdom and to help the deceased to be reborn into Pure Land. Please come and join this grand event. We offer transportation and accomodation during this service.
“Emperor Liang’s Repentance Service” (梁皇寶懺), originally named as “Dharma Hall of Compassion Repentance Ritual” (慈悲道場懺法), is a ritual of repentance, eliminating calamities, and delivering the deceased.
According to legend, the Emperor Liang instituted the ritual for delivering his deceased wife, Empress Chi, who was reborn as a python after her death. He invited eminent monks to hold Dharma assemblies to practice repentance rituals for her. With the powerful merits of this ritual, she was then reborn as a heavenly being.
The repentance chants have been passed down through generations thereafter as the most voluminous repentance text.
In fact, the Emperor Liang’s Repentance Services teaches that all beings can attain perfect enlightenment through the practice of sincere repentance, taking the three refuges, making aspirations and transferring merits.
(Source: Dharmadrum)

Dharma Service - Guanyin's Birthday
2023-08-05, 2023-03-10 | Original Temple, 64 Mott St, New York, 10013, United States

Dharma Service - Offering to Buddhas and Celestial Guardians
2023-02-05 09:30 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | Mahayana Temple Retreat, 700 Ira Vail Road, Leeds, NY, 12451, United States
Dharma Service – Offering to Buddhas and Celestial Guardians

Offering to Buddhas and Celestial Guardians Dharma Service is one of the most significant ceremonies in Buddhism rituals held on the 15th of the first lunar moth every year. Offering to Buddhas means to worship the Three Jewels while offering to celestial guardians means to pay respect to the heavenly Dharma Guardians. Buddhists take refuge in the Three Jewels, not in celestial guardians, and yet we pay respect to celestial guardians for celestial guardians adhere to the right conduct and virtuous actions and safeguard the Buddha and Dharma. During this ceremony, Mahayana Temple devoutly preparing incense, flowers, fruits, and lamps to offer up to the eternally abiding Triple-treasure, Dharma-protectors, dragons, and celestial-beings. May all merits be transferred to everyone so that they may enjoy endless blessings, long life and well-being.

Dharma Service - Three Thousand Buddhas Repentance
2023-02-02 09:00 - 2023-02-04 16:00 (America/New_York) | Mahayana Temple Retreat, 700 Ira Vail Road, Leeds, NY, 12451, United States
Dharma Service – Three Thousand Buddhas Repentance

Three Thousand Buddhas Repentance Dharma Service is one of the biggest Dharma Services held at Mahayana Temple. During this three-day event, Buddhists gather at the Grand Buddha Hall to pay homage to the 3,000 Buddhas of the three eons (Past Adorned Kalpa, Present Worthy Kalpa, and Future Constellation Kalpa).
In one past life of Shakyamuni Buddha, he heard the names of 53 Buddhas, and was filled with Dharma joy. He went on to teach many men, until his teachings reached 3,000 people. These 3,000 men altogether praised and single-mindedly prostrated to the 53 Buddhas. With the auspicious merits, they were able to transcend samsara, and attained Buddhahood.
Buddhists usually recite all three thousand Buddhas’ names to pray for blessings and prosperity in the New Year.

Dharma Service - Maitreya's Birthday
2023-01-22 | Mahayana Temple Retreat, 700 Ira Vail Road, Leeds, NY, 12451, United States
Dharma Service – Maitreya’s Birthday

Maitreya Buddha’s birthday is celebrated on the 1st day of the 1st month of the lunar calendar which coincides with the Chinese New Year Day, a day of joy in which all families traditionally keep pure and holy by avoiding eating any meat.

Dharma Service - Welcome God of Wealth
2023-01-21 21:00 - 2023-01-22 02:00 (America/New_York) | Mahayana Temple Retreat, 700 Ira Vail Road, Leeds, NY, 12451, United States
Dharma Service – Welcome God of Wealth

It is a Chinese tradition for people to welcome the God of Wealth during Lunar New Year celebrations. In Mahayana Temple Retreat, people always gather together on Lunar New Year Eve at the God of Wealth Temple to pray for fortune and good luck.

Annual Laba Festival Celebration
2022-12-30 08:30 - 13:30, 2022-12-29 08:30 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | Mahayana Temple City Campus, 133 Canal Street, New York, NY, 10002, United States
Annual Laba Festival Celebration
The Laba Festival is a major Buddhist holiday celebrated on the lunar calendar’s December eighth to commemorate the enlightenment of the Buddha.

According to the life story of the Buddha, one of the most important and most well-known dishes the Buddha ate was the milk congee offered to him by Sujata just before his enlightenment. Every year, Mahayana Temple would make complimentary Laba Congee offering to the general public, aiming to bring good luck, happiness and heath to everyone.

Laba Congee will be offered around 11am-1pm after morning chanting. Come join in us to receive blessing walking into a new year! No registration needed.

To sign up for volunteering, please fill out form here.

Dharma Service - Winter Solstice Festival
2022-12-21 - 2022-12-22 | Mahayana Temple City Campus, 133 Canal Street, New York, NY, 10002, United States
The Winter Solstice (which falls on Dec. 22 this year) marks an important milestone. It’s the shortest day of the year and the longest night of the year. It signals a powerful transition point between seasons that is impossible to ignore. Because of this, it has been celebrated and revered in ancient civilizations, indigenous cultures, and various religions. It serves as a reminder for us to let everything go, on any given day, at any given moment.

Dharma Service - Chong Yang Festival
2022-10-02 | Mahayana Temple Retreat, 700 Ira Vail Road, Leeds, NY, 12451, United States
Chongyang Festival is held on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, so it is also known as The Double Ninth Festival. It is also known as the Senior Citizens’ Festival. Mahayana Temple is going to held a memorial dharma service on this day dedicated to all of our ancestors.

Dharma Service - Ksitigarbha's Birthday
2022-08-26 | Mahayana Temple Retreat, 700 Ira Vail Road, Leeds, NY, 12451, United States
Ksitigarbha is a transcendent bodhisattva of Mahayana Buddhism. In China he is Dayuan Dizang Pusa (or Ti Tsang P’usa), one of the most popular bodhisattvas. Ksitigarbha is primarily known as the bodhisattva of the hell realm, although he travels to all of the Six Realms and is a guide and guardian of those between rebirths. On this day, we will chant ‘Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Fundamental Vow Sutra’ to pay gratitude to Ksitigarbha’s compassion, and to send prayers to all the deceased loved ones.

Dharma Service - Ullambana Festival
2022-08-12 - 2022-08-13 | Mahayana Temple City Campus, 133 Canal Street, New York, NY, 10002, United States
The Origin and Meaning of Ullambana and Making Offerings to Sangha Ullambana is for Buddhist laity to offer a meal to the Buddha and the Sangha as an act of reverence. The practice of Sangha offering has the power to transform and deliver all sentient beings. The merits thus acquired could liberate the deceased from the three suffering realms and allow the living to enjoy a life of abundance, good fortune and longevity. Therefore, by observing the practice of Ullambana Sangha Offering, all Buddhists can deliver their parents from the miseries of the three suffering realms.

Dharma Service - Qingming Festival
2022-04-04 - 2022-04-05 | Mahayana Temple City Campus, 133 Canal Street, New York, NY, 10002, United States
Qingming, also called Tomb Sweeping Day, is a day to remember and honour one’s ancestors. Young and old pray before their ancestors, weed and sweep the family graves, clean the headstones, offer food, and light incense and burn imitation paper money. In doing so, the Chinese believe that the spirits of deceased ancestors will look after the family.

Dharma Service - Three Thousand Buddhas Repentance
2021-02-23 09:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | Mahayana Temple Retreat, 700 Ira Vail Road, Leeds, NY, 12451, United States
Three Thousand Buddhas Repentance Dharma Service is one of the biggest Dharma Services held at Mahayana Temple. During this three-day event, Buddhists gather at the Grand Buddha Hall to pay homage to the 3,000 Buddhas of the three eons (Past Adorned Kalpa, Present Worthy Kalpa, and Future Constellation Kalpa).
In one past life of Shakyamuni Buddha, he heard the names of 53 Buddhas, and was filled with Dharma joy. He went on to teach many men, until his teachings reached 3,000 people. These 3,000 men altogether praised and single-mindedly prostrated to the 53 Buddhas. With the auspicious merits, they were able to transcend samsara, and attained Buddhahood.
Buddhists usually recite all three thousand Buddhas’ names to pray for blessings and prosperity in the New Year.

Dharma Service - Winter Solstice Festival
2020-12-21 09:30 - 13:30, 2020-12-20 09:30 - 13:30 (America/New_York) | NY
The Winter Solstice (which falls on Dec. 21 this year) marks an important milestone. It’s the shortest day of the year and the longest night of the year. It signals a powerful transition point between seasons that is impossible to ignore. Because of this, it has been celebrated and revered in ancient civilizations, indigenous cultures, and various religions. It serves as a reminder for us to let everything go, on any given day, at any given moment.

Sunday Morning Prayers
2020-06-14 10:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | NY
This puja practice includes Chinese chanting and ritual offerings. Join in the chanting or attend quietly as a blessing. Participation is voluntary and open to all.
Selection of Sutras that will be chanted:

Heart Sutra
Diamond Sutra
Universal Gate Chapter of the Lotus Sutra
ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Fundamental Vow Sutra
Sutra of the Medicine Buddha
Infinite Life Sutra

CANCELED | The Journey Home with H.E. Jurmey Jamtso Rinpoche
2020-05-15 16:00 - 2020-05-17 19:00 UTC | Mahayana Temple City Campus, 133 Canal Street, New York, NY, 10002, United States

CANCELED | The Four Noble Truth with Ven. Kuoming
2020-05-13 10:00 - 11:30 UTC | Mahayana Temple City Campus, 133 Canal Street, New York, NY, 10002, United States

CANCELED | Life • Dharma • Practice with Ven. Eka Yana
2020-05-10 14:00 UTC | Mahayana Temple City Campus, 133 Canal Street, New York, NY, 10002, United States
I can’t escape the chaos in life, I can’t avoid the persecution in the world, and I don’t want to let this kind of contamination distort myself again and again, and I don’t want to spend my life feeling lost and confused. What Should I do? Change the situation if you can, if not then change your mindset. Let us be humble and rejoice together, learn the essence of Dharma, and start a life journey full of blessing and wisdom.
