The Monks, Nuns and Members of Dong Hung Temple welcome you to the English language service. We are always pleased to have first time temple visitors and students with us.
THE MEANINGS OF SOME OF THE ITEMS USED IN THE TEMPLE
Incense: Burning incense can represent the spreading of good ethics, morality and/or practicing the “middle path”, one of the goals of Buddhist practice.
Bells: The sound of the bell has many meanings. We use it as a means to focus our minds before chanting, meditation or discussion. We also use it to begin and end our chants and to occasionally signify a key point or passage in a chant.
Candles: The lighted candle signifies the light of wisdom.
Flowers: Flowers symbolize impermanence and the cycle of life and death. From a seed in the earth they grow to become fragrant and beautiful. They progress to being scentless, withering and dying, returning to decay and nurture the earth for the next seed.
Fruit: Represents that all actions cause a result or effect.
Water: Represents purity, clarity and calmness, the goals we seek in practicing the teachings of the Buddha.
