Mando-E Memorial Lantern Rite - Special Event

Event Type: Official 

Mando-E Memorial Lantern Rite is an annual festival held as a religious and cultural tradition of Agon Shu Buddhism based on the firm understanding that humanity requires and is responsible for ancestral veneration and purification since the unresolved sorrows and attachments of ancestors dictate the fate of descendants, working as an irresistible and cumulative force that chains one down to karmic cycle. 

Memorial Lanterns are lit, and the Memorial Ceremony will be held before the Sacred Stupa in memory and honour of one's ancestors on this special occasion. Lighting memorial lanterns and praying for ancestors in Agon Shu temple holds great significance because it righteously enshrines the legendary Buddhist Stupa, endowed with Dharmic Power - the definite and absolute force required to purge karma and liberate souls. Dharmic Power cannot be easily found, and true ancestral liberation and karmic liberation cannot be completed even if one realizes this necessity and seeks to fulfill it. If you wholeheartedly wish to save your ancestors from their pains and to prevent your children from repeating their tragedies, you cannot miss this opportunity for it is never given for granted.  

Admission: FREE

Lantern Application

• Apply your Memorial Lantern to be lit both in the Japanese Main Temple and in the Canadian branch via this link: HERE
• Lantern Fee: $24.00 per side
• Lantern application deadline: August 10th
• Cash and e-Transfer accepted

Event Schedule

• 10:00 a.m: Temple entrance opening
• 12:00 (noon) - 12:30 p.m: Mando Memorial Ritual
• 12:35 p.m. - 12:50 p.m: Testimony Speech by Glizell Pham
• 12:50 p.m. - 1:30 p.m: Dharma Talk by Monk Hayashi
• 1:30 p.m. - Rest of the afternoon: Refreshments

Note:  Slight delays may occur on the event date due to unexpected complications. 

***Please RSVP if you plan to attend***

Event Schedule Details

• It is recommended to arrive 15 - 20 minutes prior to the ritual start time to immerse yourself in the spirit of ancestral honour and veneration.
• Mando Memorial Ritual is a Japanese Esoteric Ceremony performed synchronously by the Honourary Priest and experienced Agon Shu Buddhist practitioner(s) before the Sacred Stupa to purify one's ancestry by the Dharmic blessings of Buddha. The ceremony will constitute the chanting of Buddhist mantras and sutras with a sincere spirit of service and veneration. 
• Dharma Talk is a Buddhist Sermon given by the priest in light of deepening one's understanding of Agon Shu Buddhism.
• DO NOT disturb the ceremony and following speeches in any way, including but not limited to using the phone, talking out loud, and using camera flashes. 
• You may use the refreshments time to unwind, get to know each other, use the temple services (such as Tokko no Kaji service and Gomagi Prayer Stick Writing), and/or take your leave.