THE Buddhist temple at Knaphill and its grounds were filled with colourful traditional ceremonies for a celebration of International Vesak Day 2023.

The temple, a branch of Wat Phra Dhammakaya London, was commemorating the Buddha’s Day.

“We were expressing our high respect towards the greatest teacher, the Lord Buddha,” said temple representative Petch Jatumet.

“With the participation of the monastic congregation from various traditions, the event was carried out sacredly and gorgeously.” 

The ceremony started at 5.30pm with homage paid  to the Triple Gems of Buddhism led by Phra Rajwithet Panyakhun, the president of the Council of Thai Buddhist Monks of the United Kingdom and Ireland.

The gems, also known as jewels or treasurers, are the Buddha (the exemplar), the dharma (the teachings), and the sangha (the community of practitioners).

This was followed by a meditation session and speeches by distinguished guests. 

Representatives from each tradition of the monastic community then lit up the main beacon and performed the chanting. 

Then, the minister of Thai Embassy, Natthaphong Sitthichai, and the chairman of Surrey County Council, Saj Hussain – who is also a Knaphill borough councillor – along with the lay presidents from both Thai and the local community, joined the candle-light ceremony in a faithful act of love and respect.

“The event marked one of the historical Buddhist congregations in 2023,” said Petch. 

“The people in our temple were delighted at the success of the commemoration and it will stay in our minds for a long time.

“The local Buddhist community would like to share the merits of our worship and we always welcome anyone who would like to explore Buddhism and learn about meditation.”