Vesak Celebration at Zen Kannon
On Sunday, May 25th, we will gather at Zen Kannon to celebrate Vesak, the anniversary of the birth of the Buddha, with an open day filled with calm, community, and deep meaning.
Flower Offering at Vesak celebration
In this special celebration, everyone is invited to bring natural flowers. Offering flowers to the Buddha is a symbolic gesture expressing gratitude, respect, and awareness of impermanence: just as flowers bloom and wither, so do our lives. It is a way of honoring the Buddha’s teaching about the ever-changing nature of all things.
The Gesture of the Infant Buddha
Tradition says that after being born, the Buddha took seven steps and pointed to the sky with one hand and the earth with the other. Vesak commemorates this gesture, which proclaims his intention to awaken together with all beings between heaven and earth.
The Symbolism of the Gesture
In this sense, the gesture symbolizes the union of heaven and earth, of the transcendent and the human. It shows that the awakened mind is the intrinsic nature of human beings, and that the Buddha came into the world to show the path to liberation. During Vesak, this gesture reminds us of the birth of wisdom, compassion, and commitment to the Dharma.
Pressing the Earth with the Knees and the Sky with the Crown
In Zen, this gesture — indicating that the awakened mind exists between heaven and earth — beautifully corresponds with the posture we maintain during zazen: pressing the earth with the knees and the sky with the crown of the head, another way of pointing to the awakened mind of zazen.
A Path of Peace to Share
Throughout the Vesak celebration day, there will be a flower offering, open meditation, and time to share in a welcoming and silent atmosphere. Come with friends, family, or on your own — the spirit of Vesak unites us all on the same path of peace.
Flowers, silence, community. We invite you to live this moment with an open heart.
Zen Kannon Meditation Center
Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, 665
Sunday 25 — Vesak celebrration at the Open House