Commemoration of Vesak at Murray Farm Public School, Carlingford, NSW

 

Images of Vesak at Murray Farm Public School

 

It was a great memorable day at the Murray Farm Public School, when all the students, the Principal and the staff joined the Buddhist Scripture teacher Mrs Nalini Cooray to celebrate Vesak.

 

It was a red letter day in the school calendar. The whole assembly area was illuminated with Vesak Lanterns of different colours, shapes, and sizes. The parents helped the children in making the lanterns. The assembly was conducted by the Buddhist Scripture teacher Mrs Cooray and she commenced by administered Pansil. The guest speaker Dr Piyasoma Medis spoke in a very impressive manner and highlighting the importance on this thrice-blessed day. The Principal of the school was very impressed with his speech.

 

The Year 3 and Year 4 students recited the 3 stanzas on The Triple Gem, Buddha, Dhamma and the Sanga. The Buddhist students gave the English translation of the Stanzas so that the other children of other denominations could follow & understand.

 

The Year 5 and Year 6 students sang a lyric song composed from the Dhammapada “As on a mourned of Refuse", "With a heart of love" and "Dannobudunge".  The students read out "Extracts from Light of Asia" by Sir Edwin Arnold on renunciation.

 

The students were very quiet, calm and serene. One could here the drop of a pin and it was so easy to conduct the Assembly. Another special feature of this assembly was that we managed to exhibit the statue of the lord Buddha, the Buddhist Flag and seven Vesak lanterns to depict the seven weeks the Lord Buddha spent under the Bodhi Tree immediately after the Enlightenment respecting and showing gratitude to the Bodhi Tree which gave shelter from rain, sunshine and wind.  The greatest lesson that Buddha taught to the world is gratitude.

 

The teachers commended that there should be more assemblies of this nature on every Monday morning as the children were very calm, cool and collected.  The teachers managed to do lot of work very successfully and managed to get the best out of the students, what they couldn't do for a number of days.

 

It’s my duty to thank the Principal and the staff of the Murray Farm Public School for giving the opportunity to conduct the assembly and show the awareness of Vesak. The Morning tea was served to all after the meeting.

 

The organisers of this event appreciates the help and support given by the Sri Lankan Buddhist Vihara Association of NSW (The SLBVA).

 

With Metta

 

Mrs Nalini Cooray

Teacher (Voluntary) - Buddhism

Murray Farm Public School, Carlingford

12th May 2003