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Buddhists/Blessing for adopted daughter from China
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Question
We recently adopted a beautiful girl from China. We are beginning to study Buddhism and will soon partake in the 3 refuges ceremony. However, we'd also like to have our little girl blessed in a Buddhist ceremony with friends and family present so that she can be welcomed into our lives, much the way a Christian baptism or Jewish naming ceremony welcomes a child. What options are there in Buddhism for us? Thank you so much for any answers you can give us.
Hi Gretchen,
Thank you for asking me, and congratulations for your good deed. Hope this child will give you happiness and will grow up to be a responsible and happy person.
It depends on which Buddhist tradition you are following. The three main traditions of Theravada, Mahayana (mainly Chinese) and Tibetan Buddhism have their own blessing ceremonies. If you have been going to a temple then it's not a problem anymore as you can find out from the temple. Generally, the ceremony would involve the chanting of suttas. The Buddha did not introduce any rites and rituals into his teachings, bearing in mind that the Indian society already had its cultural practices long before the Buddha's time. The "Buddhist" rites and rituals were introduced by the followers after the Buddha had long passed away. These rites and rituals were introduced by incorporating the traditional practices of the followers which had nothing to do with the pristine teachings of the Buddha. They were performed to satisfy the psychological needs of the followers. As for Theravada Buddhists, most ceremonies involve the chanting of the suttas by the monks and usually followed by "thanksgiving" (Dana) of providing food for the monks.
Hope this helps.
Smile from justinchoo :-)
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Answers by Expert:
Justin Choo
Expertise
When in doubt seek it out. All your questions will be answered, and you may not have to agree with the answers. Such is the beauty of Buddhism. You are free to decide. I follow the Theravada tradition, and have been studying Buddhism for more than 40 years. Please view my profile for more details. I have answered more than 1500 questions since joining this category. You may like to give me the honor to answer your question.
Experience
I was brought up in the 50's as a Buddhist. For the past 40 years I have read numerous books on Buddhism and listened to numerous talks on Buddhism by well-respected and learned monks and lay teachers. I conduct Buddhist classes for parents of Sunday School children in a Theravada Buddhist Temple.
My teacher was the late Chief Reverend, The Ven. K Sri Dhammananda of The Brickfields Buddhist Mahavihara, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. You can view the relevent website in memory of my revered late teacher @
http://www.ksridhammananda.com
Organizations
I am a life member of the Buddhist Missionary Society Malaysia.
Publications
YOU ARE INVITED TO VISIT MY BLOG @
http://lifeislikethat999.blogspot.com/
Published a book called "The Rainbow And The Treasure". It is a compilation of extracts from various sources to introduce Buddhism to beginners. (Currently out of print)
Education/Credentials
Bachelor of Commerce And Administration, Victoria University Of Wellington, NZ.(1974)
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