The Light Offering Dharma Service is held on the new and full moon days of each month. During this time we pray and dedicate merits to the well-being of those who have offered annual wisdom lamps at the temple, as well as for peace and well-being for all beings in the world.
Held just after the lunar New Year begins, an inauguration service takes place to officially initiate the offering. At the end of the year there is another service to bring the offering to completion.
The biweekly service includes a recitation of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva’s Universal Gate Chapter of the Lotus Sutra. The scripture describes the ways in which Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva manifests and bestows compassion upon the world. From a Humanistic Buddhist perspective, we all share a responsibility in learning from Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva’s example and practicing compassion towards everybody around us.