Greek Shaolin Cultural Organization
少林希腊文化組织

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On Monday, May 5, 2025, the Greek Shaolin Cultural Center participated in the global celebration of the Birthday of Buddha Shakyamuni with the established Buddha Bathing Ceremony [Chin.: Yù fú jié 浴佛節], one of the most important and revered moments of Chinese Buddhism. This day, which this year coincided with the traditional Chinese holiday “Li Xia” (beginning of summer), was honored with devotion, spirituality and cultural richness.

In the atmosphere of the universal participation of all Shaolin cultural and religious centers around the world, the Shaolin Cultural Center of Greece welcomed students and friends to a particularly elaborate ceremony, drawing inspiration from the traditional rituals held at the Shaolin Temple in China — the ancestral monastery of the Chan school.

The grand ceremonial ceremony began at 10 am at the Dharma Center of the Greek Shaolin Cultural Center, under the guidance of the Center’s Masters, who offered incense while chanting the Bath Hymn [Chinese: yùfújì 浴佛偈]. Master Yanzhuo [Chinese: yán zhuō dàshī 延卓大师], General Director of EPOKES, opened the Dharma Gathering and welcomed the guests and friends. A statuette with the face of the little prince Siddhartha, with one hand pointing to the sky and the other pointing to the earth, was placed in the center of the pond, which was decorated with flowers and the water was scented with sandalwood, camphor, aloe, lilac and other fragrances, so that those present could use the fragrant water to bathe the Buddha.

The celebration was not only an act of religious devotion, but also a symbol of personal purification and transformation — as the teaching states: “Bathe with wisdom, light, compassion and love and transform all kinds of problems into joy, freedom and freshness.”

Buddha Day is a holiday for the entire Buddhist community and is celebrated in every corner of the world where there are Shaolin cultural centers. The participation of the Greek Cultural Center in this year's celebration was further proof of our country's living connection with the wisdom of the East and the universal values ​​of Buddhism: peace, compassion and self-knowledge.