Magha Puja is an important religious festival celebrated by Buddhists on the full moon day of the third lunar Month for more than 2,600 years. It marks the four auspicious occasions in the Buddha time as follows: 1. It was the full-moon day of the third lunar month, 2. There were 1,250 Arahants, the enlightened disciple monks, who came to see Lord Buddha without any prior arrangement, 3. All of them were ordained by Lord Buddha, and 4. Lord Buddha delivered a sermon called the “Ovada Patimokkha” which includes the fundamental ideology, the moral standards and the conducts of Buddhism.

Dhammakaya Temple has organized annually the Candle Lighting Ceremony where several-hundred thousands of Buddhists, non Buddhists and peace lovers in various races, nationalities, religions around the world have attended in the sacred and holy ceremony, we have mass and collective meditation session in front of the Dhammakaya Cetiya in paying homage to Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha and spreading loving kindness as well as the Universal Love to our loved ones such as families, friends, relatives and all living creatures in the world.

In Candle Lighting Ceremony, people around the world will meditate together by closing their eyes softly and being mindful at the center of the body. Through meditation, we will spread our collective pure energy and good wishes to all people and all beings around the world, to be free from their sufferings, to have only true happiness and pure loving kindness.The power of our collective pure energy from our center of the body will be expanded to all directions and with our great intention from our still minds will finally embrace and filter our world to be more refined and brighter, to be the better place for everyone. Also, everyone lights up the candles and this collective candle lights around the world symbolize the Light of World Peace.

Humankinds have been searching for true happiness but no one has proclaimed to find it. Around 2,600 years ago, after Lord Buddha enlightened under the Bodhi tree, he had attained the truth of human’s life and the truth of the universe. Moreover, he had attained the true happiness, it was the utmost happiness which let him not reborn again in the cycle of lives.

On‌ ‌this important day during Lord‌ ‌Buddha‌ time, he ‌delivered‌ ‌the‌ ‌“Ovada‌ ‌Patimokkha”‌ ‌sermon‌ ‌which‌ ‌consisted of Ideologies, Principles, and Methods of propagation of Buddhism.

Magha Puja day is one of the most important days in the world. Without Magha Puja’s Day, the world will not know the right way to live the perfect and complete life and  to lead us to our true goals. Therefore, we should reflect on the Ovada Patimokkha and the Buddha teachings in order to pay respect to Lord Buddha and 1,250 Arahants who introduced the great wisdom to mankind.

Since Lord Buddha time until nowadays 2564 B.E., the Dhamma teachings have been propagated around the world, they are the universal practices which many millions of the world citizen have been practicing and let them find true peace within.

When we purify the mind by meditation , we will generate the sense of deep understanding towards ourselves and others, we will have compassion and universal love to others without any conditions. From individual’s true happiness and lastly spread to people who are surrounded us, spread to our village, to our country and to our beloved entire world, then world peace is really possible and occurred if we practice the universal goodness from Lord Buddha’s teaching.

In many ways peace is one of the most sought in the world. This is perhaps because true peace is so rarely found. Human seeks for peace in all places; books, music, exotic destinations, companionships. We even spent great amounts of money in this pursuit.

However, the greatest miracle of human being is that peace always lies  within. In fact, it does not lie any further than where you are right now. The key to peace lies in its simplicity. To find peace, one only needs to close one’s eyes and become still.

Peace already exists within us. We only need to be aware of it. Each human being has the potential to look within, to be still, to experience inner peace. We can see for ourselves that the road that will lead to world peace lies within our INNER PEACE. And the journey starts right now.