Washing the Buddha

(Translated by Douglas Shaw)

Chinese version

To celebrate the Buddha's birthday, Buddhists perform a ceremony in which scented water is poured over a statue of the Buddha. At the Tzu Chi Hospital or during home care visits, volunteers must often bathe sick or elderly people who cannot wash themselves. They realize that while on the surface they are washing these people, they are actually helping to wash away the impurities and worries in their own hearts. Since all living creatures may someday become buddhas, helping others attain fulfillment also helps oneself attain fulfillment. Therefore, this kind of work is also called "washing the Buddha."