The Buddhist Association of the United States (BAUS) cordially invites you to join us for a most rare and significant event. Over a two-day period—on Saturday, October 17, and Sunday, October 18 —BAUS will be hosting an exhibition of the Sacred Relics of the Buddha and his most eminent noble disciples. The relics will be on display on these two days from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm in the Great Buddha Hall of Chuang Yen Monastery.
Five relics will be displayed: the sacred relics of the Buddha Shakyamuni, his chief disciples Sariputta and Moggallana, his personal attendant Ananda, and the Arahant Vakkula, the monk distinguished by his long life and excellent health.
The relics were respectfully conveyed from Master Taixu’s Relic Stupa at the Triple Wisdom Hall in Malaysia to the International Buddhism Friendship Association (IBFA) for an exhibition in Chicago on July 25 and 26. The abbot of IBFA, Ven. Jiru, has kindly agreed to bring the relics to Chuang Yen Monastery to give devotees in the greater New York area the chance to pay homage to them.
Although the Buddha and his great disciples have passed into nirvana, their bodily relics remain as part of their legacy to the world. To see the Buddha’s relics is almost like seeing the Buddha himself, and to venerate the relics is almost like venerating the Buddha in person. This will be an extremely rare opportunity, a source of boundless blessings, a precious occasion that should not be missed.
The Buddha’s relic chamber at the IBFA temple in Chicago