Prayers for end of the economic crisis

By P.J. Leo

MAGELANG, Central Java (JP): Under the full moon on a windy night, thousands of Buddhists from across Indonesia and abroad prayed solemnly at the Borobudur temple. It was the most important ceremony of Waisak, the Buddhist Day of Enlightenment.

The ritual began with a procession from nearby Mendut to the Borobudur Temple.

This year's Waisak had a somewhat different mood compared with last year's. For security reasons, the organizing committee simplified the itinerary: there were no dances, as is usual.

The event focused on rituals and meditation. The congregation offered its prayers for the safety of Indonesia in its struggle to survive the current crisis.

The series of ceremonies began with the collection of holy water from Jumprit Spring on May 5, 2001, in Temanggung regency, Central Java, some 65 kilometers west of Borobudur. The next day, the main ritual was the collection of the holy fire from Mrapen, Purwodadi, some 120 km northwest of Borobudur.

The holy water and fire were blessed at Mendut Temple before being taken to Borobudur.

The Mendut-Borobudur procession started at 4 p.m. on Monday when thousands of Buddhists walked to Borobudur. The event was just like a carnival, with many thousands of residents lining the roadsides to watch the procession.

Upon reaching Borobudur, the faithful headed for their tents. There were eight denominations and the followers of each denomination had their own tents.

At the peak of the ceremony on Monday night, all members of the congregation solemnly bowed their heads in meditation. The lighting by candles was accompanied by songs, and monks sprinkled holy water on the congregation as a token of their blessing.