Stories of Sheng Zhen Men
Why is Sheng Zhen Men's anniversary celebrated on the nineteenth day of the ninth lunar month?
English translation draft · Based on the Chinese article. This is not a word-for-word translation approved by Master Shengyuan.
Sheng Zhen Men celebrates its anniversary together with Guanyin Bodhisattva's sacred birthday because of the circumstances surrounding the original enshrinement of the Thousand-Armed Guanyin. If I remember correctly, the nineteenth day of the ninth lunar month fell about three or four days after the enshrinement, so we chose to celebrate together on the Bodhisattva's sacred birthday.
Temples do not all make the same arrangements. Some use the date a deity was enshrined as their anniversary, while others choose the principal deity's sacred birthday. Our choice has its own history; not every group has to decide in the same way.
To me, the anniversary is more than a lively gathering. After a year, we can pause and consider what we have done and whether our learning has progressed. We thank heaven, earth, the deities and Buddhas for their care, and the friends who have supported us along the way. Gathering also lets us look back on the path we have traveled and consider how we can continue to grow.