D. Learning How to Pay Homage to the Buddhas in an Easy and Relaxing Manner
(C) The Experience of Paying Homage
　　By touching our forehead to the ground while keeping our backs flat in prostration, our bodies are supple, and the ground we touch is gentle and cool. As we prostrate before the Buddha, we should be mindful of the palms of our hands; and as we stand up, we should be heedful of the movements of our arms and legs—to feel what we have experienced, to experience what we have felt, and to be in touch with the sensations of our body. 　　

Incense, flowers, candles, fruits and perfumes are my most sincere offerings.

(D) Whole-Heartedly Paying Homage to the Buddhas—My Offerings
　　Since we will bring a gift for people we are fond of and respect when we visit them, what kind of offering should we make to the Buddha?
　　The Buddha is the Enlightened One, complete in his merits, and he does not need our offerings or deference. So what is the purpose of paying homage and make offerings to the Buddha? It is for our own sake only. By having the utmost respect for the Buddha, we can improve ourselves and overcome our shortcomings; by making prostrations and offerings to the Buddha, we can elevate ourselves. The Buddhist sutras provide us the best guidance. We can refer to the advice given in the “Expounder of the Dharma Chapter” of the “Lotus Sutra,” which tells us that there are ten kinds of offerings: flowers, perfume, precious gems, fragrant ointments, scented powders, burning incense, canopies, flags, banners, clothing, and music.
　　No matter what we have chosen to do, the most important for us to have is sincerity and whole-heartedness. According to “Dafangguang Rulai Busiyi Jingjie Jing,” when we are sincere and happy in our offerings to the Buddhas, we will gain peace of mind and great merit, and also expediency in realizing Buddhahood. Therefore, the most precious offering is the one that comes from a person's heart with sincerity and pure intention.
E. Where Should One Go to Celebrate the Buddha's Birthday
　　Since April 8th of the lunar calendar is “The Buddha's Birthday,” one of the most important and meaningful days in Buddhism, where can we go to celebrate? What activities are there for us to take part in? Fo Guang Shan Monastery and its many branch temples around the world celebrate this very special occasion with multifarious activities suitable for parents to enjoy with their children, such as Bathing the Buddha Ceremony, food fair, and Dharma lectures. There are also Buddhist seminars, charity events, joint cultivation of Chan and Pure Land, Buddhist art display, and social education program. Therefore, in celebrating the Buddha's Birthday, Fo Guang Shan Monastery has provided a spiritual gas station for everybody to come and fill up. Please join us in sharing the benefits of the Dharma.

Fo Guang Shan The Buddha's Birthday ceremony