Ceremonies, or pujas, are the formal communal rituals through which Buddhist communities mark sacred times, honour the lineage, and accumulate merit on behalf of all beings. At Veil Parasol Temple, ceremonies are held throughout the year — some tied to the seasonal cycle, some to the anniversaries of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, some for the specific needs of the sangha and the wider community. In Vajrayana, a ceremony is not a performance to be observed but a field to be entered. The chants, the offerings, the visualizations, and the presence of the assembled practitioners together create a sacred space in which blessing and prayer converge.

The ceremonies at Veil Parasol Temple follow the True Buddha School tradition transmitted by Living Buddha Lian-sheng. Each is led by the temple master in accordance with established ritual texts, with the assembled sangha joining in chanting, visualization, and dedication of merit. Every detail — the mandala, the mantra, the mudra, the substance offerings — carries meaning that has been transmitted through centuries of unbroken lineage. When practitioners gather in sincere assembly, the lineage blessing flows with particular strength.

Some ceremonies are held annually at fixed dates — Chinese New Year, Qingming for ancestral remembrance, the Buddha's birthday in the fourth lunar month, Ullambana in the seventh month for the liberation of suffering beings, the year-end accumulation of merit. Others are held to mark specific occasions — the consecration of a new altar, dedication of merit on behalf of the deceased, blessing for those undertaking difficult endeavours, supplication during times of natural calamity or community need.

A ceremony differs from individual practice in that personal intention is offered into a much larger field. A practitioner who attends with a particular wish — for a sick relative, for a difficult family situation, for the deceased — finds that wish gathered into the collective merit of the entire assembly and dedicated alongside hundreds of other intentions. The Buddhist understanding holds that this collective dedication carries weight beyond what any individual could generate alone.

Ceremonies at Veil Parasol Temple typically begin with practitioners gathering in the shrine hall before the appointed time, offering incense, bowing to the altar, and settling into seated silence. Texts and seating are provided. Newcomers may observe and follow along as they are able. The ceremony opens with purification, invocation of the lineage, and offering; the chanting of sutras and mantra proceeds at an unhurried pace, led by the temple master and supported by the assembled sangha.

For ceremonies dedicated to the deceased or to those in difficulty, names may be submitted in advance. These are read or dedicated during the ritual, joining each individual intention to the collective merit. At the close, the merit of the entire ceremony is formally dedicated — to ancestors, to the sick and the suffering, to all beings without exception.

The right way to attend a ceremony is with sincerity, not with the expectation of doing everything perfectly. Body participates through posture and bowing; speech through chanting at whatever level one is able; mind through devotion and the simple presence of attention. With repeated attendance, the temple becomes a spiritual home.