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Buddhist Temple Services
Elements of the Temple Service (65-75 minutes):
01. Introduction for newcomers -- 5 minutes
02. Harmonious chant(s) -- 5 minutes or so
03. Scriptural or other spiritual reading -- 2-3 minutes
04. Harmonious hymn(s) -- 5 minutes or so
05. A spiritual discourse -- 20 minutes
06. Communion service -- 10-15 minutes
07. Collection -- 5-10 minutes
08. Announcements -- 5 minutes
09. Harmonious chant(s) -- 5 minutes or so
The religious discourses will be delivered by streaming video, and will be drawn eclectically from any source whatsoever. The discourse of a given week might be recommended religion-wide, or it might be on a specific subject requested by the steering committee of a given temple, or it might pursue a lecture-series from the video-on-file of a specific spiritual teacher. Chanting tapes, with appropriate audio (drumbeats, gongs, kartols etc.) should also be available as a base of harmonious kirtan (congregational chanting), since spirituality tends to be lacking if chants are entirely pickup.
Tantric chants are good to use, since they are not belief-specific, and since tantric sounds can have powers that are beneficial.
Communion Service
Upon entering the temple, the member picks up a small scoop, and scoops a quarter-cup or so of grains from a large can and puts them into a pot. After the service starts, these grains are milled into flour, mixed with water, and rolled out into loaf, which is placed into an oven and baked during the service. At the communion, it is brought out, the presence of Nirvana and that which is highest in the Cosmos is supplicated and silently invoked by the entire attendance (each participant meaning something perfectly consistent with his own truest opinion) to enter it, then each participant breaks off a small piece and consumes it.
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