New Location



New Address is
4361 Aitheson Rd. Beltsville, MD 20705
Office: 240.786.7528, 301.490.4404


We are moving to a new location!

Hello, all!

We are glad to announce that Good Friends Meditation Center will move to a new location in Maryland this summer. Away from downtown, the new location is surrounded by woods and provides a better environment for meditation. In addition, there is an ample space for parking, so you don't have to worry about tickets any more! Please stay tuned for more updates. Thank you for your support!

Regards,
GFMC

A Lotus Lantern Ceremony on the Occasion of Buddha’s Birthday with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim


We cordially invite you to a Lotus Lantern Ceremony, on the occasion of Buddha’s Birthday. The ceremony will be dedicated to peace in the Korean Peninsula and the World.

It will take place on Saturday, May 15th from 10:30-1pm & 2:20pm-4:40pm, in the Constitution Gardens just off the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the Church of the Epiphany near the White House (please see the attached map).

Lighting a lantern on Buddha’s Birthday symbolizes the enlightenment of sentient beings through Buddha’s wisdom and compassion. As this year marks the 60th anniversary of the Korean War, we would like to call upon the wisdom and compassion of the world to bring an end to the war and bring about peace and reconciliation to the region.

The ceremony will consist of two parts. In Part I, everyone is invited to make their own lotus lanterns, as well as hear from Venerable Pomnyun and other luminaries. We will also feature traditional Korean merrymaking performances. For Part II, the venue is moved to the Church of the Epiphany near the White House. We will engage directly with Venerable Pomnyun in his renowned Q&A Dharma Talk, “Design Your Life with True Happiness,” which will be interpreted from Korean to English to encourage active participation from everyone.

We hope you can join us for this joyful and happy celebration on Buddha’s Birthday and look forward to seeing you on May 15th.

Sincerely yours,
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A Lotus Lantern Ceremony on the Occasion of Buddha’s Birthday
-Dedicated to peace in the Korean Peninsula and the World-

Time: Saturday, May 15, 2010 (Buddhist Era 2554)
Venue: Constitution Gardens & The Church of the Epiphany

The 1st Event: Lotus Lantern Ceremony (10:00am-1:00pm)
// Master of Ceremony: Jihyun Kim, Interpreter: Jason Lim
Venue: Constitution Gardens (near the Vietnam War Memorial)

1. Pre-Ceremony: 10:00-11:00am
- Lotus Lantern Making
- Samulnori (Korean Traditional Music Performance)
2. Main Ceremony (11:00-12:00)
- Salpurichoom Silent Tribute
- The Prayer for the Departed
- Peace Message by Venerable Pomnyun Sunim
- Meditation Dedicated to Peace in the Korean Peninsula and the World
3. Merrymaking Performances (12:00-1:00)
- Janggu (Hourglass-shaped drum) Performance
- Seungmoo (Korean Traditional Dance)
- Singing
- Samulnori (Korean Traditional Music Performance)
- Lantern Parade (Chanting of “Shakyamuni Buddha”)

Break (1:00-2:20)
- A chance to visit the Korea War Memorial
- Change of venue for the 2nd event

The 2nd Event: Design Your Life with True Happiness (2:20pm-4:40pm)
Q & A Dharma Talk by Venerable Pomnyun Sunim
//Master of Ceremony: Spencer Yang, Interpreter: Jason Lim
Venue: The Church of the Epiphany
             1317 G St. NW, Washington DC 20005