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Buddhist Wedding Ceremony
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Buddhist wedding ceremonies are gradually becoming popular in the West, and are not just restricted to those who follow the faith. Marriage in Buddhism is purely a secular affair.
The wedding day begins at a local temple where the couple separately asks for the blessings of Buddha. Both bride and groom are dressed in outfits traditional to their region.
There are auspicious months, days and auspicious times for all Buddhist weddings and it relates to the birth star of the bride and the groom. At the mutually auspicious astrologically designated wedding time, the bride and groom are individually taken to the shrine room of their local temple or a hall hired for the occasion. Here, the couple sees each other for the first time on that day.
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The presence of monks is not a must for a spiritual Buddhist wedding. For these traditions, the wedding location will be equipped with a shrine to Buddha featuring candles, flowers, incense and a statue or image of Buddha.
The ceremony begins as the entire assembly recites the Vandana, Tisarana and Pancasila readings. The couple then lights the candles and incense sticks surrounding Buddha's image and offers him the flowers within the shrine. Because of the secularity of Buddhist weddings, there is no assigned set of marriage vows. However, the bride and groom will recite their expected undertakings using the Sigilovdda Sutta as a guide. The Sigiloydda Sutta says:
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"In five ways should a wife, as Western quarter, be ministered to by her husband: by respect, by courtesy, by faithfulness, by handing over authority to her, and by providing her with ornaments. In these five ways does the wife minister to by her husband as the Western quarter, love him: her duties are well-performed by hospitality to kin of both, by faithfulness, by watching over the goods he brings and by skill and industry in discharging all business."
After these vows are spoken, the bride and groom can exchange rings. If monks are present, the marriage vows will be both preceded and proceeded by their chanting.
Once officially married, the couple receives their guests with the huge feast and decorations prepared for the wedding.
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