Tips for Three-Step-One-Bow Ceremony

When my maternal grandmother was alive, I would participate in every year's Vesak Day Three Step One Bow ceremony without fail. It's been more than a decade since she passed on, and amidst all that grieving I stopped joining the ceremony.

Still, it's not that I am giving up on Buddhism, in fact quite on the contrary, it's because Vesak means so much to me, I want to recover from my mental sickness and get on with my life. I would still pray to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas for Their divine guidance, but I don't want to get into any conflict that happens because my mother and grandmother had different views regarding how I should live my life. 

In a nutshell, my mother was never part of my life when growing up, so the reason why I chose to become a Buddhist instead of Taoist was also inspired by my Buddhist grandmother and aunt, and ever since my grandmother passed on, my mother has been trying to superimpose her Taoist views on my Buddhist ones, and this are at best Zen dilemmas which require work on my end. While I can handle the challenge, it becomes a waste of my effort when I realise that my mother is also going to die like my grandmother did, so there are some irritants in life which are not worth my effort going head-on confrontations with.

Nuff said. All I want to do this evening, is to offer my opinion on preparations required for the Three Step One Bow ceremony held every Vesak Day at my preferred Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery.

I quote some salient points from the official website:

• For those without tickets, you can join the public group starting from 10pm at the Hall of No Form.
• Your health and safety are important to us. If you feel unwell, please refrain from participating in this activity.
• Estimated completion time is two hours.
• Contact: 6849 5300 | sed@kmspks.org

The rest are my personal suggestions:

• For beginners, try to dress casually, this means a light-coloured t-shirt (light coloured because it's night time so you want to be more visible at night), and wear either trackpants or jeans. It's important that you protect your kneecaps because the journey is no joke.
• If you are without tickets, you'll have to join the overnight queue at the Hall of No Form (Level 4, Hong Choon Memorial Building). The queue starts at 10, and usually people start queueing from 7pm onwards. So if you want my best recommendation, don't join the crowd. Take a taxi or grabcar to the temple at around 2am in the wee hours, because by then the queue would have cleared and straightaway you can start to join the procession.
• Visit the toilet just before you start the procession, because for 2 hours you'll need to hold your bladder. If you have any big business, make sure you clear your bowels in advance. I once had LS midway through the ceremony, it was really silly.
• Some people choose to go without shoes. Two things to take note if you want to go shoeless: Firstly, make sure you park your shoes at a location you know well. Sometimes people wear the wrong pair of shoes and it becomes a logistical nightmare trying to find your original shoes. Secondly, the terrain is rough, especially when along the roads which are uneven and sandy. If you prefer, wear socks even though you choose to go without shoes.
• You don't always need to chant the Buddha's name out loud, but there are some gungho heroes who will continuously chant really loud. If you want to conserve energy, chant the Buddha's name in your heart quietly to yourself, there's no merit loss because the goal is to complete the journey.
• Travel light. I used to bring only $20, my Ezlink card, ATM card, and driving license in a small pouch which I wear close to me. The less you bring with you, the less burden you end up carrying till the end of the ceremony.
• There will be water points along the procession, but if you are afraid of heat stroke, then hydrate well before you start the procession. It's meaningless bringing a water bottle with you because your limbs are all busy with prostrating, so there's no way you can carry a water bottle unless you bring a bag, which in itself is a bulky hassle.
• Try not to drive if you can travel on public transport. The reason why I recommend you join at 2am is because by the time you finish, you can dedicate merits, then go for a quick bite, and by the time you're done the MRT and buses would have resumed operations, so you can watch the sun rise and go home without hailing a taxi.

Last but not least, enjoy the scenery. It's an amazing journey when you see how devout Singaporeans can be. There are young folks who take really big steps, while there are old seniors who simply refuse to collapse, the Buddha's divine power can be observed by simply seeing how faithful the followers are.