April 8 1998                                   For Further Information:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                            Houston Buddhist Vihara
                                                 (713) 994-1334
                                                 Jade Buddha Temple
                                                 (281) 498-1616
                                                 Danielle Kemper
                                                 dkemper@hern.org        


TEXAS BUDDHIST COUNCIL, THE DEPARTMENT OF RELIGIOUS STUDIES AND THE
ASIAN STUDIES PROGRAM AT RICE UNIVERSITY, AND THE ASIA SOCIETY
TEXAS present the VESAK CEREMONY to commemorate the Buddha's Birth,
Enlightenment, and Maha Parinibbana (2542nd Buddhist year) 2:00-4:00
P.M., Saturday, May 2, 1998 at Rice University.

Texas Buddhist Council,  The Asia Society Texas, and the Department of
Religious Studies and the Asian Studies Program at Rice University are
hosting the 1998 Vesak Ceremony to commemorate the Buddha's birth,
enlightenment, and Maha Parinibbana, the 2542nd Buddhist Year. 
Admission to the ceremony is free and will be held in the Grand Hall of Rice
Memorial Center, Rice University,  2:00-4:00 P.M. on Saturday, May 2, 1998. 

The ceremony will open with a service and chanting led by monks
representing 12 local Buddhist temples of different schools,
backgrounds, and ethnic origins, including Chinese, Sri Lankan, Thai,
Laotian, Cambodian, Tibetan, and Vietnamese.  

The Dhamma talk of this year's ceremony will be the New Buddhist Trend
in America, led by Rev. Dr. Ratanasara, the president the American
Buddhist Congress.  Rev. Ratanasara's talk will focus on the future of
Buddhism in America.

In addition, Professor Anne Klein of Rice University's Department of
Religious Studies will lead a talk on Buddhist Practice in the Modern
World, and  Geshe-la Phelgyey will speak on Buddhist Compassion.

For more information, call Houston Buddhist Vihara at (713) 944-1334,
Jade Buddha Temple at (281) 498-1616, e-mail Danielle Kemper at
dkemper@hern.org, or visit our web page,
http://www.cs.uh.edu/~tihuang/vesak98.html