Hi,
I have done this 3 steps 1 bow ritual every Vesak day since year
2002 till last year 2007 Vesak.
Each year i noted the timing is the same.
It takes almost exactly 2 hours to complete
the 3 step 1 bow around the whole perimeter of Kong Meng San.
What I like best is when you do it in mid-night hours, you actually
can feel the cool breeze when you are doing the ritual.
But something that turns me off each year,
is the Long Queue and Long Wait.
Every year my queuing waiting time is about
2 to 5 hours even.
I just don,t understand why the officials got to hold back the big
crowd.
I remember 1 year -2003, where we don,t need to queue. Whoever
arrives, just go straight to the starting point and start doing
your 3 step 1 bow.
Other than that, all other years always got to queue so long
waiting time.
P.S.: It will be quite fun and motivating if you can
find/organise like-minded buddhists to do this ritual together in a
group.Even if you are alone at Kong Meng San, you will be lined up
with other people 5 or 6 in a straight row to do together too.
The people at Kong Meng San who do the rituals are mainly 2
groups.
1 group pray to buddha
while the other group pray to Guan Yin.
I once hope to organise an informal group with like-minded
buddhists to sort of regularly meet up to discuss about Guan Yin
doctrines/Heart Sutras etc., but eventually I did not take off the
plan. Haiz..