7 lotus flowers on the river

Two weeks ago I turned a corner to then drive along the river near my apartment and was gifted with a gorgeous view!... (like the photo below...)

Turns out, one of the main Buddhist temples in my neighborhood was celebrating Buddha's birthday... as well as the 50th anniversary of when monk Thich Quang Duc offered himself by lighting himself on fire in a major intersection within Saigon.

It was a huge celebration in my neighborhood... and Elizabeth and I went to join! it was pretty amazing how we were welcomed with such open arms and treated like honored guests at this special celebration.

There were seven giant lotus flowers in the river...  and at the celebration, a story was told and each flower was lit one by one for a different purpose...