During each of the Poya (Full Moon) Days, many lay members come to the temple to practice their Seela, or Virtue. At the beginning of the day they make a vow to keep Eight Precepts until sunset. During the day they practice meditation, listen to Dhamma Talks, observe noble silence, and reflect on what it means to honor the Buddha by following the rules he gave us for a healthy moral life. It is customary in Sri Lanka - and now in Sri Lankan Buddhist temples in America - for lay people to wear white clothing when participating in religious observances. White is the color of purity, which symbolizes the Buddha's Path of Purification to Enlightenment.
About the temple
Dharma Vijaya Buddhist Vihara [Vijaya means Victory; Vihara means Temple] carries on the Theravada tradition which is mainly in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma, Laos and Cambodia. The Theravada tradition is the oldest and most authentic version of the Buddha's teachings now surviving. It preserves the original doctrines and practices taught by the Buddha over 2,600 years ago.