AUSTRALIA | Friday, 5 July 2013 | Views [165]
As dawn breaks, the first sound of the day is a woodblock being knocked at the front of the ascending stairs to the Main Shrine. Then, the sound of the Morning Gong echos through the temple.
This gong is sounded 108 times, in lots of 18 and at various speeds. As 108 is considered to be an auspicious number.
It is also said that the sentient beings have worries, 108 of them. The gong is used to evoke these in everyone and remove the 108 karmas.
Then the morning drum begins to beat...