On Dec 8th,
2017 (i.e. Oct 21th in lunar calendar of Ding You Year), the Water and Land Dharma Service of “Wu Zhe”, which organized by the Nanputuo
Temple and lasted for 7 days, was completed successfully. During these 7 days,
all the participants followed the monastics to focus on the present and study
diligently, which purified their own
body, speech and mind，contributing to the achievements of this grand event. In order to promote
the merits of this event to all sentient beings and thank the protection and
blessing of all the heavenly guardians, all the donators and believers (i.e.
Danapati) gathered in front of the Hall of Heavenly Kings in the temple to hold
the ceremony of seeing the guardians (i.e. Buddhist deities) off, praying for
inviting all buddhas and bodhisattvas in ten directions of Dharma realm to walk
on the heavenly road and all sentient beings with their relatives in six realms
of existence to rebirth in the Pure Land.
In
the morning, Ven. Master Fa Zun (the Leader of Halls and Vice Abbot of the
Nanputuo Temple) led all the participants to do the action of the Longevity of
Universal Buddha and the Reborn of Universal Buddha, then walked to the
Platform of Longevity and the Platform of Pure Land to return/transfer merits,
which respected all buddhas, removed the hindrance of Akuśala (evil deeds) in repentance, and offered
& sustained the Triple Gem. Meanwhile, Ven. Master Jie Xiang as the chief
host, led all the participants in the Inner Platform to burn the incense and do
the offering of enlightenment, praying for taking all merits to all sentient
beings in Dharma realm in turn, which made them to rebirth in the Pure Land.
At the 1:30 p.m., all the monastics gathered in the Inner Platform
to invite the Most Ven. Ze Wu (the Abbot of the Nanputuo Temple), Ven. Master
Liao Fa (the Head Seat of the Nanputuo Temple), Ven. Master Jie Xiang (the Head
Seat and the Temple Supervisor of the Nanputuo Temple), Ven. Master Yuan Man
(Officiating Master of the event) and Ven. Master Wen Ti (Vice Officiating
Master of the event) to host the ceremony of seeing the guardians off. The five
masters chanted for inviting the guardians while the sounds of drum & bell
as well as the Buddhist tunes sounded mutually to excite people’s heart.
Walking to the western place where the Dharma boat located, the Most Ven. Ze Wu
ignited the boat which loaded the list sheets of all the ghosts and souls for
rebirthing. Then five masters chanted for all sentient beings by blessing,
protecting and offering. After that, all the people saw the guardians off to
walk on the heavenly road and take all the ghosts & souls to the ultimate
happiness of Pure Land.
Later, the Most Ven. Ze Wu delivered a speech in lovely-kindness. He
said, “This event has been completed successfully while all the participants
can feel the protection and blessing of the Triple Gem. Here we together take
all the merits of this event to the people nearby in return, to our country,
our society as well as the whole world in return. We wish all sentient beings
can feel the grandness of the Buddhist power and all Akuśala (evil deeds) can
be eliminated, while the brightness of light can cover all sentient beings. May
all your wishes come true and your wisdom and wellbeing gain more.” Thus, the
Water and Land Dharma Service of “Wu Zhe” organized by the Nanputuo Temple in
Ding You Year was completed successfully.
Seeing the guardians off means the successful completion of a
Dharma offering, but it is just a start point for personal practice. In daily
life, we should follow the practical ways/methods (i.e. Dharma gates or
teachings) of those guardians to study and practice. In Buddhism, there are 84
thousand Dharma gates which are related to 84 thousand kleśa（defilements） of sentient beings. It is the biggest benefit for believers who
participated in the Water and Land Dharma Service to find the suitable Dharma
gate for practice in their own daily life.
Ven. Master Tai Xu
once said, “When people get enlightenment, the procedure of being a buddha is
achieved.” The participation into the Water and Land
Dharma Service aims to make people to become a wise man from an ordinary person
by practice together with others. Under this way as well as the blessing &
protection of Bodhisattvas, we can obtain enlightenment in personality and
achieve the processing of Buddhist practice. Hope everyone can become a wise
man with full-grown personality under the power of common practice in this event.
1. The Longevity of Universal Buddha Service and the Reborn of Universal Buddha Service
2. Completion offering、burning Completion Incense
3. Ceremony of seeing the guardians off
四、随喜共修功德
