FGS South Island NZ Emperor Liang Repentance Service Day 3
Fo Guang Shan (FGS) South Island entered its 3rd day Emperor Liang Repentance Dharma Service on 10th June 2018. FGS NZ Abbess Venerable Manshin, assisted by several Venerables from FGS Oceania, led more than 80 devotees from Australia and New Zealand in the chanting of Chapters 5, 6 and 7 of the Repentance Sutra. The devotees carried out their chanting with enthusiasm and diligence, and they offered fruits, tea and food to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in the ceremony.
In her address after the Dharma Service, Venerable Miao Rao, Minister-in-charge of Fo Guang Yuan (FGY) South Sydney, informed that many devotees from South Sydney were participants in this Repentance Dharma Service. She further mentioned that Mrs. Sophia He, President of South Sydney BLIA Joyous Subchapter, was moved by the solemnity and grandeur of the Dharma Function and had pledged to become a Lead Grand Ceremony devotee. Venerable Miao Rao pointed out that, in Buddhism, the offer of ‘food’ in the Dharma Service reminds one not to be greedy but to be satisfied with what one has. It also teaches us to be moderate in our Dharma cultivation. Venerable also reminded the devotees that the practice of offering in the Dharma Service should be carried out with a happy, kind, pure, non-egoistic, giving, unselfish and sincere heart. She encouraged the devotees to also extend all these virtues to their daily lives.
Later, Venerable Miao Rao related the story of Bhiksuni San Ai. When she was born, Bhiksuni San Ai brought much wealth to her parents. When she grew up, Bhiksuni San Ai asked her parents to invite Buddha and his disciples to their house for a discourse on Buddha’s teachings. Upon listening to Buddha’s teaching on the ‘Four Noble Truths’, Bhiksuni San Ai attained the spiritual level of ‘Arahan’ and thereafter requested to join the Sangha community. Once during one of their outings, the 1250 members of the Sangha community was in a place where they could not find food. Buddha asked Bhiksuni San Ai to prepare food for the whole group. Bhiksuni San Ai was able to bring food to the group simply by throwing her bowl to the sky. Ananda, the great disciple of Buddha, then asked Buddha why Bhiksuni San Ai possessed such rare power.
Buddha revealed that, in her past life, Bhiksuni was the maid to the eldest daughter of a rich man. One day, when Kasyapa Buddha and disciple came asking for food, Bhiksuni San Ai gave away to them all the food prepared for the rich man’s guests. When the guests arrived, no food was left for them. The maid reported to the rich man the reason why there was no more food left. Instead of becoming angry, the waelthy man thanked his maid for her kind gesture of giving food to Kasyapa Buddha and disciple food on his behalf. Folowing this, the maid was given freedom to join Kasyapa Buddha as a member of the Sangha.
Before the Service ended, FGS South Island Minister-in-charge Venerable Jue Xi urged the devotees to rejuvenate themselves after their meals and, together with the Dharma wisdom they acquired, to continue their Dharma cultivation with the vigour of a “traveling Bodhisattva”.