Vajrasattva Hundred Syllable Mantra Recitation Contest

Fo Guang Shan (FGS) South Island New Zealand on the 19th of March hosted a “Vajrasattva Hundred Syllable Mantra” recitation contest at the Cloud Water House. The event was joined by Buddha's Light International Association (BLIA) South Island New Zealand President See Shen Lee, BLIA Vice Presidents Louisa Kuo, James Low, Elsa Lee, and other BLIA members to make up about 40 contestants, with Venerable Jue Xi acting as the judge.

Over two months of diligent preparation has led to this day, with the BLIA members divided into four groups to engage in the contest. To make the competition more lively and exciting, each group developed different creative strategies to showcase some special aspect of the Vajrasattva Hundred Syllable Mantra. Some participants acted out the merits of the mantra in a drama play whilst wearing colourful costumes, and others still used musical instruments to express the mantra in a more catchy rhythm. Yet another team used singing as a fresh means to both entertain and explain the meaning behind the mantra. Each group's performance was very meticulously designed and performed, bringing much joy to the audience.

The process of going through the competition itself was very exciting, and each group had their own specialties and merits. Venerable Jue Xi invited the BLIA President, Vice President, and leaders from each of the groups to cast their votes for the winner that day, which was won by the Southern cohort(?). After the winning prizes were given, Venerable Jue Xi continued by explaining more in depth the meaning behind the Hundred Syllable Mantra, specifically the merits of reciting it. She also congratulated everyone on the success of that day's event, which was due to accummulated efforts of all of the group's eager participation in the activities. Thanking everyone, Venerable Jue Xi said that not only did the bonds of friendship between BLIA members strengthen from this activity, it was also a good opportunity to learn and experience more of the Buddhist dharma.

The BLIA members gave their comments, saying that although the Hundred Syllable Mantra was especially hard to memorize initially, the constant encouragement from others and regular practice sessions allowed this challenge to be overcomed in the end. Indeed, reciting the mantra by heart now is more of a pleasure, as the heart becomes clearer and more at ease, so we should not overlook the merits of reciting this mantra, as at second glance, there are more benefits to it than meets the eye.