New Zealand Fo Guang Shan Amitabha Dharma Function

The annual “Amitabha Dharma Function” was held at Fo Guang Shan North Island on 23rd December. Venerable Abbess Manshin led a congregation of more than one hundred devotees to recite the Amitabha Sutra, Buddha Circumambulation, chanting the Buddha’s name, and reciting “Prayers to Amitabha Buddha”. The sound of the Buddha’s name permeated through the Main Shrine’s solemn atmosphere.

Afterwards the Abbess spoke about 3 methods and 3 resources required to be reborn in the Western Pureland, which are “Faith, vows, and practice”. The use of faith will give us the strength to settle and solidify our efforts, vows can allow us to elevate self-worth and transcend limitations, and practice can put our determination to actualise Buddhism into real action. We can then change our habits and develop right views toward life. During our moments of weakness, we need to rely on good habits to resist the 5 poisons that are “Greed, Anger, Ignorance, Arrogance, and Doubts”. The Abbess then recited a Chan poem from Record of Pointing to the Moon that goes “Lush green bamboos are wondrous truths; luxuriant yellow flowers are nothing but Prajna.” This encourages everyone to have faith in the Dharma, and continuously using the 3 Dharma seals (All Samskara are impermanent, all dharma are without a self, Nirvana is perfect peace) to verify the true intrinsic nature that is suchness.

The dignified energy of the Dharma function allowed everyone to peacefully abide their mind. All action, speech and thoughts are purified. Seeds of diligence were planted into the 8th (Alaya) consciousness. Hence everyone shall continuously practice to uncover their prajna wisdom, thus striding closer to the state of ultimate enlightenment.