Offerings to Universal Buddhas and Celestial Kings Dharma Function at Fo Guang Shan
“Offerings to Universal Buddhas and Celestial Kings” Dharma function is the most important service within Buddhism after celebrating the Lunar New Years. This is Fo Guang Shan North Island’s most grandiose ceremony, where vegetarian banquets were sincerely prepared to be offered to the Triple Gem and Celestial Kings. This solemn Function was held on the evening of 16th February at 10:00pm. A congregation of over 200 devotees gathered inside the Main Shrine, which included BLIA North Island chairperson Dolly Tsai and Counsillors from Taiwan’s Overseas Chinese Affairs Council. The magnificently adorned Shrine allowed all in attendance to feel joy. Under the guidance of Venerable Abbess Manshin, everyone paid homage according the recitation of “Golden Light Sutra”, and respectfully welcomed the arrival of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and Celestial Kings to enjoy the prepared feast, thus showing our deep gratitude toward their protection to us over the years.
Even though the Dharma function has passed mid night, all the devotees maintained their high spirit allowing the whole proceedings to be enveloped in an aura of harmonious Dharma chanting. Dignified offering group lined up to take the delicately prepared cuisines which included varieties from Chinese, Indian, Korean and Japanese traditions, adding up to 9 courses in total. Each plate is unique in aesthetics, flavour and taste, thus fully expressing the devotee’s sincere heart of offering. Virtuous merits and compassion are thus cultivated through preparation and offerings made to these sagely and holy beings.
Afterwards the Abbess gave a Dharma talk centred on the concept of “Empty Intrinsic Nature”. Our “empty nature” is actually full of changes, because of emptiness gives us the room to improve. From practice we can accumulate the resources that can allow us to transcend from mundane to the sagely. Tonight’s “Golden Light Sutra” used “Golden” to represent priceless and nobility, which is our sincere devoted heart while making Offerings to Buddhas and Celestial Kings. “Light” represents not allowing ourselves to lose the way in darkness, by allowing the light of wisdom to turn us into sensible and reasonable people that can understand the truth. The Abbess encouraged everyone to self-reflect by observing worldly conditions, and to actualise the practice of “3 Good and 4 Giving”. Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s “Unwavering Advancement despite Life's Twists and Turns Lead to the Attainment of Wisdom and Fortune” was used to bless everyone with good fortune and auspicious for the Year of the Snake.
The 3 hours Dharma function was thus completed in dignified solemnity in accordance to the Dharma. All devotees thus received joy, fortune and Prajna wisdom.