4th Day of Emperor Liang Repentance Dharma Function

Despite the frigid conditions, 150 devotees still arrived at Fo Guang Shan on the evening of 28th May to continue the 4th Fascicle of the “Emperor Liang Repentance Text”. Under the guidance of Venerable Abbess Manshin, the congregation repented and paid homage according to the scriptures. From which all learnt about the various forms of punishment given in Hell, thus motivating everyone to cultivate wholesome merits and sincerely repent in order to develop the Bodhi mind to liberate sentient beings.

Fo Guang Shan South Island Minister in Charge Venerable Juexi expounded the meaning of the 4th fascicle’s perfume offering. Just like the fragrance of perfume, the wondrous pure Dharma water can cleanse our heart and mind, adorn our body and take away our afflictions. The Venerable then told various lively stories in order for everyone to better understand how to apply Buddhism to our daily lives:

1. Once a disciple asked Chan Master Shi Tuo Xi Qian: “Where do you come from?” To which the Chan Master replied “I came from Caoxi.” The disciple then asked: “What have you obtained after coming here from Caoxi?” The Chan Master replied “I did not lack anything, nor did I gain anything.” The disciple asked: “Since you did not lack anything, why did go to Caoxi in the first place?” The Chan Master said: “If I did not go to Caoxi, how would I have known that I do not lack anything?”
2. A disciple asked Chan Master Zhao Zhou: “What does one do after awakening? How does one diligently cultivate?” The answer is: “Put on clothes and eat meals.” The disciple further asked: “Putting on clothing and eating meals are ordinary activities, are there no other methods?” Chan Master answered: “They may look like ordinary activities, but requires extraordinary efforts.”
3. Someone asked Chan Master Daju: “How do you practice with diligence?” The Chan Master replied “Eat when you are hungry, sleep when you are tired.” The person answered: “But everyone does that, is that how you practice with diligence?” “No, it’s different,” the Chan Master replied, “when ordinary people eat they are full of fuss and complaints, and when sleeping they are full of thoughts.”

The three Gongons shows that everyone inherently possesses Buddha nature, so as long as we practice the Way with “no mind”, we thus become first level Bodhisattvas.

Venerable Juexi then continued to expound the Repentance text by explaining the meaning of “Avici Hell”. Avici is a sanskrit word that stands for “uninterrupted” and “unrelenting”. It represents that within that level of hell, time is unlimited, space is unlimited, amount of people reborn there is unlimited, instruments of torture that can be used are of unlimited variety and the suffering experienced there are unrelenting and unlimited. There are 5 levels of Avici Hell. Everyone are encouraged to burn away their afflictions with flames of wisdom and using Caoxi’s Dharma water to save all sentient beings in hell. We should change our habits during daily activities, living in the present moment, be carefree and transcend rebirth from the 3 lower realms.