Taking Refuge under the Triple Gem and Upholding the Five Precepts Ceremony at Fo Guang Shan

The “Taking Refuge under the Triple Gem and Upholding the Five Precepts Ceremony” was held at Fo Guang Shan on the morning of 22nd September. Under the guidance of Venerables, 110 new Precept initiates and members renewing their Precepts, respectfully invited Venerable Abbess to oversee this self-aspired commitment in front of the Buddha. Under the solemn atmosphere of the Main Shrine, all the Preceptors sincerely repented for their karmic transgressions since infinite time, and vowing to understand the importance of liberating all sentient beings, sever vexations and practicing Buddhism during every life.

Venerable Abbess spoke that upholding Precepts grants true freedom, because the meaning of Precepts is to not impinge upon others. She encouraged everyone to become true Buddhists after adorning the Precept Robe. Using the Precepts to purify one’s action, speech and thoughts, thus obtained a pure Precept Body to arrive at a pinnacle point in one’s life.

Later in the afternoon a special Dharma class on Precepts is held at 1:00pm for the new Precept initiates. The class explained that prior to the Buddha’s Parinirvana, the saddened disciple Venerable Ananda asked the Buddha 4 last important questions:

1. How should we co-exist with fellow monastic that are bad?
2. After the Buddha’s Parinirvana who should we follow as a teacher?
3. After Buddha’s Parinirvana, what Dharma should we abide by?
4. How should each Sutra start?

The Buddha compassionately answered:

1. Treat the bad monastics with noble silence.
2. Buddha disciples should follow Precepts as their teacher, because as long as the Precepts are here then the Dharma will be here.
3. Buddha disciples should abide under 4 kinds of mindfulness.
4. Buddhist Sutras should all start with “Thus have I heard”, thus proving the authenticity of the teaching.

The Abbess then further explained the Precepts:

1. All Precepts are established according to specific incidents that have happened in time. Sometimes they may be opened and sometimes they are used to cover and prevent other precepts being broken.
2. Spirit of the Precepts are intended to stop evil actions and promote wholesome actions, thus benefiting sentient beings
3. Precepts can benefit both self and others
4. The goal of the Precepts is allow perfect accomplishment of our good characters and Bodhi

Precepts are self-discipline that is practiced with sincerity from out heart. It’s where we voluntarily abide by the Precepts, uncover and repent our transgressions. Everyone can prefect their characters, purify mind and body by upholding the 5 precepts and committing the 10 wholesome conducts. The Abbess continued with teachings from Venerable Master Hsing Yun on the Precepts:

• Precepts are like good teachers that can point us in the right direction.
• Precepts are like train tracks that direct and disciplines our conducts.
• Precepts are like a castle that can resist the temptation of the 5 desires and 6 dusts.
• Precepts are like bright lights that can illuminate the darkness of our future path, thus actualise Prajna wisdom based on emptiness as realised by Bohisattva and seeing intrinsic by clearly comprehending the mind.

All Precept initiates understood the reason of establishing the Precepts, its intended goal and much deeper meanings. This allowed everyone to cherish this opportunity of obtaining the Precept body even more.