​Reciting Guanyin Bodhisattva's Name to Pray for Earthquake Stricken Areas in Hualien

On the morning of April 5^th, Dharma Drum Mountain (DDM) Hualien Practice Center held a "Guanyin Prayer Service" for the earthquake stricken areas in Hualien. Along with volunteers, Venerable Chang Shun (常順法師), Secretary General of DDM Social Welfare and Charity Foundation; Venerable Chang Guang (常寬法師), Vice Dean of the Sangha University; and Venerable Chang Kong (常空法師), Vice Director of Hualien Practice Center; Venerable Chang Xing (常惺法師); and Venerable Yan Xin (演新法師) together recited the Great Compassion Mantra (Nīlakaṇṭha Dhāraṇī) and the name of Guanyin Bodhisattva, made lamp offerings, and transferred the merit to the disaster-stricken people and the rescue teams. Ven. Chang Shun exhorted everyone to join in the recitation of Guanyin Bodhisattva's Name for the peace and safety of the disaster area, as well as to pray for the victims of the earthquake.

After the Dharma service, Ven. Chang Kong, Ven. Chang Xing and representatives of the volunteers visited the Hualien Municipal Funeral Home again to extend loving care and console the father of Ms. Kang, the teacher who lost her life in the earthquake. After presenting Buddha beads and delivering a Dharma talk to Ms. Kang's father, the Venerables accompanied him to recite the Buddha's name beside her remains to pray for a more favorable rebirth. 


Meanwhile, Ven. Chang Guang and Ven. Chang Shun led volunteers in Hualien to the shelter center at Hua-ren Junior High School (化仁國中) in Ji-an Township, where they expressed care and concern for the on-site volunteers, the disaster-stricken residents and children, and presented the "Safe and Sound" amulets to them. Accompanied by the Venerables and volunteers, the disaster-stricken residents chanted the Guanyin Bodhisattva's name to stabilize their mood. The Venerables also listened to the locals' post-disaster feelings and needs, providing them with information on further assistance.



Ven. Chang Guang, Ven. Chang Shun, Ven. Chang Xing, and the local volunteers of DDM Social Welfare and Charity Foundation also headed to the medical station in Taroko in the afternoon to express their care and gratitude to the medical personnel, police, and firefighters who were in the front line of rescue and freed many people from collapsed buildings. The Venerables also presented the "Safe and Sound" amulets to members of the Special Search & Rescue Teams from Pingtung, Hualien, and Kaohsiung, and prayed for the people who are still stranded as well as for the search and rescue teams.


On April 8^th, at 10:00 a.m. DDM Hualien Practice Center plans to participate in a joint Dharma service at the Hualien Municipal Funeral Home to pray for the victims of the disaster. In cooperation with the public sector, DDM volunteers will also continue to work in shifts at the Equanimous Booths at Chung-hua Elementary School (中華國小) to serve the disaster-stricken residents in need.



Original text written in Chinese by Jiang Bi-ren (江璧任)
Photos provided by DDM Social Welfare and Charity Foundation, DDM Hualien Practice Center
Translation: Siang-ling Li
Editing: Keith Brown, YKL