DDM Global News
1169 Buddhists take the Bodhisattva Precepts
After a two-year hiatus from the pandemic, DDM's 26th Bodhisattva Precepts Ceremony was held again at the DDM World Center for Buddhist Education. On February 26 at 10:30 am, a total of 1169 lay practitioners from Australia, America, Canada, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, participated in a 4 day/3 night ceremony, which included a rehearsal and explanation for precept-taking in addition to repentance rituals. They gathered in the DDM Grand Buddha Hall where they fully received the Bodhisattva precepts. This year's ceremony invited Abbot President Ven. Guo Huei, Chief-seat Monk Ven. Hui Min, and Vice Abbot Ven. Guo Pin to serve as the Bodhisattva Precept Masters. The lay practitioners received, in sequence, the Four Kinds of Indestructible Faith (四不壞信法) (Catudhammapariyāyaṃ), the Three Sets of Precepts for Purification (trividhāni śīlāni) (三聚淨戒), the Ten Good Karmas as Precepts (十善戒), and the Ten Inexhaustible Precepts (十無盡戒). All lay practitioners sincerely and solemnly repented their past negative karma, took the Bodhisattva vows, and vowed to abandon all evil, cultivate all good, liberate all sentient beings, and walk the Bodhisattva path to attain Buddhahood.
Abbot President Ven. Guo Huei encouraged Buddhist practitioners to follow the Bodhisattva path, starting with the principles of gratitude and benefiting others, which ultimately benefits oneself. He suggested that we should express and cultivate a mindset of gratitude, inspiring and moving others through the practice of bodhicitta and Bodhisattva actions. We should also transform and inspire others from our karmic behaviors of body, speech, and mind, by utilizing what we've learned during our period of receiving the precepts. If we can cultivate bliss, wisdom, and the Six Perfections in all situations and times in our daily lives, everyone will be able to find peace, health, and freedom of body and mind. How do we attain Buddhahood? We shall first cultivate bodhicitta. But what is bodhicitta? Benefiting others comes first; we shall not fear tribulations for the sake of benefitting all sentient beings. As long as sentient beings are able to be freed from suffering, one's own suffering is then transformed into peace and happiness." Chief-seat Monk Ven. Hui Min quoted DDM founder Master Sheng Yen's "Bodhisattva Deeds," encouraging Bodhisattva precepts-receivers to cultivate bodhicitta as the most supreme practice of compassion and wisdom in saving sentient beings. By receiving, observing, and reciting precepts to uphold their purity, one can spread immeasurable and boundless great merits.
Vice Abbot Ven. Guo Pin remarked, "To become a Buddha, one must start by becoming a Bodhisattva, and to cultivate bodhicitta is to benefit and rescue sentient beings. Learn from Master Sheng Yen's spirit, and sincerely aspire to benefit the people and things you encounter in your life." The Venerable also quoted the Diamond Sutra, "We should cultivate the mind of anuttura-samyak-sambodhi," in order "to give rise to the mind yet be free from any attachment," and remind ourselves to benefit others and refrain from being self-centered. We should utilize our wisdom and compassion to suit the needs of others and help them achieve self-actualization.
"Taking the precepts can allow a person to restrain himself from bad habits and improve his relationships in both the workplace and at home." Encouraged by his mother, Zheng Zhiqian and his family of four became Bodhisattva precept-takers. From Master Sheng Yen's recorded teachings, he realized that Shakyamuni Buddha had Arhats' support on his path to enlightenment, and that his precept-taking was also achieved through good affinities and Dharma protectors. Since August of last year, he has been attending the chanting class at Bao Yun Monastery, and has vowed to join the ranks of Dharma supporters in the future. He will strive to the best of his abilities to offer palliative care as an end-of-life chanting volunteer, as well as chant Buddha names to calm people's minds and fulfill the final journey of the departed.
"I will strive to cultivate diligently in the future and practice abiding by the precepts, In addition, I will follow the faith in the Buddha's teachings as my guide, accepting full responsibility for liberating myself and others from the afflictions of living in the present moment, and making good use of this life." Feng Meiying, who returned to Taiwan from Australia, said that since taking the Three Refuges and the Five Precepts, "I have been participating in meditation, attending Dharma assemblies, reciting sutras and mantras, listening to Buddhist teachings, doing morning and evening chanting, and volunteering. I took the Bodhisattva Precepts because I wanted to deepen my learning of buddhadharma. During the precept ceremony, I was deeply moved by the dedication of the Venerable Masters and volunteers. From their teachings on the precepts, I became even more resolved in my life goals and direction."DDM stated that Master Sheng Yen spent thirty years refining the Bodhisattva Precept rituals and manuals. He hoped that, after receiving the precepts, Buddhists will frequently return to the temple to participate in the recitation of the precepts, make vows to eradicate evil, uphold precepts, cultivate virtues, and practice the Bodhisattva path of benefiting oneself and others, thereby cultivating both blessings and wisdom.
Text and Photo: Ya-ying Lin 20230226
Translation: Shiang Shen (沈純湘)
Edited by: Keith Brown, Glen Sha