DDM San Francisco Bay Area Center holds Compassionate Samadhi Water Repentance Rite: Eradicating Karmic Hindrances, Dedicating the Merit to All

As the Zhong Yuan Festival, or Ghost Festival, approaches, DDM San Francisco Bay Area Center on August 12-13 held the Compassionate Samadhi Water Repentance Dharma assembly. Led by nine monastics from Taiwan, Hong Kong and America, and aided by more than fifty volunteers, the assembly witnessed over a hundred devotees participating in the event each day. To allow more people to join the group practice and benefit from the Dharma, the Dharma assembly was also streamed online in real time.

The Assembly commenced on August 11 with the water sprinkling ceremony. Each day on August 12 and 13, participants recited the entire repentance text once from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm. In addition, for the second incense-session, they performed a grand food offering for the Buddha, and concluded the day with the evening chanting and transfer of merit. Prior to the start of the assembly, Ven. Chang Tong, monitor-monastic for the Dharma service, encouraged everyone to make the most of this rare opportunity, while reminding everyone to maintain relaxed in the body and mind, as the event required frequent kneeling and prostrating.

During the Dharma talk on the first day, Ven. Chang Xiang, the presiding monk, reminded everyone of the importance of engaging in various aspects of practice in daily life, as well as harboring correct intentions. Making vows and doing repentance prostrations is not a transaction with the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas for the sake of our own benefit, nor a means to show off our spiritual superiority. The Venerable urged everyone to reflect on the text of the transference verse—I vow to eradicate my Three Hindrances and vexations. I vow to attain wisdom, with true knowledge and realization. May we all be free from our karmic offenses and obstacles. May we all tread the bodhisattva path lifetime after lifetime. Only by understanding the correct purpose for practice and engaging in practice in line with the Dharma, can we attain correct results. As mentioned in the text for the Samadhi Water Repentance Rite, we should develop seven types of mindsets, in order to eradicate our three hindrances (āvaraṇa), namely the hindrance consisting of action (karma-āvaraṇa), the hindrance consisting of retribution (vipāka-āvaraṇa), and the hindrance consisting of afflictions (kleśa-āvaraṇa). As ordinary people, we may not be able to eliminate our afflictions overnight, but we can always "set our sights far ahead, and start with what is accessible to us". In beginning to tame our afflictions, we can allow the people coming into contact with us to feel at ease and comfortable.

In the second day's Dharma talk, Ven. Chang Qi, presiding monastic of the day, further elaborating on the "sense of shame", one of the seven required mindsets. Having a sense of shame is the first step to repentance. The venerable reminded that in the face of a setback or obstacle we must first look within ourselves for the cause, rather than blame external factors. Just as Swedish economist Björn Natthiko Lindeblad put it in his book entitled "I May Be Wrong: And Other Wisdoms from Life as a Forest Monk", if we can always maintain the thought that "I could be wrong", and even "it's all my fault", then when we encounter problems and difficulties in our lives, it will evoke our sense of shame instead of blaming everyone else but ourselves. In doing so, we will feel encouraged to treat people and things in a better and gentler way.

A participant shared that two consecutive days of practice might seem tiring. However, by following Ven. Chang Tong's guidance in adjusting the body and mind, she sincerely focused on doing repentance prostration and indeed felt more relaxed and at ease, both physically and mentally. After the Dharma assembly, which finished on Sunday afternoon, all participants chose to stay behind to clean up of the venue. Finally, filled with pure joy in the Dharma, they steadfastly moved forward to continue their practice on the Buddha-path.


Text: DDM San Francisco Bay Area Center (法鼓山舊金山道場) 
Photos: DDM San Francisco Bay Area Center (法鼓山舊金山道場)   
Translation: Cheng-yu Chang (張振郁)
Editing: Keith Brown, Chiacheng Chang (張家誠)