105 Buddhists Received the Bodhisattva Precepts for Lay Practitioners at Dharma Drum Retreat Center in New York

Finally able to resume after five years DDM Chan Meditation Center organized its first post-pandemic "Bodhisattva Precepts for Lay Practitioners Transmission Ceremony" at Dharma Drum Retreat Center in New York, from October 14 to 17. Cordially invited to the event were DDM Abbot President Ven. Guo Huei, Dharma Drum Retreat Center Abbot Ven. Guo Yuan and Head Master of DDM Chan Hall Ven. Guo Xing, to serve as Bodhisattva Precepts Masters. A total of 105 lay Buddhists from different states of America, Canada and Shanghai, China etc. received the Bodhisattva precepts, among whom were 27 Western devotees. The Transmission Ceremony was presented bilingually in Mandarin and English.


On October 17 at 9:30 a.m. EST, the Bodhisattva precepts for lay practitioners were officially transmitted to all the ceremony participants. Everyone in attendance wholeheartedly prayed for the presence of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, devoutly chanted and prostrated, and subsequently received the Four Kinds of Indestructible Faith (Catudhammapariyāyaṃ, 四不壞信法),the Three Sets of Precepts for Purification (tri-vidhāniśīlāni, 三聚淨戒), the Ten Good Karmas as Precepts (十善戒) and the Ten Inexhaustible Precepts (十無盡戒). Amidst the solemn chanting of the "Verse for Wearing Precepts' Robe", these precept takers devoutly put on Buddhist scarfs embellished with the Buddha image and the DDM emblem, together with their vows to "sever all evils, cultivate all good, and deliver all sentient beings", to be devoted Buddhist followers from this day forward, and to embark on the path to Buddhahood. 

Upon bestowing the Bodhisattva precepts, Abbot President Ven. Guo Huei specially exhorted everyone to be attentively aware of their mental reactions towards other people, external matters and objects after receiving the precepts, since this is the essence of Buddhist practice. "Do not assume a good deed is too small to do and not want to do it; do not assume a bad deed is too small to matter and do it." The Abbot President emphasized that all Buddhist disciples should make great vows, and must progressively practice it affirmatively.



Ven. Guo Yuan stated that receiving the Bodhisattva Precepts is the practical beginning of the bodhisattva path, and encouraged these precept takers to diligently undertake their Chan practices. After all, only with a calm mind could one perceive every thought one gives rise to, thereby keeping in check any violations of the precepts. Ven. Guo Xing commended everyone on their profound good roots, while at the same time cautioning them that "receiving the precepts is easy, not violating them is difficult". Opposition and differentiation between ourselves and others are the root causes of not being able to keep the precepts. He hoped that on the path of practice that lies ahead of us, everyone would learn and progress together.



Eva, from Canada, reflected on her winding path to seeking the Dharma. She expressed how much she cherished the way all causes and conditions fall in place to allow her to fulfill her wish of receiving the Bodhisattva Precepts. She also encouraged herself to make long-term commitments after receiving the precepts, and assiduously pace herself on the path to Buddhahood. Junping Chen, from San Francisco, reflected on a narrative by Chan Meditation Center Director Ven. Chang Hwa, depicting Master Sheng Yen’s encounters when promoting Buddhism a few decades ago when he could not find shelter in New York and calmly settled in the crossed-legged meditation posture on a long bench on the sidewalk for the night. All this brought up her tears of admiration, together with her reinforced commitment to follow in the bodhisattva path.

DDM Chan Meditation Center extends best wishes to the 105 lay practitioners who have received the precepts, wishing them constant protection by the Buddhas of the ten directions, forever remain a Buddhist in all eternity, and be fully supplied with blessings and wisdom at all times. 



Text：Frances Wu (吳幸宜)
Photos：Yin Ting
Translation: Cheng-yu Chang (張振郁)
Editing: Keith Brown, YKL