“The first shave: vow to abandon all the evil ways; the second shave: vow to embrace all goodness now and ever more; the third shave: vow to deliver all sentient beings.” Giving the above verses of ordination, DDM Abbot President Venerable Guo Huei (果暉法師) hosted the ceremony, with Vice Abbot President Venerable Guo-Pin (果品法師) as the teaching acharya (教授阿闍黎), and Vice Abbot President Venerable Guo Xiang (果祥法師) as the shaving acharya (執剃阿闍黎); they altogether give ordination to the graduates from DDM Sangha Universities.

Taking the allusion of “wearing plain clothes, shaving the head”, Venerable Guo Huei prompted that monastics were meant to let go of all worldly desires, such as fames, wealth, power and prestige, capabilities, wits and knowledge, to be reborn to a new life. Thus the monastics, with their dharma-body and dharma wisdom, should absorb the Buddhist methods and practices as to gradually remodel their mental, verbal, and bodily etiquette from the first day as a monastic.

“We are so grateful to the newly ordained nun’s worldly family for the giving of their children to the Three Treasures”; according to Abbot President, the immeasurable merits would account for their precious offerings. The family will also be our evermore dharma protecting guardians and good spiritual friends thereof. We should care for them embedded in Buddha wisdom and compassion.

On this occasion, as Abbot President expounded, the monastic’s parents could also learn, propagate, protect the dharma, and move forward towards their own path of Buddhahood as well. In addition, we wish to partake in our gratitude to one another, for the valuable transcendental affinities of our mutual achievements hereunto.

Vice Abbot President Venerable Guo-Pin later quoted from Master Sheng Yen, the founder of DDM; and gave the three encouragements to all participants: firstly, be faithful to the monastic group; secondly, reflect on one’s own issues upon arising conflicts and vexations; thirdly, dissolve vexations back to one’s own mind. He emphasized that the monastic group would sincerely follow the late Master Sheng Yen’s teachings, principles, and ideals as the guidance for all monastics and lay followers. In the spirit of Sangha University motto, he further urged all monastics to always look at the self carefully to see if we are acting out of compassion, wisdom, harmony, and respect.

“In a letter, I shared with my father my path of growth and my reasons to become a monastic, followed by giving my sincere gratitude to him. He thus understood and was finally able to let go of his reluctance.”

The newly ordained Venerable Yanze (演澤法師), deeply inspired by Master Sheng Yen’s vows of compassion, stated that Master Sheng Yen beheld the Dharma withthe full devotion of his life and willingly shared all benefits with non-Buddhists, which she conceived as very noble norms and resulted in her aspiration as a monastic. She affirmed that such complete devotion could greatly immerse people in Buddha’s wisdom and transform their sufferings in life. Therefore, as she aspired, being a monastic would be the best way to penetrate the dharma to and help more people.

Fondly speaking, lay follower Chen, Yi-Rou (陳依柔), the mother of the newly ordained Venerable Yanze, said she brought her daughter up in the Buddhist’s environment, taking her first contact to Buddhism and etiquettes ever since she was born. She was greatly touched that her daughter not only thought of benefiting their own family but all sentient beings as well as all parents from past lives. She therefore decided to respect her wishes, in the hope that she could learn good enough wisdom and merits then to share the kind affinities with all beings. Additionally, she gave her best blessings to the enhancement of Venarable Yanze’s path of Buddhahood.

Text: Lin, Ya-Ying (林雅櫻)
Photos: Hsu, Chao-Yi (許朝益)
Translation: Elenda Huang (頤嵐達)
Editing: DDM Australian Editorial Team