20200510雲集浴佛願弭災 Honoring the Birth of the Buddha
I am always grateful at this occasion every year. Sincere piety from participants are collected and become the sincere piety of the whole venue; it’ll reach the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas above. They will hear our sound of sincere piety. Every moved in unison, which clearly and single-mindedly shows people this is the way of the Dharma.
The Buddha was the Great Awakened One, he had infinite life and did not appear aged. He wisdom is eternal. He guided all living beings toward the path of awakening in the world.
People live their lives with a muddled mind; with the guidance of the Buddha, we come to know that wisdom is to be applied into the world, and we are to make the Dharma, which in intangible and formless, into a tangible path of the world. Though we are bathing the Budhha, being the Great Awakened One, the Buddha is formless. Why would he need the ordinary beings to bathe him?
This is actually a form for people to see. With the Buddha’s name and appearance, the principles can be expressed in our world. With this form people can be guided on to the Bodhisattva Path in the world. This way, people can see that Buddhism honors the Buddha’s coming to the world. What was his purpose in coming to the world? Such purpose is pure and untainted; it is to care for the Earth and the world.
The world on the Earth is called Saha world; which means to endure sufferings. The Buddha came to the Saha world to comfort and care for living beings in suffering. How does he comfort and care for them? Hs expounded the Dharma, so they could understand that by opening their hearts, their afflictions and stress.
Nowadays, we listen and learn the Dharma in order to open our hearts and let go of our afflictions and stress. All our afflictions are created by ourselves. When we understand such a principle, we’ll penetrate all principles. This applied to all things in life; when the correct path everything becomes clear.
Today, we repent before the Buddha. We will uphold a vegetarian diet to protect all life. We unite relieve suffering and end disasters and epidemics. With utmost sincerity, we sincerely make vows with a pure heart.
May all beings attain peace and joy, be free of disasters and suffering, and be at ease. May we not harm or kill living beings for all creatures are interdependent and rely on one another for survival. May we break the bad habits of many lifetimes freeing ourselves of discursive thoughts and obstacles.
May we eliminate all epidemics so that we may be without illness, pain and suffering. May all worlds of the ten directions be safe and secure. May infinite blessings and wisdom benefit all beings. May we eliminate all karmic obstructions, be free from all suffering, and enjoy peace.
May all beings have plenty of food and clothing so that no one will suffer from cold or hunger. May the world be free from violence and society be filled peace and harmony. May the Buddha’s teachings of the Great Vehicle spread so all beings may be freed from unwholesome ways. May the aspirations for enlightenment never cease and may all bodhisattvas widely practice Infinite Meanings.
I’m grateful to many Buddhist elders and Dharma masters. Although there is a pandemic, we are still celebrating the birth of the Buddha. Buddhist elders, Dharma masters, and volunteers, we still join together to celebrate the Buddha Day. All Tzu Chi volunteers and Buddhists around the world will not forget that the Awakened One of the Cosmos came to the world to create a path for people and let us know that the world is full of suffering.
Especially this pandemic has given us a grand lesson. It reminds us to awaken to life’s impermanence. A mere virus has impacted the whole world. Many people around the world are frightened, anxious, and fearful for their own safety. The most important thing now is to calm people’s hearts. We hope that together, our sincere piety can reach the Buddha and Bodhisattvas above.
We can see that Tzu Chi volunteers in more that 50 countries and regions have gone online to join the Buddha Day Ceremony and pray piously. We hope that in joining this assembly online, everyone meets online to regard the world with love and compassion. The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas will also give their compassionate love and blessings to us in the world and help this pandemic be over quickly.
We are grateful to Buddhist elders and Dharma masters for giving their guidance at this time every year. Particularly for Dharma masters, they guide living bodhisattvas toward the Dharma and be diligent in spiritual cultivation.
Today, I am truly grateful for the sincere piety that people have demonstrated, making this Buddha Day as normal as the previous years; even in a pandemic like this, everyone can still show their sincerity and piety. We are grateful to the Dharma masters and Buddhist elders for guiding us with love to help us go through this pandemic and bring forth our sincere love.
Just now, we prayed to Heavens in repentance and bowed our head in gratitude. The most important thing for us now is to be repentant and grateful; let us repent for our past wrongs, be grateful for the future, and be hopeful for the peace and safety at present. Deep from the bottom of my heart, I give everyone my gratitude and blessings.
I am also grateful to the Buddhist elders and Dharma masters for the guidance they’ve given us. I am grateful to everyone. I hope that everyone is in peace and safety. The pandemic can be over quickly, and everyone is blessed with auspiciousness. Thank you.
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