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《法界音》

 

NEWS FROM THE DHARMA REALM

上人涅槃三週年紀念
Commemorating the Third Anniversary of the Venerable Master Hua's Nirvana

編輯部 文 Editorial Department
比丘尼恆音 英譯 English translation by Bhikshuni Heng Yin

法界佛教總會於五月三十一日在美國加州達摩鎮,萬佛城舉行宣公上人涅槃三週年紀念法會。來自世界各地的善信,包括各分支道場住衆千多人,自清晨七時起,紛紛聚集在萬佛城山門,開始朝山之旅。在莊嚴的「南無大方廣佛華嚴經,華嚴海會佛菩薩」唱頌聲中,大衆三步一拜入佛殿,緬懷著開山祖師宣公上人生前的身教與言教。

上午八時展開「華嚴懺」,為當天下午開始的三週華嚴法會掀開序幕。宣公上人在遺言中,指示四衆弟子,在他老人家走後要念佛,誦華嚴經,一個或七個七。因此在華嚴法會之前,特別安排禮拜「華嚴懺」,以期清淨身語意。

「華嚴懺」之後,大衆列隊前往無言堂,依次瞻仰上人舍利。上人的各色舍利萬餘顆,如今已分別供在上人創建的三十餘座道場,遍布亞洲與美加。萬佛城無言堂所供的,雖是上人舍利的一部分,仍然令弟子們遙想上人住世時,日日講經說法,不辭辛勞轉正法輪的風範。

踏出無言堂,走向祖師殿,傳供大典正式開始。一百零八份供品由一千餘位善信分組—一傳供,向宣公上人致上無限的追思。祖師殿容納的人數有限,許多善信站在祖師殿的玻璃門,排班直至石獅邊外參加傳供。上人一生刻苦修行,大慈悲普度的精神感動大家不畏驕陽,在將近正午的大太陽下參加全程的傳供大典。

參加上人涅盤三週年的千餘位善信在當天午齋後獲得一份意外的驚喜。宣公上人生前的一千餘串念珠按上人遺囑分贈大衆。隨念珠附贈的是:精選上人開示的書籤,上人傳下的修行真言——不爭、不貪、不求、不自私、不自利、不妄語,再度提醒大家把握人身,好好修行。

宣公上人涅槃三週年紀念法會在當天下午的放生,與三皈五戒法會後圓滿。法界佛教總會各分支道場的代表陸續返回各道場繼續上人遺志——弘揚正法,復興聖教。三週的華嚴法會,隨即在萬佛聖城展開,象徵著大衆對老和尚的懷念綿遠流長,沒有止盡。

On May 31, Dharma Realm Buddhist Association commemorated the Third Anniversary of the Venerable Master's Nirvana at the City of Ten Thou­sand Buddhas in Talmage, California. Over a thousand Buddhists from around the world attended. Beginning at seven in the morning, they gath­ered at the front gate. While chanting "Homage to the Great Means Expan­sive Flower Adornment Sutra, and to the Buddha and Bohisattvas of the Sea-vast Flower Adornment Assembly," they made full prostrations every three steps and bowed their way to the Buddha Hall, in memory of the teachings given by the Founder of the City, the Venerable Master Hua.

The Flower Adornment Repentance Ceremony began at eight o'clock. In the afternoon, the three-week Flower Adornment Sutra Recitation Assembly began. The Master's final instructions to his disciples was that after he was gone, they should be mindful of the Buddha and recite the Flower Adornment Sutra for one week to seven weeks. Before the Flower Adornment Sutra Reci­tation Assembly began, the Flower Adornment Repentance was held to purify the body, speech, and thoughts of the participants.

After the Repentance, the assembly filed into Wordless Hall to behold the Venerable Master's sharira (relics after cremation). The more than ten thousand pieces of the Master's multi-colored sharira have been distrib­uted to over thirty branch temples founded by the Master throughout Asia and North America. Although only a portion of his sharira are on display in Wordless Hall, they still serve to remind disciples of the Master's ex­emplary practice of tirelessly turning the Proper Dharma Wheel by ex­plaining Sutras and speaking Dharma every day.

After leaving Wordless Hall, the assembly walked to the Hall of Patriarchs, where the Great Ceremony of Passing Offerings began. One hundred and eight kinds of offerings were divided into groups and passed from person to person through the multitude of over a thousand people as a token of utmost respect and remembrance. Due to the limited space in­side the Hall of Patriarchs, many people had to stand outside the Hall to participate. Inspired by the Master's universal compassion and lifelong ascetic cultivation, they were not deterred by the blazing noontime sun as they stood outside during the entire ceremony.

The more than a thousand participants in the Third Anniversary of the Venerable Master's Nirvana were given a special surprise after lunch. Over a thousand strands of recitation beads that the Master had kept were distributed to the assembly in accordance with the Master's final instructions. Along with the beads, everyone received a book­mark with a quote of the Master, the "true words" of cultivation he left behind—no fighting, no greed, no seeking, no selfishness, no pursuit of personal advantage, and no lying—to remind everyone to make the best of life and cultivate diligently.

The events concluded in the afternoon with a Liberating Life Cer­emony and a transmission of the three Refuges and Five Precepts. Representatives from Dharma Realm Buddhist Association's branch temple returned to their respective temples to carry out the Master's vows—to spread the Proper Dhrama and make the Sagely Teaching flourish. The three-week Flower Adornment Sutra Recitation Assem­bly continued at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, symbolizing everyone's eternal remembrance of the Venerable Master.

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