Lingyin Temple concludes Summer Retreat period, while Abbot Guangquan gives a talk on Ullambana Sutra
August 8th, 2014 a grand dharma event at 8:30 am marked the conclusion of the Lingyin Temple’s three-month traditional summer retreat period. Abbot Venerable Guangquan lead the proceedings and gave dharma talks on Buddhist teachings of filial piety, Ullanbana Sutra, to a crowd over 450 for a delightful dharma scene all combined.
The Abbot reminded that with causal relations everyone was congregated at Lingyin Temple for this occasion, and started with the background of the Ullanbana Sutra. At the time of the Buddha when the great disciple Maudgalyayana achieved sacred miracle abilities as well as state of full attainment of arhatship, his mother had fallen to the reincarnation path of the hungry ghost. Still helpless, Maudgalyayana sought wisdom from the Buddha. The Buddha indeed answered with method for Maudgalyayana’s mother to salvation--of the Buddhist text passed down in Chinese Buddhism, Buddha-spoken Ullanbana Sutra. In this sutra, the Buddha explained to Maudgalyayana that his mother’s was too burdened with karmic sins, that Maudgalyayana wouldn’t be able to save her by himself, that the combined efforts of sanghas from all ten directions would be necessary. Hence, for the ceremony on last day of summer retreat, Maudgalyayana shall conduct the Ullanbana Dharma Ceremony of Offerings with hundreds of offerings in variety for the dharma masters of ten directions. Maudgalyayana followed the directions and miraculously his mother was able to not only escape the path of the hungry ghost, but onto the heavenly path.
Buddha-spoken Ullanbana Sutra was a classic demonstration of Filial Piety’s deep heritage in Buddhism and the Chinese culture has also firmly embraced it. The Abbot then explained its four levels from the basic filial piety for parents, to the community or country, to the Bodhi way inclusive of all parents and communities, and to the Buddha way, for all beings, filial piety of Buddha. With references of miracle occurrences for Lingyin Temple and legendary monks of the Bodhi way such as Daoji (Ji Gong), the Abbot urged to please do honor every dharma master we have.
Morning session concluded at about two-hours in the grand dharma setting that showed frequent solemn stretches from deep reflection. The event reconvened at 1:30 with the faithful and venerable masters together for recital of Buddha-spoken Ullanbana Sutra at Hangzhou Buddhist Academy. Venerable Master Zhaoxian finished the day’s events with talks on academic piece “Dharma in our lives”. All hoped that the merits from today’s sessions would be presented to parents of previous lives, to all beings of the dharma realm.
Abbot Guangquan during dharma talks on Buddha-spoken Ullanbana Sutra.
Abbot Guangquan on the importance of filial piety.
Afternoon recital, Buddha-spoken Ullanbana Sutra,
for parents of the dharma realm.
