加州南加禪寺首次舉辦報恩盂蘭盆勝會
Nan Jia Monastery Los Angeles USA Held for the first time the Gratitude Ullambana Prayer Ceremony.
加州南加禪寺首次舉辦報恩盂蘭盆勝會
(本山訊)
大乘漢傳佛教重視孝道法門，效仿菩薩的悲願為證菩提果。南加禪寺在報恩月舉辦一系列勝會。2021年8月8日，農曆七月初一，本山住持、世佛僧會首席副會長兼秘書長 慧雄師父 帶領四衆頂禮慈悲三昧水懺，為疫情期間回向四生六道一切群靈、累劫父母、師長，在生者修福慧延壽，往生者離苦得樂，超升净土。
是日，超過30幾位信徒在本山住持嘹亮的梵唄之下虔誠頂禮寳懺，並在休息期間向大衆説明七月乃是報恩月，紀念兩位大菩薩行孝功德，感動天地。諸佛菩薩降臨勝會壇城，看到大家能發菩提心，修學地藏菩薩、目犍連菩薩的悲願。同時，七月列爲吉祥月，不是所謂民間信仰認爲七月是鬼節。當我們發菩提心為人間菩薩看到世間一切衆生皆有如來佛性。
8月15日，農曆七月初八，星期日上午，本山住持再帶領四衆虔誠頂禮盂蘭盆寳懺並談述盂蘭盆吉祥月在印度夏天雨季，佛陀不期望看到弟子們踩到小動物特地制規矩。三個月結夏安居期間，僧團在固定的地方，不出外游化一托鉢。七月十五佛歡喜日因佛陀看到諸位弟子修行辦道，用功成就，得到清净心果位。在佛歡喜日的整個月，給信徒種福田、提倡供養三寶、齋僧儀式。
同時，當目犍連尊者未達到證果得清净心，看到其母親在餓鬼道受苦。由於生前，母親慳貪，不肯修善因。作爲兒子的目犍連不忍看到母親受苦，把佳餚放在鉢裏，運用神通力來孝敬其母。當母親手上捧著鉢，另一個手摶著飯。當要放到嘴裏時，食物就變成火炭。由於執著、嫉妒、嗔恨、慳貪的果報便在餓鬼道受苦。因此，目犍連向佛陀問其母親受苦如何能得到脫離苦海的果報？佛陀向弟子們便開示就在佛歡喜日結夏安居結束，提倡供養三寶、齋僧，所布施的功德能使現在的父母長壽安樂，往生者的父母離苦得樂，超升净土。
隨後，8月22日，農曆七月十五，杉振大法師帶領四衆頂禮慈悲地藏寳懺。由於南加禪寺是新道場，四衆在報恩吉祥月有機會能親近三寶並修學佛法是非常殊勝的因緣。
9月5日，農曆七月廿九日上午，常住法師在杉振大法師主法帶領之下再次頂禮三昧水懺。雖然南加禪寺剛剛開始運作，在七月每周日期間，報恩勝會都有好多佛教徒的印尼華僑雲集在吉祥月廣種福田、發揮孝道、行菩薩發悲願之心做人間佛教的楷模。
Nan Jia Monastery Los Angeles USA Held for the first time the Gratitude Ullambana Prayer Ceremony.
Mahavira News:
Mahayana Buddhism emphasizes the method of filial piety, and imitates the bodhisattva’s Great compassion in-order to attain the supreme Enlightenment. In the gratitude month of Ullambana, the Nan Jia Temple in Los Angeles, USA held a series of prayer ritual ceremonies. On 8 August 2021, the 1st day of the 7th lunar month, Most Venerable Hui Xiong, the abbot of the temple cum Vice president and secretary-general of World Buddhist Sangha Council, led the devotees to chant and prostrate to the Compassion Samadhi Water Repentance Kshamayati Sutra, and to delicate the prayer merits to all sentience beings, pass lives parents and teachers during this Covid pandemic. And to pray for longevity and healthy for the lives. For deceased, to be free from suffering and reborn to pure land.
On the day,more than 30 devotees devoutly chant and prayed under the leading of the abbot. During the break time, the abbot explained lunar seventh month is the gratitude month and commemorating the two great bodhisattvas Kshitigarbha and Maudgalyayana’s filial piety.
The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas will joyful and touch to see the devotees devoutly and sincerely practice the Dharma of Kshitigarbha and Maudgalyayana Bodhisattva. At the same time, lunar seventh month is an auspicious month, it is not the belief of ghost festival. When we practiced bodhicitta and compassion, we see that all sentient beings in the world are equal and have the nature of Tathagata Buddha.
On August 15, Sunday morning, the eighth day of the lunar seventh month, the abbot led the devotees to worship the Ullambana Repentance Kshamayati Sutra,the abbot talk about the auspicious month of the Ullambana. In India, it is the summer rainy season, when the rainy season has come and it is raining, many living beings are originated and many seed just spring up. The Lord Buddha did not want to see his disciples stepping on the small living beings during the daily alms round thus the Buddha ordered his followers to pass the rainy season in settled dwellings.
During the three-month rainy season, all Buddhist monks having a monastic retreat and not allow to go out to collect alms. On the fifteenth of the lunar seventh month, is the Buddha’s joyful happy day because the Buddha was delighted to see his disciples during the rains-retreat,achieved spiritual goals. The auspicious Buddha’s joyful day is a good way to make merits, and an opportunity to practice generosity by making Offering to the Triple Gems (i.e: Buddha, Dharma & Sangha).
Maudgalyayana was foremost in supernatural powers among the Buddha’s disciples. He use his supernatural powers to rescue his mother when learned of his mother’s suffering and wished to offer her food. Even though she was hungry, whenever food entered her mouth, it turned into ashes. While Maudgalyayana’s mother was alive, she slandered the sages and those who were virtuous; because of her greed, jealousy and hatred, she fell into the realm of hungry ghosts after death.
Maudgalyayana sought the Buddha’s advice on how to save his mother. The Buddha told him that her negative karma was so strong that individual effort was insufficient to rescue her. Maudgalyayana was instructed to offer a variety of food to the Sangha on the last day of the rainy season retreat. The merits gained from the offerings could help her repent her wrongdoings and free her from suffering. We can dedicate our merit not just to the deceased but to present parents and all beings, may the gain benefit from our meritorious deeds and thereby enjoy happiness,longevity and healthy.
Subsequently, on August 22, the fifteenth of lunar seventh month, Venerable Shan Zhen led the devotees to worship and chant the Compassion Kshitigarbha Repentance Kshamayati Sutra. Since Nan Jia Temple is a new temple, it is a very rare affinity for devotees to have the opportunity to learn Buddha Dharma during the month of gratitude.
On the morning of September 5th, the 29th of the seventh lunar month, Venerable Shan Zhen led all the residential Sangha once again worship and chant the Compassion Samadhi Water Repentance Kshamayati Sutra.
Although Nan Jia Temple has just started operation,every Sunday in July, there are many Indonesian Chinese Buddhists gathered in the temple on this auspicious month, cultivate tremendous merits, practice filial piety, learn the ways of the Bodhisattvas and cultivate compassion and be a good example of humanistic Buddhism in the world.
