High King Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva Homa and Life-Releasing Puja
Frequently practice Buddhist rituals to receive infinite blessings and wisdom
News Report/Fazhotang
On September 18, 2022, Fazhotang hosted the High King Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva Homa and Life-Releasing Puja, on which Master Lian-Ying was cordially invited to oversee the ceremony, and Master Lian-Xing and assistant teachers, Lotus Yin-Yin and Lotus Meng-Qi were at the Fazho Retreat Center as the altar guardians and coordinators. On the day, prior to the Homa ritual and under the premise of maintaining eco-balance, close to 1000 captive birds were released to nature in a gesture to guide animals on the Six Paths away from suffering towards happiness so that they can enjoy the bliss of the dharma too.
High King Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva is the Seven Dharma Prince, and the High King Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva Sutra is highly revered by His Holiness Living Buddha Lian-Sheng, who once mentioned in his sermon: “’It’s stated in the said sutra that all bodhisattvas from all directions have vowed to rescue all beings. Call their names and all your suffering (and bad karma) will be lifted.’ This means that High King Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva will answer all your requests for passing exams, childbirth, food, respect and love, absolving serious crimes, relinquishing illness karma, good transition from this life and so on. All bodhisattvas from all places will come to your aid.” It is also said in the sutra that “’The suffering of life and death will be relinquished and all evilness be dissolved.’ This means that all suffering in life while you are living or dying will be demolished. All pain in life will be erased and all toxins wiped out. Everything that harms or poisons you will be eliminated.” This goes to show that High King Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva and his Sutra are extremely compassionate to all lifeforms on earth.
During the Puja period, it’s promoted on the Bodhimanda premise to copy out the Sutra text as an offering to Buddha. As such, many disciples and followers around the world took part by sending in their copied sutra. On the day of Puja, we had participants from as far north as Yingge and as far south as Kaohsiung coming to the ceremony. Further, our catering team, offered goods team, AV streaming team and transportation team were each working nonstop on their assigned tasks to ensure a operation.
When talking about the Sutra in his sermon, besides thanking everyone involved in making this Puja a success, Master Lian-Ying particularly said, “Many people felt a certain vibration when reciting the High King Sutra. The High King Sutra is not only an authentic scripture but is also able to pass on authentic power from Master Lian-Ying to produce results and answer prayers. Master Lian-Ying encourages us all by saying that while life is riddled with disasters, we as dharma practitioners need to have the resolve to brace it in the face of predicaments. Besides one’s own efforts, the High King Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva Homa ritual today is intended to elicit external help from the disaster-dispelling deities to quash and absolve one’s pain and suffering. Those coming to share the task of guardianship must be blessed with great fortune and staunch belief and shall be further protected from evil and drawn towards good luck.
At the end of the Puja, Master Lian-Ying showed everyone the choreography by His Holiness Living Buddha Lian-Sheng. The choreography was on display on the ground floor of the retreat center containing the text, “Those drawn towards Buddhism shall return to guard the dharma as often as possible, and their good fortune will extend infinitely.” The Puja came to a successful conclusion with the tantric empowerment abhiṣeka for the newly initiated disciples, accompanied by abhiṣeka music.
Sincere gratitude to His Holiness Living Buddha Lian-Sheng for bringing the Puja to a successful conclusion.
Those who gather often to attend Puja shall be protected.
All great merits originate from His Holiness Living Buddha Lian-Sheng.
