​DDM Sangha Officiated the Memorial Dharma Assembly of Ven. Guo Ru

On October 10^th, 2024, at 10:00 am, Chan Grove in Beitou held a memorial Dharma assembly for Ven. Guo Ru (果如法師), the founder of Chan Grove and one of the Dharma heirs of Master Sheng Yen. Ven. Guo Huei (果暉法師), the Abbot President of Dharma Drum Mountain (DDM), was invited to officiate the Dharma assembly. Along with Ven. Guo Huei, Ven. Chang Yuan (常遠法師), the Director-in-Chief of Dharma Drum Mountain (DDM) Sangha, as well as other DDM monastic representatives led both monastic and lay participants to recite the Heart Sutra, the Pure Land Rebirth Mantra, and the name of Amitabha Buddha. In doing so, they wished that Ven. Guo Ru, who had spent his entire life propagating Chinese Buddhism, would be reborn in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss and return to the saha world soon, in order to fulfill his great vows. 

During the memorial Dharma assembly, Ven. Guo Huei said that what he saw in Ven. Guo Ru was the embodiment of the teachings of the two predecessors–Elderly Ven. Master Dong Chu (東初老和尚, the teacher of Master Sheng Yen) and Master Sheng Yen (the teacher of Ven. Guo Ru), the founder of DDM. He further indicated that, although everyone is saddened by Ven. Guo Ru's passing, his death is a reminder that we must live in the present. While alive, we must practice diligently to serve and deliver all sentient beings; when our life comes to its end, we should let go of everything.

Ven. Guo Ru passed away peacefully on October 2^nd. While recounting the life story of Ven. Guo Ru, Ven. Chang Jen (常真法師), the current Abbess of Chan Grove, expressed her gratitude to the DDM sangha for their assistance in the pertinent Buddhist burial rites, such as chanting of the Buddha's name and the placement into the casket. Ven. Chang Jen said that the monastics and lay practitioners of Chan Grove would uphold Ven. Guo Ru's teachings and spread the "patriarchal Chan" to all corners of the world. Meanwhile, Chan Grove will apply adaptive ways to guide all sentient beings so that everyone can realize their original pure mind.

Ven. Chang Yuan also expressed his heartfelt condolences to the monastic Dharma brothers and sisters of Chan Grove. He indicated that since he became a monk, he had always been under the care of Ven. Guo Ru. Whenever something troubled him, he would ask Ven. Guo Ru for advice, which strengthened his determination to attain enlightenment. Although they did not have much time to spend together, Ven. Chang Yuan pointed out that Ven. Guo Ru, as the first male monastic disciple of Master Sheng Yen, always cared for the spiritual cultivation of the monastic members ordained after him. Such support and care is truly heartwarming and memorable.



Amidst the unceasing chanting of the Buddha's name, Ven. Guo Ru's disciples relocated his casket to Sanxia Funeral Parlor (昇華園火化場). In addition, the monks of DDM's Tiannan Monastery in Sanxia were also present to officiate at the jhāpita ceremony (cremation for Buddhist monastics) by reciting Buddhist scriptures. According to Chan Grove, an ecological burial will be adopted to place the ashes of Ven. Guo Ru in the Eco-friendly Memorial Garden in Jinshan.



Original Chinese text /Chang Yao-chung (張曜鐘), Lin Ya-ying (林雅櫻)
Photos / Fan Lee (李東陽), Lin Ya-ying (林雅櫻)
Video / Lin Ya-ying (林雅櫻)
Translation / Li Siang-ling
Editing / Keith Brown, YKL