Devotees Pray for the Growth of Blessings and Wisdom at DDM Hong Kong Centre on Lunar New Year's Eve

On Lunar New Year's Eve, January 28^th, 2025, about 400 devotees gathered at Dharma Drum Mountain (DDM) Hong Kong Centre to participate in the Lunar New Year's Eve Dharma assembly to pray for the peace, happiness, and the well-being of all sentient beings. The Dharma service began with the chanting of Incense Praise (爐香讚), followed by the chanting of Lotus Sutra's Universal Gate Chapter on Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva (普門品), the Verse of Guanyin Bodhisattva (觀音偈), the name of Guanyin Bodhisattva, Three Refuges, and Merit Dedication Verse. The liturgy aimed to guide participants to return to the true nature of mind and to further their spiritual cultivation by believing in, learning from, and emulating Guanyin Bodhisattva. After the Dharma service, Hong Kong Centre broadcasted live the Lunar New Year's Eve Bell Ringing Ceremony held at DDM World Center for Buddhist Education in Taiwan, with an attempt to awaken everyone to their innate compassion and wisdom, while everyone listened to the 108 strikes of the Lotus Bell ringing and the chanting of Bell Ringing Verse by DDM Sangha.

In his opening speech, Ven. Chang Zhan (常展法師), Director of the Hong Kong Centre, mentioned that the lamp offering and bell ringing ceremony is more than a ritual. It is through the solemn liturgy that our impression can be deepened. Furthermore, the lamp offering ritual reminds us that lamps represent light, and light symbolizes wisdom. Whenever vexation arises in our mind, we will remember to use the light of wisdom to cope with it, thereby living with ease and little worry.

Ven. Chang Zhan pointed out that the sound of the bell symbolizes awakening ourselves from dreams and allowing us to realize that vexations exist in dreams, thereby using the light of wisdom within to guide ourselves to leave them behind. The sound of the bell reminds us not to get stuck in our own perspective and standpoint with an egocentric mentality, which induces nothing but constant vexations.

After the Dharma assembly, the monastic presented fruits and rice packets to the participants as gifts that represented peace and blessings for them to bring the blessings back to their families.



Original Chinese text / Wong Sing-jim (黃盛艷)
Photos / Tam Chyu-sek (譚柱石)
Translation / Li Siang-ling
Editing / Keith Brown, YKL