Earth Store Dharma Assembly at DDM Sydney Chapter to Pray for Quake-affected People in Myanmar

Tomb Sweeping Day, also known as Ching Ming Festival, is a time for Chinese communities to honor their ancestors. On the afternoon of April 6^th, 2025, Dharma Drum Mountain (DDM) Sydney Chapter held the Ching Ming Dharma Assembly for Expressing Gratitude, inviting local devotees to practice together. 

Before the Dharma assembly began, the assistant timekeeper introduced Earth Store Bodhisattva's great vow that "if the hells are not empty yet, I will not attain Buddhahood." The assistant timekeeper explained the close connection between the idea of repaying kindness and the Earth Store Sutra – the Buddhist scripture of filial piety. This served to remind everyone that in addition to commemorating our ancestors during Ching Ming Festival, we should also put our gratitude into action, in order to "repay the four great kindnesses, and to relieve the sufferings of the three unfortunate destinies of existence."

Before reciting the sutra, everyone made the Four Great Vows together, taking the great aspirations as the starting point for spiritual cultivation. During the group practice, everyone followed the DDM Sangha to respectfully recite the Earth Store Sutra as a way to reminisce about the kindness of their ancestors while letting their body and mind receive the benefit of Dharma. In addition to the solemn Dharma service, DDM Sydney Chapter set up a zone of lamp offerings for repaying kindness and praying for blessings so that the participants could offer a lamp representing light and sincere wishes to their close and extended family, teachers, nations, and all those who have helped them. 

After the Dharma service, everyone watched a Dharma talk video about Compassion Samadhi Water Repentance by Ven. Guo Chwan (果傳法師), the Guiding Venerable of DDM Association of Dharma Supporters in Australia. In her compassionate Dharma talk, the Venerable guided everyone to understand the true meaning of repentance. She suggested that repentance is not merely about eliminating one's own negative karma, but also about arousing aspirations for the sake of all sentient beings throughout kalpas to eradicate vexations and cultivate merits and wisdom. 

By the end of the Dharma assembly, DDM Sydney Chapter also shared the news about the immediate disaster relief initiation of DDM disaster investigation team in helping the quake-affected zone in Myanmar. Everyone prayed and dedicated the merit to the people affected by the earthquake in Myanmar and Thailand. It is also hoped that DDM Sydney will soon find a venue as its new Dharma center in order to keep promoting Buddhist teachings.



Photos and original Chinese text / Dharma Drum Mountain Sydney Chapter
Translation / Li Siang-ling
Editing / Keith Brown, YKL