Following the Vows of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva: Dharma Drum Mountain Buddhist Association New Jersey Holds Qingming Dharma Ceremony

On March 28, 2026, Dharma Drum Mountain Buddhist Association New Jersey held its annual "Qingming Repaying Kindness Kṣitigarbha Dharma Ceremony." The core significance of the ceremony lies not only in relying on the great compassionate vows of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva to deliver departed ancestors from suffering, but also in guiding participants—through chanting of the scriptures—to transform their remembrance of the deceased into self-reflection and purification of the mind. In this way, both the living and the deceased benefit, and blessings and wisdom are cultivated together in completeness.

The ceremony began at 9:30 a.m., with more than 50 devotees gathering in a solemn atmosphere filled with Buddhist chanting. Venerable Guo Goang (果廣法師), Vice Abbot of Dharma Drum Mountain, presided over the service; Venerable Chang Jue (常覺法師) served as chant leader; and Venerable Guo Jieh (果界法師), who had flown from Taiwan to the United States, served as timekeeper, maintaining a dignified and pure environment for collective practice.
 
In her Dharma talk, Venerable Guo Goang offered profound insights into the correspondences between the descriptions in the Kṣitigarbha Sutra and real life. She explained that the hells and heavenly realms described in the sutra are, in fact, present in our everyday life. At that very moment, as everyone gathered in the solemn Buddha hall joyfully chanting scriptures with fellow practitioners, the harmony and purity experienced were akin to the Pure Land. However, once the service ends and people return to daily routine life, they face the saha world—a mixture of joy and suffering, filled with various afflictions to be endured. Venerable Guo Goang especially reminded everyone that when we encounter adversity and intense distress in life, that state of mental torment is, in essence, the same as being in hell.
Regarding how to follow the spirit of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva, Venerable Guo Goang further taught four fundamental pillars of practice: first, understanding cause and effect and having deep faith in karma; second, making great vows to guide one's actions and practice; third, diligently practicing the Ten Wholesome Deeds to regulate body, speech, and mind; and finally, cultivating wisdom to observe and dissolve attachments.

The ceremony concluded successfully at 4:30 p.m. In an atmosphere filled with Dharma joy, participants expressed sincere gratitude to the Venerables for their guidance, to the Dharma protectors for their compassionate support, and to all volunteers and attendees for their dedicated efforts, together accomplishing this solemn and auspicious Qingming gathering that benefits both the living and the deceased.




 
◎Original text in Chinese: Hou Dajun (侯達俊)
◎Photos: Andy Liaw
◎Translation: Patricia Yang  
◎Editing: Keith Brown