Dharma Drum Mountain Holds Thousand-Person Prostration Pilgrimage, Buddha Bathing, and Guanyin Prayer Ceremony

The Dharma Drum Mountain World Center for Buddhist Education held its 2026 "Prostration Pilgrimage, Buddha Bathing, and Guanyin Prayer Ceremony" on May 16 and 17, inviting the public to participate in the annual event to purify the mind through Buddha bathing and celebrate the Buddha’s birthday. Dharma Drum Mountain Abbot President Venerable Guo Huei (果暉法師) personally attended the Buddha Bathing Ceremony at 10 a.m. on May 16, joined by New Taipei City Deputy Mayor Liu Her-ran (劉和然), former Taipei Deputy Mayor Hammer Lee (李四川), Jinshan District Chief Liu Chang-song (劉昌松), Shimen District Chief Wu Chia-chao (吳家兆), Wanli District Chief Huang Pang-mian (黃雱勉), NTU Hospital Jinshan Branch Superintendent Tsai Jaw-Shiun (蔡兆勳), and other local representatives in prayers and blessings. More than a thousand people participated in the prostration pilgrimage and Buddha bathing activities that day, praying together for physical and mental well-being, social harmony, and world peace.

Abbot President Venerable Guo Huei first led the assembly in prayer, reminding everyone of the "threefold gratitude" owed to the Buddha, mothers, and the Earth. He explained that the meaning of Buddha bathing is to express gratitude for the Buddha bringing the light of wisdom and compassion into the world. By bathing the image of Prince Siddhartha, participants symbolically use the Dharma water of wisdom, compassion, and purity to cleanse the Buddha-nature within, awaken their innate wisdom, and apply Buddhist teachings into practice in daily life.

The Abbot President noted that Buddha bathing is an international blessing ceremony. Coincidentally, May is also the month in which many countries celebrate Mother's Day. He wished all mothers beauty, health, happiness, and joy. He also encouraged everyone to protect humanity's shared mother—the Earth—by starting from within and practicing spiritual environmentalism. He called on people to promote the "Four Kinds of Environmentalism," cherish natural resources, and practice the Living Environment and the Social Environment in daily life. With more gratitude and less conflict between people, society can become more harmonious.

"‘Prostration pilgrimage’ means turning toward one's own mind, while ‘Buddha bathing’ means purifying the mind, eliminating attachment, and purifying greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance, and doubt,” Deputy Mayor Liu Her-ran shared. He mentioned how he and the Taipei city government team follow the “Four Steps for Handling a Problem” as taught by Master Sheng Yen—“face it, accept it, deal with it, let it go”—in carrying out public service and serving citizens with courage and wisdom. On behalf of New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) and the citizens, he also thanked Dharma Drum Mountain’s monastic community and volunteers for their long-term selfless contributions. These contributions include supporting disadvantaged families and underprivileged students, opening DDM’s trails to the public, promoting Eco-Friendly Memorial Garden, and building a spiritual environmental education center to make the world a better place.

Hammer Lee shared that the theme of the event, prostration pilgrimage, allows people to calm and settle their minds through prostrations. Echoing the Abbot President’s teaching on “Pure Mind-Net Zero,” he said that Buddha bathing is not only about cleansing one’s own mind, but also about protecting Mother Earth through the Four Kinds of Environmentalism. Hammer Lee thanked religious organizations nationwide for helping people during disasters, particularly mentioning Dharma Drum Mountain’s donation toward rebuilding the Huangxi Bridge (磺溪橋) in Jinshan. He expressed gratitude for DDM’s promotion of spiritual environmentalism, the spirit of compassion, and its help to rebuild both people’s minds and community infrastructure.

First-time participant Lee Bing-ze (李稟澤) indicated that “I felt completely relaxed and relieved of stress—it was very comforting.” He and his cousin’s family, a group of five, attended together to experience the atmosphere of worship and prayer. This time, he personally took part in the prostration pilgrimage of bowing once every three steps. The entire process, from the devout prostration pilgrimage to the Buddha bathing ceremony, gave him a deep sense of peace and stability.

Tsai Hsin-ting (蔡心珽) commented that this was her second special trip from Changhua to attend the Dharma Drum Mountain Buddha Bathing Ceremony. The solemn and peaceful atmosphere helped calm her previously busy and troubled mind, giving her a broader perspective. She recalled that when she first attended the ceremony, she was grieving the loss of a loved one. Through Buddha bathing, chanting, and prayer, she felt spiritually comforted and regained the strength to move forward.

Dharma Drum Mountain explained that in Chinese Buddhism, the eighth day of the fourth lunar month (which falls on May 24 in the Gregorian calendar this year) commemorates the Buddha’s birth, and a “Buddha Bathing Ceremony” is traditionally held during this time. Bathing the image of Prince Siddhartha with fragrant water symbolizes cleansing the dust of the mind, returning to one’s pure original nature, and expressing gratitude for Shakyamuni Buddha’s teachings that help people improve themselves and cultivate compassion and wisdom. The “prostration pilgrimage” is both a spiritual practice and a pilgrimage, where participants bow every three steps along the route to express gratitude to the Earth, discipline body and mind, eliminate ignorance and afflictions, and strengthen faith in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.

The Sheng Yen Education Foundation also launched the “Net Zero Dharma Drum Immersive Interactive Exhibition” in the activity hall of the second building in the Dharma Drum Mountain complex. Through digital interactive displays, the exhibition presents the connection between the Four Kinds of Environmentalism and climate action. This exhibit helps  visitors understand Dharma Drum Mountain’s concern for global climate change and sustainable development. The exhibition is expected to run until September.




◎Original text in Chinese：傅莉嫻 
◎Photos：李東陽、許朝益、李佳純、張曜鐘、傅莉嫻、林雅櫻 
◎Translation: Patricia Yang 
◎Editing: Keith Brown