Chanting the Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva Sutra: Devotees of DDM Sydney Chapter Cultivate the Bodhi Mind to Repay the Kindness of Their Parents

On August 30, 2026, Dharma Drum Mountain Sydney Chapter held a gratitude Dharma assembly featuring a group recitation of "the Original Vows Of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Sutra" during the Ullambana period. Participants gathered before the Buddha to express their gratitude for the kindness of their parents, the Three Jewels, their country, and all sentient beings through sutra chanting, circumambulating the Buddha, and listening to Dharma teachings.

In Buddhism, the seventh lunar month is traditionally regarded as a month for honoring parents and repaying their kindness. From the story of Maudgalyayana rescuing his mother in the Ullambana Sutra to the Brahmin Girl in the Kṣitigarbha Sutra-- who cultivated vast merit and made great vows to liberate her mother-- these teachings remind us that repaying kindness is not simply about remembering those who have passed away. Rather, our gratitude toward our parents can be expanded into the aspiration to benefit all sentient beings—the arising of the Bodhi mind.

Before the Dharma assembly began, participants jointly recited the Four Great Vows. They then chanted the Kṣitigarbha Sutra, which consists of thirteen chapters, followed by walking around the Buddha while reciting the sacred name of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva, helping to settle and focus the mind. Through chanting with their voices and listening with their ears, participants allowed body and mind to rest in the words of the sutra and the Buddha's name. They also used the practice as an opportunity to contemplate their own body, speech, and mind, as well as to bring the purity and stability cultivated during the Dharma assembly into their everyday lives.

During the assembly, participants also watched a video teaching by Venerable Guo Chwan (果傳法師), the guiding Dharma teacher of the Dharma Drum Mountain Australia Buddhist Association, titled “A Brief Introduction to the Kṣitigarbha Sutra.” The teaching helped participants gain a deeper understanding of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva's vast compassionate vow: beginning with the aspiration to liberate his mother and ultimately extending that vow to liberate all sentient beings. Venerable Guo Chwan encouraged participants to understand that true liberation and deliverance must begin with oneself. We must first transform our own afflictions and let go of attachments before we can develop the strength to help others using compassion and wisdom. Chanting the sutra does not merely pray for deceased loved ones to be free from suffering; it is also a reminder to those who are living to repent, practice, refrain from harmful actions, and cultivate wholesome deeds. In this way, both ourselves and other sentient beings may benefit from the Dharma.

Benny Yu, who moved from Hong Kong to the Gold Coast in Queensland four years ago, had been a Dharma Drum Mountain practitioner together with his mother and had supported the Dharma Drum Mountain Hong Kong Centre before moving to Australia. His 80-year-old mother recently came to Australia to visit family. As her visit coincided with the Dharma assembly, mother and son made a special trip to the Sydney Chapter to participate in the Kṣitigarbha Sutra Group Practice. The mother and son chanted the sutra with clear, resonant voices and remained focused and reverent throughout the practice. Their faith in and respect for the Buddha Dharma could be deeply felt in every word they chanted, moving everyone who witnessed their devotion.

At the conclusion of the Dharma assembly, participants aroused the Bodhi mind and dedicated the merit from sutra chanting and listening to the Dharma to ancestors throughout the generations, deceased relatives and loved ones, their living parents, and all sentient beings throughout the Dharma realm. They vowed to emulate Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva's compassionate aspirations, allowing their filial devotion to expand into vows and actions that benefit all sentient beings. Dharma Drum Mountain Sydney Chapter also offered prayers for those affected by the recent floods in Nepal and Tibet, praying that those who lost their lives may be reborn in fortunate realms, that the injured may recover soon, and that those affected by the disasters may safely overcome these difficult times.



Original text in Chinese and photos: Dharma Drum Mountain Sydney Chapter
Translation: Patricia Yang 
Editing: Keith Brown