Three Thousand Buddhas Repentance Sermon 三千佛懺法會開示

Three Thousand Buddhas Repentance Ceremony Sermon

三千佛懺新春祈福法會開示

Date: Jan 30th, 2023

日期:2023年1月30日

Place: Cham Shan Temple

地點: 湛山精舍五觀堂

Event: Three Thousand Buddhas Repentance Ceremony

活動:三千佛懺新春祈福法會

Sermon:

On January 30, 2023, the Buddhist Association of Canada Cham Shan Temple hosted the 18th “Three Thousand Buddhas Repentance” Lunar New Year Blessings Ceremony.

Inside the “Hall of Five Contemplation,” the solemn ceremony was led by the President of the Buddhist Association of Canada and Abbot of Cham Shan Temple, Ven. Dayi Shi who, together with more than a hundred donors and followers, chanted and prostrated to the 3,000 Buddhas to bring blessings in the new year.

Ven. Dayi Shi states: “participation in the “Three Thousand Buddhas Repentance” ceremony is to practice Buddhism in accordance with Buddha’s teachings and as such will bring incredible merits to the participants.

The Cause and Condition of Worshipping the “Three Thousand Buddha Repentance”

This ceremony originates from Siddhartha Gautama’s original teaching that, prior to the passing of innumerable kalpas, the Buddha heard the name of fifty-three Buddhas and felt a sense of great happiness in his heart. The Buddha then shared these fifty-three names with the others and upon propagation, three thousand people heard these names in the end. These three thousand people then chanted these names all together in homage, and such “cause” led to the “effect” of these three thousand people eventually becoming Buddha themselves.

The earliest reference to the benefits of worshipping Buddha’s name can be found in the ancient Buddhist scripture of “Avatamsaka Sutra” or the “Huayan Jing.” Siddhartha Gautama, after he was enlightened and attained Buddhahood, also made reference to this in his early teachings, except that only the great bodhisattva were the only ones who has the capability of fully understanding this upon hearing this for the first time.

The most important chapter in the Avatamsaka Sutra is the Universal Virtue Bodhisattva’s Practices’ and Vows’ Chapter, and the Samantabhadra Bodhisattva’s Ten Great Vows’ King is the most basic concept to be observed by Buddhist practitioners. One of the “Great Vows’ King” is worship of the various Buddhas. Only through worshipping Buddha can one appreciate humbleness, which brings along ceaseless learning and personal growth.

The Merits of Participation in “Three Thousand Buddhas Repentance”

1. Extinguish the negative karmas accumulated through previous lives. Through worshipping the 3,000 Buddha Repentance, one can cleanse their mind and attain purity, which will greatly augment the process of practicing Buddhism. There is a Buddhist saying: “Past negative karmas are all caused by the fundamental three poisons of greed, hatred and ignorance, produced by one’s own physical, verbal, and mental misdeeds. Originating from our body, speech, and mind, we now come repent before the Buddhas.” Through the repentance on our past evil karma, our physical, oral, and mental states can be purified.

2. Promote good merits and virtues by extinguishing evil karmas. As was frequently said: “Pay homage to Buddha once shall extinguish as much negative actions as there are grains of sand in a river. Chant the name of the Buddha once shall bring about uncalculatable good fortune.”

3. Obtain wisdom. The event is held early in the year in order to allow participants to obtain wisdom at the start of the year which will help them in all their endeavors throughout the year.

Ven. Dayi Shi has summarized Siddhartha Gautama’s 49 years of teaching into two verses: “Perceive with Wisdom; Reach out with Compassion”. This is our master for how we should live our lives after starting the practice of Buddhism and allows us to start living a life of wisdom. Furthermore, it is always good to perform virtuous deeds and charity and eventually be reborn in the Western Pure Land. The truly wise person shall attain a cheerful heart and freedom to the body. There will be liberation of the body and the mind.

The Abbot hopes that everyone can practice diligently during the 7 days to sustain purity of the body, mouth, and mind, and using a devoted, happy, and thankful mindset to worship the 3,000 Buddha Repentance. No matter whether one is walking, sitting, standing, or lying down, as long as one is mindful of the name of Buddha whole-heartedly, they will experience incredible resonance with Buddha.

開示内容:

2023年1月30日農曆正月初九,加拿大佛教會湛山精舍啟建第十八屆『三千佛懺』新春祈福法會。

湛山精舍五觀堂內,道場莊嚴,如法如律。百餘位功德主和信眾,在加拿大佛教會會長、湛山精舍住持達義大和尚的帶領下,誦經祈福,禮拜三千諸佛,為新的一年祈福消災。

達義大和尚開示,禮拜三千佛懺的功德在於拜懺過程中,要如法修行,功德利益不可思議。

拜三千佛懺的因緣

緣起於佛陀開示,無量劫前出家修行的自己因聽聞了五十三位佛的名號而心生歡喜,並將這些佛號與他人分享。在不斷分享之下,共有三千人得以聞持佛號,這三千人異口同音,稱諸佛名,一心敬禮,以是因緣,三千人先後成佛。

禮拜佛號,最早的佛教經典依據是《華嚴經》,即釋迦牟尼成佛後最早講的一部經,也是其成佛證悟到不可思議境界後講給大家聽的,唯有大菩薩一聽就能明白開悟。

《華嚴經》中最重要的是《普賢行願品》,而「普賢菩薩十大願王」是修學佛法之人最基本的信念,其中第一願王就是「禮敬諸佛」,唯有禮敬諸佛,才能懂得謙虛,不斷學習、成長。

拜三千佛懺的功德

懺除多生多世所造種種惡業。通過拜三千佛懺,洗滌心靈,讓心清淨,修行才能獲得圓滿。佛教偈語,「往昔所造諸惡業,皆由無始貪瞋痴,從身語意之所生,今對佛前求懺悔。」即懺除過去所造種種惡業,讓身口意三業得到清淨。

增長福報,消除業障。之所謂,「禮佛一拜,罪滅河沙,念佛一聲,福增無量。」

通過拜三千佛懺啟迪智慧。湛山在年初安排禮拜三千佛懺,目的是讓我們在新的一年開啟智慧,做任何事情都能達到圓融無礙。

釋迦牟尼說法四十九年,我把它編成兩句法語,「以智慧觀照世間,用慈悲待人接物。」就是讓我們修學佛法後做生活的主人,開啟智慧人生。同時,積德行善做好事,往生西方極樂世界。真正有智慧的人,心開朗,身自在,身心得解脫。

大和尚希望大家七天中精進用功,保持身口意三業清淨,要以虔誠心、歡喜心、感恩心禮拜三千佛懺。行住坐臥具足威儀,異口同音唱佛號,把佛號念到心裡去,感應道交不可思議。