Blessing Ceremony of Taking Refuge for Peace
Presided over personally by the Venerable Master Sheng Yen, the "Blessing Ceremony of Taking Refuge for Peace, Respect and Harmony" was hosted at the Nung Chan Monastery of Dharma Drum Mountain on the morning of January 21, 2007.
In the face of nearly 2,250 new disciples, Venerable Master warmly encouraged the disciples to stay close to the learning of the Dharma, to uphold the Triple Jewels---the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha---and to raise wisdom and courage through their learning of the Dharma, for dealing optimistically with any distress in life.
In recent years, religion has suddenly become the best spiritual harbour for many people. The hostilities created in society through many ethnic disputes, occurring both in Taiwan and in the international community, have seen more people turn to religion.
Regarding "the safeguard of spiritual environment" as a guideline, Dharma Drum Mountain provides people with applied Buddhist concepts and methods, in order to lead them to the important process of learning how to let go of burdens and vexations.
Therefore, there are more people taking refuge in the Triple Jewels in recent years. Buddhist believers expect that with being a Buddhist, they could sense the compassion and wisdom of the Buddha and eventually attain spiritual peace.
Venerable Master Sheng Yen taught the disciples that taking refuge creates a sense of belonging and to go further is to recognise Buddhism as a "home". This means you should uphold the Triple Jewels just like you cherish your own home; you should not let outside forces interfere with the environment of upholding the Dharma.
At the same time, the Master encouraged new disciples to practice the compassion of the Bodhisattva and to walk on the Bodhisattva Path. When you encounter any difficulty you should come back "home" to look for comfort and to face life with a positive attitude, Buddhist wisdom and courage.
However, taking refuge in the Triple Jewels is only a beginning. You can only upgrade yourself by truly practicing the Dharma. Thus, Dharma Drum Mountain has scheduled different meditation activities for disciples to gradually enter the treasure of the Dharma for wisdom, compassion and spiritual peace.
(translated by Jin Yang)
