A good wish for the world:
Abbot President Ven. Guo Huei's first visit to Vancouver
On the morning of September 7, Abbot President Ven. Guo Huei hosted the Three Refuge Ceremony and gave the Five Precepts to 35 laypeople at Dharma Drum Mountain Vancouver Center, the first stop of his first visit to North America after becoming the 6th-term Abbot President of DDM.
Prior to formally giving the Five Precepts, the Abbot President encouraged participants to "follow and practice the Buddha’s teachings, thereby bringing hope, safety and abundance into our life." He then gave blessings, in both Chinese and English, to the new Buddhists, wishing them a great start on the path to Buddhahood, hoping that they can develop positive affinity with all sentient beings through the Dharma. Helping ourselves and others grow spiritually represents "proper practice," while upholding the Five Precepts helps us refrain from "improper actions."
Refuge-taker Christoph said that it had been quite challenging for him to try not to drink, for he is from Germany, a country where drinking alcohol is almost a daily routine for everyone. He seemed to have encountered a bottleneck after three years of diligent practice. However, inspired and encouraged by DDM monastics’ Dharma talks and personal interviews during the retreats, he finally made up his mind to take the three refuges this year. At the ceremony, he was deeply moved and filled with the determination to move forward.
In the afternoon, 151 participants attended the talk "A Good Wish for the World" by the Abbot President. Ven. Guo Huei encouraged all to "guide your practice with a vow and fulfill your vow through practice" in five stages: making a vow, praying for a wish, making a wish, putting your vow into practice, and fulfilling your vow. Starting from loving kindness as the foothold, in the process of actual practice one can follow one’s vow as the guiding direction, to reach the destination of perfect wisdom. The venerable also shared his vows made when he was still a postulant, and, later, when he was studying in Japan. After becoming the Abbot President, he made further vows, and has been using Master Sheng Yen’s teaching—“Be devoted, without being distressed—as the guideline for his own practice.
In response to questions from the audience, the Abbot President not only provided key instructions regarding the application of counting breath, but also shared his own experience in applying the method of Buddha–name recitation. Finally, he urged participants to come back for group practice at Vancouver Center. He also reminded that any suitable method is a good method; there is no need to compare with others, and compare with our past and future selves. Like the showering of sweet Dharma rain, his simple yet sincere talk brought coolness to all present.