Ash Burial Ceremony of the Late Vice President Mr. Lee Yuan-Tsu
Abiding by his last wish, the ash burial ceremony of the late Eighth Vice President of Republic of China, Mr. Lee, Yuan-Tsu, was held at 2.00 p.m. on March 31, 2017 at the Eco-Friendly Memorial Garden of Dharma Drum Mountain World Center for Buddhist Education. Led by honor guards, representatives of the family held his ash box and slowly filed along the winding trail lined with cherry blossoms and banana magnolia trees. Late Mr. Lee’s wish for a natural burial was fulfilled after the hundred participants made their silent prayer and shared their recollections.
Following the process of ash burial propagated by Master Sheng Yen, the founder of Dharma Drum Mountain, Mr. Lee’s family returned Mr. Lee’s and his wife’s ashes to the ground after the public funeral and cremation ceremony was taken place in the morning of March 31st. In this regard, they highlighted Mr. Lee’s belief of modesty and simplicity, yet preserved his remarkable lifetime achievements.
There were no formal religious rituals. However, the attendees were immersed in an atmosphere of solemnity and warmth through the processes of silent prayer, pouring the ashes into the holes, and sealing the ashes with a flower and some earth. Mr. Lee, who took the life motto of “Without abiding in forms, the mind manifests”, will always be commemorated in people’s minds.
Translation: Elenda Huang
Editor: Wen-Ren, Liu, Elizabeth Shlifer