Let's join palms to pray for the deceased
On the morning of August 23, 2009, about thirty venerables and volunteers gathered at the Xinkai Village of Liukuei Township in Kaohsiung County to chant the Heart Sutra and the Amitabha Sutra with palms joined, praying for those who lost their lives in Typhoon Morakot to enter “nirvana”, a peaceful state of no birth and no death.
Following the ritual, Venerable Chang Yuan also gave a Dharma talk to the families of the deceased, hoping to ease their afflicted minds and to encourage them to confront the difficulties with the wisdom of the Dharma.
Venerable Chang Yuan went on to say that one must learn to see the nature of impermanence in all worldly phenomena, and to sincerely make vows and pray to the Buddha for rebirth in the realm of peace and happiness.
The disaster relief team consisting of DDM monastics, volunteers and medical professionals has been reaching out to those in need of help in the villages of Liukuei Township, providing them with various kinds of service.
(translated by Jin Yang/edited by Chiacheng Chang and Lisa Tu)