Celebration of "Namo Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva Birthday Ceremony" held in the Great Hall of Daxiong Baodian at the Southern California Holy Land Temple on Sunday#
Guan Yin compassionately relieves all suffering, and all wishes made with good intentions are fulfilled.
The Southern California Holy Land Temple held a grand celebration of the "Namo Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva Birthday Ceremony" in the Great Hall of Daxiong Baodian on Sunday.
(Los Angeles News) Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva is the manifestation of the ancient Buddha "Zheng Fa Ming Ru Lai" and is one of the eight great bodhisattvas in Buddhism, along with Manjushri Bodhisattva and Samantabhadra Bodhisattva. It is widely believed among the people that "Every household worships Amitabha Buddha, and every household worships Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva," which fully demonstrates the widespread influence of Amitabha Buddha and Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva in popular belief. The lunar calendar date of February 19th is Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva's birthday. To celebrate this auspicious day, the Holy Land Temple in Southern California held a grand celebration of the "Namo Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva Birthday Ceremony" on Sunday, March 17th at 10 am in the Great Hall of the Holy Land Temple. The ceremony was jointly organized by the World Buddhist Headquarters, the Holy Land Temple, and the Holy Grace Lecture Hall, and the abbot of Huazang Temple, Venerable Jin Kou, was invited to preside over the ceremony.
There was not an empty seat at the ceremony, and the participants were enthusiastic. With the offering of incense and vegetarian food, and the sound of bells and drums, under the leadership of Venerable Ruohui, the ceremony began solemnly. The monks and attending lay devotees first recited the "Lotus Sutra Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva Universal Door Chapter" with respect, followed by a grand offering in front of the Buddha. The congregation wholeheartedly prayed for the great compassion and protection of Namo Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva and all Buddhas and bodhisattvas, praying for world peace and national prosperity and safety! The temple also provided a list for disaster relief and blessings, allowing the faithful to pray for the fulfillment of blessings and wisdom for themselves and their families, as well as good health.
Venerable Jin Kou, abbot of Huazang Temple, presided over the ceremony.
After the ceremony, Venerable Ruohui spoke in an interview, saying, "Due to extreme climate change in recent years, natural disasters have occurred frequently around the world, coupled with the impact of wars, causing suffering and pain for humans and other beings. They are in desperate need of help to escape from their predicament. Namo Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva is the king of great compassion, with wonderful wisdom and supernatural powers, universally responding and transforming the ten directions of the world, relieving the suffering of all beings and fulfilling their wishes. Therefore, if we can generate faith and follow the teachings of the Buddha and bodhisattvas, refrain from doing evil, and practice good deeds, and constantly recite the sacred mantra, we will definitely receive the blessings and protection of Namo Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva and all Buddhas and bodhisattvas, and be free from disasters and difficulties, and everything will be auspicious and as desired."
Ms. Guo Ruizhen, who participated in the ceremony, excitedly told reporters about the extraordinary blessings she received from the Dharma: "I am very grateful to have the opportunity to hear the Dharma sound of Namo the Third Dharma King Dorje Chang. It made me realize that the principles of Buddhism should be applied in daily life. After volunteering at the temple, I didn't expect my work to go more smoothly. Last week, I had severe back pain and couldn't stand up. When I applied for the Golden Vajra Pestle inside the Holy Land Temple, I was instantly blessed, and my back pain miraculously disappeared. It's truly incredible!"
Jacky, a Vietnamese overseas Chinese, also shared his experience as a volunteer at the Holy Land Temple. He said that during the ceremony, he felt a good interaction with the community while receiving visitors and participating in community feedback activities. Especially when he participated in the "Joining Hands to Do Good, Warming Hearts" donation event held by the Holy Land Temple during the lunar New Year, he saw the selfless dedication of donors and volunteers, as well as the gratitude expressed by the receiving groups, which inspired him deeply.
There was not an empty seat at the ceremony, and the participants were enthusiastic.
The temple told reporters that in the distant past, Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva cultivated the ability to hear all sounds in the Dharma realm through the practice of reversing the hearing of the ear roots. Therefore, Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva is called "Guan Shi Yin," which means "hearing the sounds of the world to save and deliver sentient beings." In the realm of the supreme Buddha Dharma, Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva has attained great freedom and is able to move freely in the three realms, so he is also called "Guan Zi Zai." Furthermore, because the bodhisattva universally bestows fearlessness and saves sentient beings, he is called "Shi Wu Wei Zhe" (the one who bestows fearlessness). In the "Lotus Sutra Universal Door Chapter," the Buddha personally spoke of the great divine power of Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva, his spiritual inspiration and responsiveness, making him a wonderful treasure of blessings for many Buddhist practitioners. Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva has made a great vow that if there are countless billions of sentient beings suffering from various afflictions, as long as they sincerely recite the name of Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva, Guan Yin Bodhisattva will come to their aid and rescue, appearing in every place. Therefore, the miraculous acts of Guan Yin Bodhisattva's manifestation and salvation have been continuous since ancient times. In fact, when we treat every person and sentient being around us with the great compassion and mercy of Namo Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva, caring for and helping the vulnerable and groups in need in society, keeping them away from hunger, harm, and helplessness, then we are truly believing in and learning from Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva. In the future, we will also cultivate the great compassion and mercy of Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva.
Venerable Ruohui sprinkles blessed water on the participants, and the faithful receive it with reverence, filled with joy.