《華嚴經》就是法界經，也就是虛空經。盡虛空遍法界，沒有那一個地方不是《華嚴經》的所在處。
《華嚴經》的所在處，就是佛的所在處，也就是法的所在處，也就是賢聖僧的所在處。……
──宣公上人
宣公上人深知華嚴大法之不可思議境界，因此教化弟子從根本處著手的上人，不但日常中，耳提面命，要弟子們誦華嚴，甚至背華嚴；即令在遺言中亦明白交待：「我走後你們可以誦《華嚴經》、念佛。」所以，自六月八日起，萬佛聖城便展開了為時七七四十九天的華嚴法會，希望提供大眾一個浸潤華嚴大法的機會，使大家能稍稍明白一點法味，種植無窮的善根。
念念真誠念念通， 默默感應默默中；
直至山窮水盡處， 逍遙法界任西東。
上人寫了這麼一首偈頌，說明念佛的訣竅與感應。上人說：「阿彌陀佛在西方極樂世界，和我們這兒所有念佛的眾生，都有一個電話線似的，如果你自己不打電話，又有誰來接你的電話？」
只要我們至誠懇切地念佛名號，佛便會用他無邊的法力度脫我們，使我們離苦得樂。這種樂是究竟之樂，是西方的極樂。換句話說，念佛的名號，不但能夠脫離世間一切痛苦，並且能夠往生極樂世界，花開見佛，得到「常樂我淨」的清淨和究竟之樂。
是以法界佛教總會各道場之四眾弟子，謹遵上人遺囑，於上人圓寂後誠誦《華嚴經》外，並舉行念佛法會。
上人曾說：「《華嚴經》也就等於虛空裡的祥雲，遍照三千大千世界，如甘露法雨般潤澤一切眾生。」故弟子們也端肅一心，正身威儀，每星期虔拜華嚴懺一堂，普禮華嚴海會無盡無盡三寶，以華嚴法雨洗滌身心垢染，虔敬懺悔，改過自新，清淨身語意三業，這是上人對弟子的期許。
目前萬佛聖城，每天同時進行四堂法會：在萬佛殿，是華嚴法會；往生堂是英文的華嚴法會；道源堂是越南文的華嚴法會。
供奉上人法體的無言堂則是全日二十四小時的精進念佛法會。近日來，上人的弟子們紛紛自世界各國前往萬佛聖城瞻仰上人德相，並參加紀念法會。
座落於舊金山中國城的金山聖寺，每天念誦五卷《大方廣佛華嚴經》，晚課後接著舉行念佛法會。每逢作七，則比照萬佛聖城的做法，增加一場〈華嚴懺〉法會。
在加州首府附近的西沙加緬度法界聖城，每天誦《華嚴經》五支香。並在晚課後進行兩小時的念佛及大迴向。
加州柏克萊的法界宗教研究院以英文和越南文舉行華嚴法會。洛杉磯的金輪聖寺、長堤市的長堤聖寺和福祿壽聖寺、西雅圖金峰聖寺、加拿大卡格利華嚴聖寺、溫哥華金佛聖寺，也都遵師遺訓，舉行華嚴法會，並利用時間精進念佛。
臺灣地區的法界佛教印經會在白天念誦四卷《華嚴經》，並於下午舉行一場念佛法會。晚上再繼續誦一卷《華嚴經》，以便日間上班或上課的居士共同參加。花蓮彌陀聖寺、美濃福慧聖寺，臺中圓通精舍亦皆比照舉辦華嚴法會與念佛法會。
馬來西亞吉隆坡的紫雲洞道場，自上午八時起誦《華嚴經》至下午四時止，並於晚間六時半至九時念佛。
以上各分支道場所舉行的華嚴法會與念佛法會均進行七七四十九日，於西曆七月二十五日圓滿。上人在各分支道場的弟子們於法會圓滿後，將同赴萬佛聖城，參加七月二十六日至二十八日，為期三天的「宣公上人追思大會暨荼毗典禮。」 |
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The Flower Adornment (Avatamsaka) Sutra is the Sutra of the Dharma Realm. It is also the Sutra of empty space. To the ends of empty space and pervading the Dharma Realm, there is not a single place where the Flower Adornment Sutra is not present. Any place where the Flower Adornment Sutra is found is also a place where the Buddha is, a place where the Dharma is, and a place where the Sangha of sages is.
──Venerable Master Hua
Because the Venerable Master Hua deeply understood the inconceivable state of the great Flower Adornment Dharma and wanted his disciples to begin at the most basic level, he frequently exhorted his disciples to recite the Flower Adornment Sutra and even to memorize it. In his final instructions, the Master also said, “After I leave, you can recite the Flower Adornment Sutra.” Therefore on June 8, the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas began a forty-nine day Flower Adornment Dharma Assembly, hoping to offer everyone the opportunity to steep themselves in the Great Flower Adornment Dharma, understand a little bit of its flavor, and plant limitless good roots.
When every thought is sincere, every thought penetrates;
In silence, responses are quietly received.
When you reach the end of the mountains and rivers,
You are free to roam throughout the Dharma Realm.
The Venerable Master wrote this verse explaining the secret of reciting the Buddha’s name and the responses obtained. The Master said, “It’s as if there is a telephone wire connecting Amitabha Buddha in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss and all living beings who recite the Buddha’s name. If you don’t make the call, who’s going to pick up the phone and receive your call?”
As long as we recite the Buddha’s name with utmost sincerity, the Buddha will use his boundless Dharma-power to liberate us, enabling us to leave suffering and attain bliss. This kind of bliss is an ultimate bliss, the ultimate bliss of the Western Land. In other words, if one recites the Buddha’s name, not only can one escape all worldly sufferings, one can be reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss, see the Buddha when one’s lotus flower opens, and attain the pure and ultimate bliss of “permanence, bliss, true self, and purity.”
Honoring the Venerable Master’s final instructions, the four assemblies of disciples have been sincerely reciting the Flower Adornment Sutra and the Buddha’s name since the Venerable Master completed the stillness.
The Venerable Master often says, “The Flower Adornment Sutra is just like an auspicious cloud in empty space, pervading the three thousand great thousand worlds and giving moisture to all living beings. Once a week, the disciples solemnly and with proper deportment performed the Flower Adornment Repentance, in which they universally bowed in homage to the infinitely infinite Triple Jewel of the Flower Adornment Sealike Assembly. Cleansing body and mind with the Flower Adornment Dharma rain, they sincerely repented and reformed themselves, began anew, and purified their actions, speech, and thought. This is what the Venerable Master had hoped his disciples would do.
Currently at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, four Dharma assemblies are held simultaneously every day: the Chinese Flower Adornment Assembly is held in the Hall of Ten Thousand Buddhas, the English Flower Adornment Assembly is held in the Hall of Rebirth, and the Vietnamese Flower Adornment Assembly is held in the Dao Yuan Hall.
An intensive Buddha’s Name Recitation Assembly is held twenty-four hours a day in the Hall of No Words, where the Venerable Master’s coffin is located. Recently, the Master’s disciples from around the world have been arriving at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas to gaze upon the Master and take part in the memorial Dharma events.
At Gold Mountain Monastery, located in San Francisco’s Chinatown, five rolls of the Great Means Expansive Buddha Flower Adornment Sutra are recited every day and the Buddha’s name is recited nightly after evening recitation. A Flower Adornment Repentance Ceremony is also held weekly.
At the City of the Dharma Realm located in West Sacramento near the California State Capitol, people recite the Flower Adornment Sutra five hours a day. After evening recitation, they recite the Buddha’s name for two hours and do the Great Transference Ceremony.
At the World Religions Institute in Berkeley, the Flower Adornment Assembly is held in English and Vietnamese. Gold Wheel Monastery in Los Angeles, Long Beach Monastery and Blessings, Wealth, and Longevity Monastery in Long Beach, Gold Summit Monastery in Seattle, Avatamsaka Monastery in Calgary, and Gold Buddha Monastery in Vancouver are also following the Venerable Master’s instructions and holding Flower Adornment Dharma Assemblies and taking time to recite the Buddha’s name intensively.
At the Dharma Realm Buddhist Books Distribution Association in Taiwan, people are reciting four rolls of the Flower Adornment Sutra during the day and holding a Buddha’s Name Recitation Assembly in the afternoon. Another roll of the Flower Adornment Sutra is recited in the evening, so that those who work or study during the daytime can participate. Amitabha Monastery in Hualien, Blessings and Wisdom Monastery in Meinong, and Perfect Penetration Hermitage in Taijung are also holding Flower Adornment Dharma Assemblies and Buddha’s Name Recitation Assemblies.
At Purple Cloud Monastery in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the Flower Adornment Sutra is recited from eight in the morning till four in the afternoon, and the Buddha’s name is recited from six-thirty to nine in the evening.
The Flower Adornment Dharma Assemblies and the Buddha’s Name Recitation Assemblies held at all of the above monasteries will last for forty-nine days and be completed on July 25. When the assemblies are completed, the Venerable Master’s disciples at the various monasteries will all gather at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas from July 26–28 to attend the memorial services in honor of the Venerable Master and the cremation ceremony. |
