當代佛教高僧宣公上人於日前荼毗後，骨灰在七月二十九日由弟子們撒在萬佛聖城上空，圓滿宣公上人的心願：「我從虛空來，回到虛空去。」

七月二十九日上午八時正，千餘位宣公上人的弟子們，在萬佛聖城五觀齋堂前的大草原上，等著熱氣球充氣，準備升空。

宣公上人座下的美籍出家弟子恆實法師、恆來法師與哥斯大黎加寶元寺住持真一法師，捧著宣公上人的骨灰，一同搭上熱氣球。

熱氣球於八時三十分冉冉升起，升至半空中時，只見搭乘熱氣球的法師們，將宣公上人的骨灰緩緩灑出。骨灰在空中迅速散開，彷彿縷縷輕煙，很快的與虛空融合為一。

這時，少數在場信眾痛哭失聲，高喊著：「師父，不要走；師父，不要走……」絕大部分的弟子繼續在莊嚴肅穆的念佛聲中，完成這項「圓滿大典」。

老和尚走了，走的方式正如他老人家生前曾說過的：「掃一切法，離一切相」。留給弟子們的，則是繼續弘揚佛法，翻譯經典與辦好教育等等重責大任。

On July 29, one day after the body of the eminent Buddhist monk Venerable Master Hsuan Hua was cremated, his ashes were scattered in the air above the Sagely City of Ten Thousand Buddhas by his disciples, fulfilling the Venerable Master’s wish, “I came from empty space, and to empty space I will return."

At eight o’clock in the morning on July 29, over a thousand of the Venerable Master’s disciples stood in the meadow in front of the Five Contemplations Dining Hall at the Sagely City, waiting for the hot air balloon to fill up and rise into the air.

Dharma Masters Heng Sure and Heng Lai (American disciples of the Venerable Master) as well as Dharma Master Zhen Yi (the Abbot of Bao Yuan Monastery in Costa Rica) boarded the hot air balloon, carrying the Venerable Master’s ashes.

At eight-thirty, the balloon began to rise slowly into the air. The Dharma Masters riding in the balloon began slowly scattering the Venerable Master’s ashes. The ashes quickly dispersed in the air, like undulating tendrils of smoke that soon merged into the void.

A few of the faithful who were present were choked with tears as they cried out, “Teacher, don’t go! Teacher, don’t go...” The vast majority of the disciples continued solemnly reciting the name of the Buddha, completing this Final Ceremony.

The Venerable Elder Master has gone, and the way he left accorded with his words when alive: “Sweep away all dharmas. Separate from all appearances.” What he left behind for his disciples were great responsibilities—to continue propagating the Buddhadharma, translating the Buddhist Canon, carrying out the ideals of education well, and so on.