A very beautiful extract of the text composed by the 3rd Karmapa Rangjung Dorje, which describes in detail the care and love shown to us by our kind mother, generating the feeling of filial piety and the aspiration to gain enlightenment for the sake of liberating mother sentient beings. May Avalokiteshvara lead our kind mothers onto the path to enlightenment.

梁国柱问我：“都说放生功德无量，我放生三次了，怎么没有感觉到太大的变化。”我告诉他：“当你放到悲壮的时候，才真正功德无量。” 梁国柱做粤菜酒楼10年了，最近3年里，他不断梦到和人打架，把人家打得半死，然后大批人追杀他，他躲在墙缝隙里，看着那些人远去…… 他反复的做这类的梦。2005年开始，他投资什么亏什么，弄得他呆在家里不敢出门，似乎什么都不投资对于他才是最佳的投资，至少什么都不会亏了。后来他的行业罪恶感不断增强,累世修行的善根萌动，他觉得不能再做酒楼了。 前几天他来我们这里，我两去放生，他把钱都掏出来，买了一条街所有待宰的鲤鱼，只留了100元回家的车票，放掉鲤鱼以后，他久久的看着欢快的鲤鱼说： “我其实很喜欢动物，但是我也不知道为什么就做了这么久的饮食行业。”我的耳边响起了一句话，但是这句话现在让我流泪：“人之初，性本善，性相近，习相远。”我曾经最讨厌粤菜老板，但是现在粤菜老板也放生了，佛门不舍一人，这话还值得怀疑吗？ 梁国柱对我说：“现在我有一点悲壮的感觉了。”我看他真诚而信誓旦旦的眼神，知道他会一直放下去。 2006年春节快到了，我去广州买家居，朋友知道后，要我过来领他们放生一次。我们在黄沙买了泥鳅几百斤，我知道这几个朋友是求财放生，于是试图扩大他们的心量，把净空法师告诉的方法使用出来。就是买泥鳅的时候，一直为黄沙水产市场所有的泥鳅念佛，买到以后，马上全部将泥鳅倒进珠江，让后为整个珠江的动物念佛。“为自己买的那些泥鳅念佛，自己买的才多少，菩萨做事情，总是心在所有十法界众生，而能力所及，暂时只能买几百斤，那是当下能力有限。但是心是为所有众生，以后能力必然不断提升。 看到我文章以后周周放生的广州肥崽告诉我，他放生以后发财了，一周成交了100万的业务；师兄文锋说他同样放生发了财，他们准备最近搞一次大放生。我遇到一个朋友，他是做股票，她放生以后，感应菩萨在她梦里告诉她别卖股票，可是她还是给卖了，卖了以后狂涨几倍，才知道是菩萨来点化。而我自己买卖股票的过程也曾经梦到一次神仙来托起我的股票，次日股票大涨。一次梦到金色鲤鱼在树上飞行，梦醒后一个月内，股票从8元涨到15。30元。卖掉这个股票后买另外一个，又是两天赚15%。我12月底发愿赚的钱统统放生以后，马上一周赚了11万9千元。放生得财，甚至放生能让股票投资这种激进的投资也赢利真是确定无疑。 2006年放生鲤鱼到水库，曾经听到天上的敲鼓声；更有次大放生，在船上，法师念佛的时候，头顶顿时一片清凉，事后有人告诉我是诸佛灌顶；还有次放生路上，我极其真诚的发心要彻底学习阿弥陀佛，念头刚生，甘露喜雨同时飘洒下来，极细极轻，三分钟后才消失；一次大放生，我一个人倒了5麻袋的田螺进珠江，倒得我几乎没有力气，最后一袋田螺瀑布般倒下去的同时，无比绚亮的佛光从江中呈喇叭形扑面而来，我顿时发呆呆在那里。还有无数更加殊胜的感应。 2006年放鲤鱼几千尾以上，田螺几十万只，泥鳅100多万条，其他鱼类，鸟类，野生动物也很多。更有劝了无数人放生，不知道放了多少。2006年12 月某天，真诚感悟：无论到什么时候，我都不会后悔我救过这么多性命，也感谢佛菩萨把我引导到这条路上来，让我也带动了这么多兄弟放生。而后索性发愿毕生天天放生，毕生劝化他人放生，发愿以后，连续一个半月放生，专门买家后那条街的所有鲤鱼（据说鲤鱼是龙子，多放家门吉祥），每天救鲤鱼几十条。到了1月10 日，我赚了22600元，次日，又赚48000元，再次日，又赚45000元，再次日，赚5000元，再次日，赚20000元。胸有百万兵带来的巨大人生自信；念佛境界的快速提升；劝化别人放生的有力；光明，健康，吉祥的家庭；智慧的增加，心想事成。每每念及佛恩，顿时就会落泪。 放生时候念佛无比清净，真诚。每天放生一小时，清净一小时，有烦恼马上就出门放生。放生让我知道佛言无比真实。虽然在佛说其他事情我还没有深刻验证，但是那只能说我没有去体会。 赚了钱以后，我跑到广州和老婆购家私，忘记了穷的时候的发愿，五天还没有回去。突然在广州患发烧，同时胃肠严重不舒适。才知道是因为自己不放鲤鱼，鲤鱼多有被人剖肠开肚。想想自己赚钱，是发愿放生的结果，我的家是放生家庭，佛菩萨已经给了我们无数利益，现在一天不放就是过失。不同于刚发心放生的人。所以将《放生功德甘露妙雨》放在身边，时时的看，保证永远不会退心。 放生的时候，如果有蹦出盆来找我救命的鱼，无论是什么品种，能否存活等等都不去考虑，都会买下，决不含糊，死在水中也得其所，强过下油锅。一般选择品种，都会选择有地方放的，都是买断一个品种，不留一条。因为有一次我们在一些鱼的时候，同类的鱼放这条不放那条，我们回家后集体头痛，引起警觉。对于不打算放生的时候，就绝对不去看动物，更不会去摸动物，只要去看，就是放生。因为我们是放生家庭，到了动物那里，动物就希望能够被放，若不放就非常有愧，所以不放生的时候避免去卖动物的市场。 劝人放生，不用过于强调智慧，悲在智先，还没有悲心，先谈智慧，很容易一无所得。我们都走过这样的路，就是很悲壮的买回来，但是没有地方放他们，很痛苦，但是这个阶段很有益，必不可少。我老婆买了一个羊羔，没有地方放，但是我老婆说：”我永远不后悔买这个羊羔。这个羊羔带给了我老婆无限的悲心。我相信她以后也会很快解决这个矛盾的。我告诉她一个办法：“可以给动物念佛。根据《不退转经》听到佛号的动物来生可以学佛，得不退转。并且你发心去极乐世界以后救他，他的愚痴不是一时可以挽救的，你今生没有能力救他，你可以等到自己有能力以后去救他。” 朋友告诉我：“你救了这么多鱼，来生可能会去做龙王。”我就在想：“我这样做就是为了去做龙王吗？”但是我爱鱼类的心确实和龙王无异，包括爱所有的动物。我知道这种爱造就极乐世界的七宝宫殿。我救众生的心让我向往早一天到极乐世界，就能更有智慧的救更多的众生

Located in an isolated valley 4000m above sea level in Baiyu County, Ganzi, Sichuan, Yarchen Monastery (“Yaqing Si” in Chinese) is built in 1985. It belongs to Nyingma Sect. With around 15,000 Sangha members now, it has the largest concentration of nuns and monks in the world, making up of about 10,000 nuns and 5000 monks.

The current Chief Abbot His Holiness Achuk Rinpoche, is an incarnation of the great terton Longsal Nyingpo (1625-1682) who was an incarnation of Amitabha Buddha. He is the head of the Nyingma Sect in China and presently also the foremost person of great holiness and virtue in all Tibet. Born in 1927 in Eastern Tibet, Achuk Rinpoche has spent 43 years in retreat with his master, Tulku Arik Rinpoche. As a realised Buddhist master, Achuk Rinpoche is regarded as one of the world’s greatest living exponents of the Great Perfection Teaching.

It is a rare opportunity and great auspiciousness to be able to make offering to 15.000 Sangha. Our dear Dharma Sister Helen is now attending a teaching at the monastery for a month, with her help and coordination, and with great respect to the Sangha, we hope to offer Sing$1 each to all of the Sangha at Ya Qing Monastery. In early Sept, the Sangha will begin a month-long retreat, thereafter, they will attend a Wisdom Empowerment in early Oct before starting another cycle of a 3-month retreat. The offering will be carried out during the Empowerment.

Pls contact Yee Chin at 93258710 if you are interested to join in. The closing date is 1st Sept.

Official Web site of Ya Qing monastery:
http://www.yqwjcl.com/ <http://www.yqwjcl.com/>
Video on Ya Qing monastery:
http://www.yqwjcl.com/play.asp

供养亚青寺一万五千位僧众

亚青寺-亚青邬金禅修圣处。位于四川省甘孜洲白玉县昌台区。始建于公元1985年.
亚青寺的地理状况属于高山盆地，海拔4500米。这里拥有僧侣15,000多人，分别栖居在河流的东西两岸山坡上的茅蓬子里。河东为觉母区(比丘尼)河西为扎巴区(比丘)。

亚青寺建在四面环山的草原湿地上，有数千间信徒居住的小木屋，纵横交错的河流包围了整个寺庙的建筑群，每当清晨或黄昏，炊烟弥漫，河水闪耀着金光，颂经声随风远远传来，犹如天籁，动人心弦。亚青寺有众多弟子显现出成就及成佛之兆，弟子中有的在圆寂后遗体出现了五彩舍利、彩虹贯空、遗骨成水晶及自生佛像等。亚青寺授记中，未来将有众多弟子虹化而去。在亚青寺修学，生活条件极为艰苦，交通不便物资匮乏，寺院至今未通电。可这一切并未能阻止有志实修者的脚步。

能够有机会供养一万五千位僧众是一个非常殊胜难得的因缘，海燕师兄（Helen）现在正在亚青寺修学，在她的慈悲的安排与协调下，我们希望能以至诚的恭敬心，供养每一位僧人一块新元，若欲随喜的师兄，请联络毅进93258710.

亚青寺  亚青邬金禅林——第二德山亚青邬金禅修圣处，建于公元1985年，由当今著名的大圆满成就者喇嘛阿秋法王住持，主传宁玛巴龙钦、龙萨两种传承的大圆满实修教法（耳传窍诀）——极密心滴部之彻却、脱嘎，严格要求弟子闭关实修。
    喇嘛阿秋仁波切为藏汉各省数万人传授大圆满法之殊胜引导，有众多弟子显现出成就及成佛之兆，弟子中有的在圆寂后遗体出现了五彩舍利、彩虹贯空、遗骨成水晶及自生佛像等。亚青寺亚青寺授记中，未来将有众多弟子虹化而去。
    喇嘛阿秋仁波切持有清净的大圆满传承，其中又以极密心滴部的耳传窍诀（成熟口诀法）教授为主，并要求弟子闭关实修。
    在雪域各宗具德上师中，有很多均持有宁玛巴大圆满法之法脉传承，但持有大圆满法中甚深耳传窍诀（成熟口诀法）传承者并不是很多，且历代祖师虽然利生事业广大但对此甚深耳传窍诀也未做广大弘传，此可从祖师们传记中了知亚青寺如《堪布阿琼仁波切密传》）。此甚深耳传窍诀（成熟口诀法）以前只是祖师们口授，一般并无文字记录（法本）。传至堪布阿琼仁波切时，阿琼仁波切在得到其根本上师诺西龙多丹毕尼玛的开许后，才做了一些较完整的记录。

The chant of metta by Imee Ooi
慈经 ： 黄慧音

Aham avero homi
May I be free from enmity and danger

abyapajjho homi
May I be free from mental suffering

anigha homi
May I be free from physical suffering

sukhi – attanam pariharami
May I take care of myself happily

Mama matapitu
May my parents

acariya ca natimitta ca
teacher relatives and friends

sabrahma – carino ca
fellow Dhamma farers

avera hontu
be free from enmity and danger

abyapajjha hontu
be free from mental suffering

anigha hontu
be free from physical suffering

sukhi – attanam pariharantu
may they take care of themselves happily

Imasmim arame sabbe yogino
May all meditators in this compound

avera hontu
be free from enmity and danger

abyapajjha hontu
be free from mental suffering

anigha hontu
be free from physical suffering

sukhi – attanam pariharantu
May they take care of themselves happily

Imasmim arame sabbe bhikkhu
May all monks in this compound

samanera ca
novice monks

upasaka – upasikaya ca
laymen and laywomen disciples

avera hontu
be free from enmity and danger

abyapajjha hontu
be free from mental suffering

anigha hontu
be free from physical suffering

sukhi – attanam pariharantu
May they take care of themselves happily

Amhakam catupaccaya – dayaka
May our donors of the four supports: clothing, food, medicine and lodging

avera hontu
be free from enmity and danger

abyapajjha hontu
be free from mental suffering

anigha hontu
be free from physical suffering

sukhi – attanam pariharantu
May they take care of themselves happily

Amhakam arakkha devata
May our guardian devas

Ismasmim vihare
in this monastery

Ismasmim avase
in this dwelling

Ismasmim arame
in this compound

arakkha devata
May the guardian devas

avera hontu
be free from enmity and danger

abyapajjha hontu
be free from mental suffering

anigha hontu
be free from physical suffering

sukhi – attanam pariharantu
may they take care of themselves happily

Sabbe satta
May all beings

sabbe pana
all breathing things

sabbe bhutta
all creatures

sabbe puggala
all individuals

sabbe attabhava – pariyapanna
all personalities (all beings with mind and body)

sabbe itthoyo
may all females

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sabbe purisa
all males

sabbe ariya
all noble ones (saints)

sabbe anariya
all worldlings (those yet to attain sainthood)

sabbe deva
all devas (deities)

sabbe manussa
all humans

sabbe vinipatika
all those in the four woeful planes

avera hontu
be free from enmity and dangers

abyapajjha hontu
be free from mental suffering

anigha hontu
be free from physical suffering

sukhi – attanam pariharantu
may they take care of themselves happily

Dukkha muccantu
May all being be free from suffering

Yattha-laddha-sampattito mavigacchantu
May whatever they have gained not be lost

Kammassaka
All beings are owners of their own Kamma (Karma)

Purathimaya disaya
in the eastern direction

pacchimaya disaya
in the western direction

uttara disaya
in the northern direction

dakkhinaya disaya
in the southern direction

purathimaya anudisaya
in the southeast direction

pacchimaya anudisaya
in the northwest direction

uttara anudisaya
in the northeast direction

dakkhinaya anudisaya
in the southwest direction

hetthimaya disaya
in the direction below

uparimaya disaya
in the direction above

Sabbe satta
May all beings

sabbe pana
all breathing things

sabbe bhutta
all creatures

sabbe puggala
all individuals (all beings)

sabbe attabhava – pariyapanna
all personalities (all beings with mind and body)

sabbe itthoyo
may all females

sabbe purisa
all males

sabbe ariya
all noble ones (saints)

sabbe anariya
(those yet to attain sainthood)

sabbe deva
all devas (deities)

sabbe manussa
all humans

sabbe vinipatika
all those in the 4 woeful planes

avera hontu
be free from enmity and dangers

abyapajjha hontu
be free from mental suffering

anigha hontu
be free from physical suffering

sukhi – attanam pariharantu
may they take care of themselves happily

Dukkha muccantu
May all beings be free from suffering

Yattha-laddha-sampattito mavigacchantu
May whatever they have gained not be lost
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Kammassaka
All beings are owners of their own kamma (Karma)

Uddham yava bhavagga ca
As far as the highest plane of existence

adho yava aviccito
to as far down as the lowest plane

samanta cakkavalesu
in the entire universe

ye satta pathavicara
whatever beings that move on earth

abyapajjha nivera ca
may they are free of mental suffering and enmity

nidukkha ca nupaddava
and from physical suffering and danger

Uddham yava bhavagga ca
As far as the highest plane of existence

adho yava aviccito
to as far down as the lowest plane

samanta cakkavalesu
in the entire universe

ye satta udakecara
whatever beings that move on water

abyapajjha nivera ca
may they are free of mental suffering and enmity

nidukkha ca nupaddava
and from physical suffering and danger

Uddham yava bhavagga ca
As far as the highest plane of existence

adho yava aviccito
to as far down as the lowest plane

samanta cakkavalesu
in the entire universe

ye satta akasecara
whatever beings that move in air

abyapajjha nivera ca
may they are free of mental suffering and enmity

nidukkha ca nupaddava
and from physical suffering and danger.

There was a farmer surnamed Zhang who contracted lung cancer. He was diagnosed as untreatable by 2 hospitals and they told his family to prepare for his last rites. One of his relatives knew I was studying Buddhism at home, so she brought Zhang’s wife to my house to seek help from the Buddha Dharma. Coincidentally Venerable Miaofa was also around. Thus they pleaded with the Master to help.

Venerable Miaofa asked, “The patient has done much killing, especially of chickens right?”

Zhang’s wife replied, “Yes, my husband is fond of cooking. He is the main cook for all the wedding or funeral events in the village. He believes that the way other people slaughter chickens is not swift and clean enough, so he does it personally. Every time he will slaughter up to dozens of chickens, causing the drains by the road to be flowing with blood.”

Venerable Miaofa continued to ask, “Did you once stole and slaughtered a big rooster from a neighbor? This rooster has golden feathers around the neck, reddish brown feathers on the body and its tail feathers are shiny dark green. When it stands upright, it is almost half a meter tall, very sturdy and handsome.”

Zhang’s wife was shocked after hearing that. She dropped to her knees and started to repeatedly kowtow to the Venerable. “Oh my dear old Bodhisattva, how did we know that it was a sin to slaughter chickens? During the poor harvest years we didn’t have much to eat and suffered from hunger everyday. When our neighbor’s rooster flew into our yard, we secretly killed and ate it seeing that they were not around. The old Bodhisattva is able to see it entirely; such is our retribution isn’t it? We won’t dare to take advantage of others in the future. At that time we also stole feed from the farming team for our food as well as crops from the common fields. Now I realized I have sinned. It is I who instigated the old man (her husband) to do those things.. Please reduce my lifespan! Let me die in his place! …..”

She mumbled and crying at the same time, almost moving me to tears as well. I did not expect this lady to have such a sharp aptitude, allowing her to be awakened by a single prod. Those honest words and sincere feelings for her husband are hard to come by. I quickly helped her up and instructed her to listen to the Venerable’s teachings.

The Master also sounded somewhat agitated in his reply, “Your tearful confession just now is true repentance. When you return you must let your husband repent as well, to refrain from taking any more lives in the future. Go to the monastery to get a copy of the “Ksitigarbha Sutra”. Recite the Sutra 49 times and transfer the merits to all those chickens you have killed. The best would be to let your husband chant himself. That rooster you have slaughtered is a King among the chickens. Did your husband suffered from constant headaches after killing that rooster?”

Zhang’s wife thought for a moment and said assuredly, “Yes, yes. He really did start having headaches from that time, recurring every 2 days. No medicine offered any relief at all for him.”

“That rooster had perched onto your husband’s head all along, sinking its claws onto his scalp and pecking his skull whenever it felt like it; so how could it not be painful? I suggest you create a tablet in the monastery for the rooster and recite the Ksitigarbha Sutra 7 times for its well-being. It may then be able to be liberated and reborn as a phoenix in the heavens.”

“Master, we don’t know that many words. What do we do if we can’t recite?”

“To recite the Sutra is to save your husband’s life. Those words you don’t know you can check a dictionary, or consult others. If you really can’t do it, you can pay others to recite for you, but it will not be as effective as you doing it on your own and obtaining the merits yourself. Take note that during the whole period of chanting you must refrain from taking all meat, pungent vegetables like onions, garlic, chives as well as consuming alcohol and smoking. Because if you chant with a stinking mouth, there would not be any Devas, deities or other divine beings willing to come and listen. No sentient beings will benefit and it is also disrespectful to the Buddha Dharma. What merit can you gain if that’s the case? If the rooster can’t be liberated, your husband will have no chance of recovery. If you can observe the precepts, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas will surely give you their blessings.”

Again Zhang’s wife asked, “My husband is in a critical condition now and may die any time. Won’t it be too late to recite the Sutra now?”

Venerable Miaofa replied, “If your husband did not slaughter so many chickens he wouldn’t be dying now; killing reduces one’s lifespan. But because you repented from your heart the situation has taken a favorable turn. True repentance can cleanse away one’s sins. If your husband can do this, reciting the Sutra as well as the Buddha’s name, he is sure to be able to recover from all danger. Please seize this opportunity well.”

Zhang’s wife returned to the hospital to find him miraculously sitting up on his bed. After enquiring she learned that he just vomited 2 and half spittoon-full of white phlegm, giving him much relief in the chest. This was the first time he had vomited phlegm since he had fallen sick! Zhang’s wife was very excited and related to him the whole story about the meeting with Venerable Miaofa. Zhang also felt quite surprised and happy. He discharged himself from the hospital the next day saying, “You people can’t treat me anyway!”

Not long after this dying cancer patient miraculously appeared in front of his own house to repair his bicycle, drawing the attention of many local villagers. Later when the roof of his house leaked in the rain, he again climbed up on top to repair it, to the amazement of the villagers.

(extracted from wayne’s dhamma blog)

During a lunar eclipse, the earth blocks out the rays of the sun which normally cause us to say that the moon is shining.  The darkening of the usually bright moon is due to Earth’s shadow covering it.  The sun, earth and moon are aligned in such a straight path that only the rays of light coming from the sun that make it past the earth get to shine on the moon’s surface.  These are filtered through our atmosphere which is full of tiny bits of matter.  As in the case of a beautiful red sunset, it is because of this pollution that we may see the light, which is bounced back to our eyes by the particles, as red.  

During a lunar eclipse, people familiar or not with the facts of astronomy and optics, tend to say that the moon has “turned red.” 

According to Tibetan Buddhist practice, effects of actions are multiplied by a factor of 1,000 during a lunar eclipse.

Om Mani Padme Hung~~~

Sagaramudra Buddhist Society is organising a series of events to celebrate upcoming 2553 Vesak Day.

Dharma Talk by Venerable Fa Liang

Date : Friday 7th May 2009

Time : 8 pm – 9.30 pm

Dharma Talk by Venerable Yuan Fan.

Date : Friday 8th May 2009

Time : 8 pm – 9.30 pm

Bathing The Buddha, Blessing through Light Offering Service during Vesak Day.

For more information on the programmes, please click on the poster or visit

Sagaramudra Buddhist Society

5 Lorong 29 Geylang, Singapore 388060

Tel : 67467582 Fax: 6842 6656