OFFERING THE FLOWER
OF “JEWELED REPENTANCE OF EMPEROR LIANG”
IN THE ULLUMBANA SEASON
Leaves begin to fall. The weather is changing. Time flies accordingly with the universe, bringing another Ullumbana season.
Yes! The Ullumbana Season of 2019, Buddhist Calendar 2563 is coming. Every year following the teachings of the Buddha to be filial persons, we often offer the four necessary basic things to the Venerable sangha in ten directions and transfer merits to our deceased parents as Venerable Mongallana did in the “Returning the Parents’ Deep Gratitude Sutra”. This year, we could decorate the garden of filial piety of all Buddhists by offering the flower of “Jeweled Repentance of Emperor Liang” in this Ullumbana Season.
The Jeweled Repentance of Emperor Liang is also called the Compassionate Repentance Method of Emperor Liang in the Ritual Site. This is an effective and easy repentance method from which one can transform misconceptions to the pure and noble ones. This is uplifted to the idea of being relatable to others and staying away from being irritated, pessimistic and weary. This way of seeing inclines to one’s goodness. Besides, the Jeweled Repentance of Emperor Liang is also a way to help us to repay the four kinds of gratefulness, especially the gratefulness of our parents – the ones who gave birth and brought us up.
The Returning the Parent’s Deep Gratitude Sutra presents to us the great kindness of our parents, especially our moms who have been pregnant nine months, breastfed and nurtured us in the first three years. The Jeweled Repentance of Emperor Liang also teaches us how to appreciate our parents’ favors as follows:
“We should commemorate the parents’ favor of giving us life and bringing us up sound and deep. Only parents accept dangers unto themselves for the safety of their children.
When we are growing up, they are train us to be kind and polite. Earnestly finding good teachers so that their children would master the meanings and principles of sagely books has also been done by parents.
Only parents would hope every minute and every hour that their children are as good as others. They would support their children with all they have.
They even take care of their children when they are getting sick. Till the moment on their death beds, they are still thinking of their children.
Kindness of parents in this world is second to none. So the Buddha said, there is no favor greater than that of parents. The ordained monastics who have not achieved awakening yet should make efforts on their training and practicing the Dharma, do the wholesome deeds ceaselessly, cultivate the virtue constantly, and make a determination to returning this great gratitude.”[1]
Thus, there is no word that expresses the spirit and material that parents gave us. When we are growing up, we take care of parents or give them some money, we start to count the days, count our efforts while their hearts are like the open sky or the ocean to us which are impossible to count. If parents are still alive, we have a chance to return their favor. If, unfortunately, parents have passed away, there is only regret left. In Sutras (scriptures), the Buddha teaches many ways to return parents’ favor such as to be close to them, take care of them, dedicate our merits to them or guide them to take refuge in the Triple Gems, to go back to the good path. In the Jeweled Repentance of Emperor Liang teaches us to pay homage to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in the ten directions on the behalf of our present or deceased parents and relatives. Relying on the sacred power of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas we wish our parents and relatives would transform suffering into liberation and happiness as follows:
“The whole assembly together should be sincerely prostrate with five parts of the body touching the earth, for the sake of parents and relatives, relatives of parents from the beginning of time till now, take refuge and pay homages to the Greatly Kind and Compassionate Ones who are like fathers to those of us in this world “Namo Maitreya Buddha… Namo Avalokitesvara Boddhisattva.”
“With wholehearted mind, we take refuge and bow to the Triple Gems of the ten directions to the end of empty space. May you gather us in with your power of kindness and compassion. We hope that all our parents including relatives will, henceforth until they achieve awakening, have all their offenses eradicated.
May they be free from all sorts of suffering and pain. May they purify defilements and fetters of afflictions. May they forever transcend the four evil paths, be reborn wherever they wish, live near and serve Buddhas, and receive the Buddha’s predictions. May they never apart from the four limitless minds and the six paramitas. May they gain as-you-wish mastery of the four unobstructed wisdoms and six spiritual powers. May they attain the Buddhas’ ten powers, be adorned with all fine hallmarks and features, and together attain Buddhahood, the Proper and Equal Enlightenment.” [2]
Not only towards our deceased parents in this life but also the parents from kalpas past in the beginningless and endless circle of time who we have received their kindness; today for their sakes we now make full prostrations, take refuge in the Greatly Kind and Compassionate Ones who are like fathers to those of us in this world, to repent and make a vow as follows:
“Today, we are here in this Bodhimanda due to our shared karma. Some of us who were orphaned when young, miss our parents greatly and have been thinking in vain of them because we have no possibility of ever encountering them again. As we have not attained the spiritual penetration of the hevenly eye to see which paths they are in, we should spare no effort and hasten to create blessings on their behalf to repay their kindness. By unceasingly doing good like this, we will definitely succeed in doing so. The sutras state, “Creating blessings for the deceased is like providing for travelers on a long journey.” If the deceased have already been reborn in the human realm or in the heavens, what we have done will increase their merit and virtue. If the deceased are in the three evil paths, suffering the eight difficulties, the blessings created will help them forever transcend the multitudes of suffering. If the deceased are born in the time of a Buddha, they will receive the teachings of the Proper Dharma and immediately attain sudden awakening. Also, our parents of seven previous lives, as well as all relatives from kalpas past, will be able to eradicate all of their fears and worries and attain liberation. This is how a wise person practices compassion and filial respect to repay the kindness of one’s deceased parents – it is the foremost method. We should all now feel sorrow, remorse, weep, and bow in full prostration, as we fondly recollect the memories of our parents. On behalf of our past parents, as well as relatives from kalpas past, we now take refuge in the Greatly Kind and Compassionate Ones who are like fathers to those of us in this world. “Namo Maitreya Buddha… Namo Avalokitesvara Boddhisattva.”
“Again, we take refuge with the Triple Gems of the ten directions to the end of empty space. May you with your power of kindness and compassion, rescue, protect, and gather in all beings. May you help eradicate all the karmic conditions for offenses of our parents, and relatives of kalpas past, from now until they attain Buddhahood. May you also help them forever wipe out all their retributions of suffering and ultimately purify their letters of afflictions. May they cut off the three kinds of obstructing karmic conditions and dispel the five fears. May they practice the Bodhisattva Path by expansively teaching and transforming all beings. May they apply the skills of the eight liberations in purifying their minds, and make the four great all-encompassing vows. May they also be able to wait upon the Buddhas in person reverently to receive the wonderful teachings, instantaneously end all their outflows, and freely traverse all Buddhalands within a thought. May they quickly accomplish their vows and practice and attain Proper Enlightenment.”[3]
Lastly, may the Triple Gems attest to and bless our parents and kin from various lifetimes and help us to transform the desired and attached entangled bondage of twelve kinds of sentient beings in the six samsara realms into the true, the good and beautiful relationship of “Bodhisattva friendship”. May all of us become good friends in Dharma eternally until the date we attain Buddhahood together and begin to save living beings.
From now until we attain Buddhahood, may all of us forever be free from the three evil paths and the suffering of the four births. May we always be in harmony, like a blend of milk and water. May we be as free of any obstruction as empty space. May we forever become kin in Dharma and members of the compassionate family. May every one of us cultivate, accomplish limitless wisdom and be replete with all merit and virtue. May we be courageous and vigorous, without ceasing or resting; may we practice the Bodhisattva Path, without ever becoming weary. May our minds be equal to that of the Buddhas. May we attain the Buddha’s threefold esoteric modes, be replete with the fivefold bodies and ultimately realize unsurpassed bodhi, accomplishing Proper and Equal Enlightenment.”[4]
“May the Triple Gems use the water of great kindness and compassion to eradicate the suffering of beings in the Avici and other hells, so that their offenses be cleansed and their purity restored. May this water also cleanse the offenses of all living beings repenting together in this Bodhimanda, as well as the offenses of their parents, teachers, and all relatives. May all regain purity.”[5]
In short, remembering the deep gratitude to parents, reciting the Jeweled Repentance of Emperor Liang in order to repent, take refuge and pay homage, make vows and return ourselves towards the Bodhi mind on behalf of our parents as a way to help parents get rid of all sorts of suffering in the six realms and be reborn in the wholesome realms. That is the effect of unpredictable consonance which generates from the power of filial piety, a product of our minds.
Those flowers represent filial piety which the Jeweled Repentance of Emperor Liang has offered to us. This is the unexcelled compassionate, unsurpassed filial expression of good persons in the upcoming season of Ullumbana.
The world would be beautiful for such filial flowers.
Please plant the seed of [filialness]!
Fall in Huong Sen Buddhist Temple, July 15, 2019
Venerable Thích Nữ Giới Hương
[1] Kinh Lương Hoàng Sám (The Jeweled Repentance of Emperor Liang), Vietnamese translated by Venerable Thích Trí Quang, English translated by Bhikkhuni Giới Hương. Buddhist Calendar 2553, pages 419-421.
[2] The Jeweled Repentance of Emperor Liang, English translated by Heng Chih, Buddhist Text Translation Society, p. 254.
[3] Ibid. Pages 423-427.
[4] Ibid. Page 159.
[5] Ibid. Page 135.
