Ceremony for Karmic Liberation
A greatly anticipated traditional ceremony for the dissolution of karmic entanglement occurred yesterday at Pagoda Phat Hue. Over 200 participating visitors packed into the richly decorated Buddha Hall - at least half of the visitors were Western Buddhists. All attendees were very lucky to participate in the recitations and receive blessings.
The preparatory ceremonies began in the Buddha Hall at 10:30am, witnessed by many Vietnamese and German lay Buddhists. Although the ceremony was outside the realm of familiarity of the Western cultural understanding, many Germans had a keen interest and the feeling that this event was extremely rare and important. The recitation of the Amitabha sutras, the Heart Sutra and blessing texts ended this first part of the day. After the midday ceremony at the memorial of the deceased altar in the Buddha Hall, the venerable monks commenced the ceremony at 2:00pm.
Yearning and thirst for love
From a Buddhist perspective, there is supposedly a level of existence alongside the existence of animal and human life, in which invisible manifestations can be reborn. One of those levels is that of the hungry ghosts. This may happen if you have a thirst life and simply cannot accept death. Another, more painful case is when a person loses his life, but cannot let go of the people he loved most. Ceremonies like the one held Saturday in Pagoda Phat Hue are said to help such beings overcome their thirst for love and life, their grief and their adherence so they can be free from painful ties to their past life. The ceremony is also said to help those who are still alive be freed from attachment to passed loved ones.
About the monks who performed the ceremony
Legend says that monks who are in touch with invisible beings have to acquire these skills over many decades of hard and intensive training. At three years old, these monks begin training to sharpen their sensual perception until it reaches a state of paranormal sensitivity. It is said that after an intense meditation practice they get to a point where they have a “channel” in the rear area of the skull which can open, allowing them to communicate with invisible beings like hungry ghosts.
The ceremonial building
During the opening ceremony on Friday afternoon, a long banner covered with mantras was draped on the exterior of the pagoda. This banner is supposed to be the only visible indication to the hungry ghosts that there is a gate open to a place where their desires can be resolved. This banner is the bridge that helps the spirits of the deceased find their way out of the invisible realm.
The interior of the Buddha Hall was arranged to form a mandala structure: 4 altars with Buddha statues symbolized the 4 directions while the big altar in the middle symbolized Mount Meru.
At the entrance to the Buddha Hall was a big gate with a statue, which itself looked like a demon. It represented an incarnation of Avalokiteshvara, a bodhisattva who appeared in the guise of a demon. It is said that he takes this form because it is familiar to hungry ghosts and it will draw them into the Buddha Hall.
The entanglement
The premise of the ceremony is that energetic connections from those who have already passed can still affect our present lives. Love ones who have experienced an unfortunate deaths, are especially characterized by such energies. Therefore, the ceremony was specially organized for the members of our community and Zen students who still have an unresolved feeling towards a departed loved one.
We hope that all who participated this weekend will be able to resolve all past issues with loved ones. When we can let go of the past, then we have the opportunity to reside more fully in the present moment. With freer hearts, we then have the possibility of cultivating kindness and compassion towards all sentient beings. May all being have a free heart.
We thank everyone for coming!
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