On the 3rd of January 2017, for the first time a Ceremony was taking place in the "Silent Illumination Hall" in Finsterwalde. We were very happy to see that many friends of the center came to support the New Year Ceremony by their presence. In this way we were able to generate a powerful collective energy of mindfulness and concentration when we were chanting together. The New Year Prayer was read in three languages (German, English and Vietnamese). We welcomed the new year, and we had a chance to transform the suffering we have created during the last year. Then we were invited to silently think of our wishes for the new year, and afterwards send them into the universe together with the text of the prayer that we burnt in the fire. After the ceremony we enjoyed the evening with some songs and joyful sharings.
The Text of the New Year Prayer:
New
year prayer to the Buddha and to all our ancestors in the year 2017
Dear
Buddha! Dear beloved ancestors, both spiritual and genetic!
Today
is... the Dharma Light Monastery Sangha is here in the silent
Illumination meditation hall, together we offer the prayers for
the new year.
In
this beautiful and sacred moment starting the new year, we gather
here as a spiritual family, offering the Buddha and our beloved
ancestors, both spiritual and genetic, our best wishes.
Dear
respected Buddha, dear beloved ancestors! We are penitent for all
mental, verbal and physical wrongdoings we have done in the last
year. As we might not have practiced well, or might not have had
enough power of mindfulness and concentration, our words and acts
thus caused others pain and suffering. We today, on the first day of
the year, would like to show the contrition.
We
acknowledge that we are the continuation of the respected Buddha who
gave up the materialistic life. The Buddha gave up the desire of
wealth, sex, reputation, food and drink, and sleep... to look for the
truth, to obtain the truth and to become completely free with full
power of compassion, wisdom and courage. Being the Buddha’s
students, we are also willing to follow your way, to devote our heart
for the growth of compassion, wisdom and courage. We are willing to
practice mindfulness while walking, standing, sitting and lying.
We
acknowledge that if we live in peace and joy, the ancestors and the
teachers inside of us will also live in peace and joy. And this way
of practising is a means to show our gratitude to the Buddha, to our
ancestors and to our teachers.
Dear
respected Buddha, dear beloved ancestors! We acknowledge that in
every single cell of our body, there is the presence of our parents,
grandparents, our ancestors as well as our children. We therefore
know that while practicing to transform the suffering, violence and
hatred inside of us, we also practise for our ancestors and our
children.
We
acknowledge that suffering is reincarnated and happiness is also
reincarnated. From today on, we are willing to practice in order to
transform and terminate the reincarnation of suffering and bring
peace, loving kindness and tolerance to the future. We
acknowledge that if we could do so, our ancestors would be happy and
our children will live in bliss.
Dear
respected Buddha, dear beloved spiritual and genetic ancestors, we
acknowledge that our ancestors are all existing beings, and that
Mother Earth is our closest ancestor. Mother Earth has been with us
for countless lifetimes. We and all other beings were born from
Mother Earth and will one day come back to her. Because we were
lacking wisdom and understandings, we have not been aware of that. We
have hurt Mother Earth by destroying the environment, cruelly
exploiting natural resources. We have hurt Mother Earth by testing
new weapons including nuclear ones. We have hurt the forest, the
nature to satisfy our desire. We have not been aware that harming
other species, beings and people we also harm ourselves. We are
like the ephemera rushing headlong into the fire of greed, desire and
delusion to be burnt in suffering and not knowing that when we die,
there is nothing we can bring with us but our karma.
Dear
respected Buddha, dear spiritual and genetic ancestors! We would like
to offer our contrition to those mistakes and we promise that from
now on we will live in awareness. We promise to practice not hurting
ourselves, others and all beings.
Thay
Phap Nhat
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