Pure Land Pilgrimage 2nd stop:
Paying homage to Amitabha Buddha at Donglin Temple, world’s largest and oldest Pure Land temple.
Donglin temple has world’s tallest golden Amitabha Buddha statue - 48m in height represents Amitabha Buddha’s 48 great compassionate vows ✨🙏
It was a dream come true for me to visit Donglin temple and pay homage to Amitabha Buddha ✨🙏
We had lotus family members from the UK, Canada and Australia, a total of 6 people joined us at the Donglin Temple (11 people at Zhenning temple after).
We experienced a 7-day Foqi at Donglin temple (Nianfo with over 3000 people! It was a good experience but the traditional practice may not be suitable for everyone). And because there were too many people Nianfo together, some of us got sick 😷 (but all recovered later haha).
My favourite thing to do at Donglin temple is to pay homage to Amitabha Buddha, and also to visit Master Huiyuan’s relics pagoda and pay homage to the first Pure Land patriarch in Chinese Pure Land Buddhism ✨🙏
I also received the Bodhisattva precepts at Donglin temple under the abbot Venerable Master Da’an with two other lotus family members from Australia and Canada. Only a few large temples in China can offer Bodhisattva precepts ceremony.
For those who are interested in bodhisattva precepts, one can have a look at the Brahmajala Sutra, usually one can take the bodhisattva precepts at a temple where such ceremony is offered, one can also take them by oneself if one follows the instructions of the sutra (the sutra also explains how one can take the precepts by oneself but one must follow it stringently).
May all beings be happy and free from suffering ✨🙏
May all beings hear the name of Amitabha Buddha and attain rebirth in the Land of Ultimate Bliss ✨🙏
Namo Amituofo ✨🙏
Namo Amitabha Buddha ✨🙏