His Eminence Vajra Guru Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche will preside over the Ksitigarbha Blessing Puja in the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center in Kyoto, Japan, on January 3, 2013. It will be attended by Japanese disciples and believers as well as disciples and believers from the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center in Taiwan.
Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, one of the eight great Bodhisattvas, is highly revered in Japan, where his statues are commonly seen in streets and alleys which indicates his profound affinity with Japan. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche once stated: Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva is also known as Earth Treasury Bodhisattva, meaning that Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva’s compassion, like Earth, nourishes and enables sentient beings to learn Buddhism, and that his Bodhichitta, like treasure, benefits all sentient beings. Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva vows not to achieve Buddhahood until all hells are emptied. Therefore, the practitioner who performs this Dharma must have been fully endowed with pure nature and Ultimate Bodhichitta. Furthermore, the Dharma must be performed at a pure location where it is free from any killings, wars and natural disasters, nor has ever been used as a cemetery or crematory. According to the historical records of Kyoto, the site of the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center in Kyoto was once the residence of the Ambassador of the Qing Dynasty to Japan and it has not had any disaster for hundreds of years, so it is a very suitable place to perform the Dharma there. Thus, it is extremely rare and precious to have the causal conditions to perform the Dharma of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.
The upcoming Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Blessing Puja to be held in Japan at the turn of the year will certainly benefit Japan and myriad sentient beings in the void, bringing incredible blessings to Japan and world peace. If the attendees participate in the Puja with faith, reverence and aspiration for sentient beings to relieve suffering, they will surely obtain greater longevity, virtues, wisdom, protection and peace.
Updated on December 10, 2012