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- Purple Lotus Society: 2001 New Year Purification
Puja
- Translated by Janny Chow
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What better way to commence a new year than practicing the purification
puja that brings one tranquility, joy, and the eradication of karmic
hindrances! The first day of this Chinese New Year, the year of
the Snake, fell on January 24th, 2001. As has been customary in
past years, Master Samantha Chou and the True Buddha students at
Purple Lotus Society practiced the purification puja together at
the temple during the first seven days of the new year, from January
24th to 30th.
In accordance with the True Buddha Tantric Liturgy taught by our
beloved guru, Living Buddha Lian-sheng, a special round altar was
prepared facing South. Just before the end of last year, Kuan Yin
Bodhisattva communicated to Master Samantha that we would be facing
a great deal of challenges during this first year of the new millenium,
but she would render us help and support. Because of this, Master
decided to select Kuan Yin as the Personal Deity for this series
of purification pujas. We would be making offerings and supplications
to Kuan Yin. A white tablecloth covered the altar, and a white-robed
Kuan Yin statue was placed at the center of the altar.
As the goals of the purification puja were to cure illnesses, remove
calamities, settle legal disputes, stop slander, mitigate karmic
hindrances, and eliminate all kinds of emotional afflictions, the
students all wore white clothing and used white or clear colored
prayer beads. The majority of the offerings--flowers, candles, fruits,
and other food items--were white in color. The pujas were performed
in the evening because the best time for purification pujas, as
prescribed by liturgy, is after sunset or around 7 p.m.. Seven consecutive
daily pujas constitute one complete session.
During most of the pujas, Kuan Yin and Master Samantha engaged
in dialogue. Afterwards Master would compassionately share these
exchanges with the students. Excerpts from two of these talks are
printed in this issue of PLJ.
Master Samantha also explained to the students that the purification
puja is a very efficacious way of mitigating major disasters or
eliminating minor disasters. Although the puja is best practiced
during the first seven days of each lunar month, one can actually
perform the puja any day during emergencies. For example, if one
has come down with an illness that is not ameliorated even after
seeing a doctor or taking medication, one can do the purification
puja to speed recovery. Part of the mantra can be tailored to fit
the special situation one faces. One can even practice the purification
puja to help others. While visualizing the person to be helped appearing
in front of one, or placing a picture of that person in front of
one, one can hold the mudra taught by Grand Master and invoke the
Personal Deity to emit light on that particular individual to effect
healing. In fact, Master said she used no other method but this
one to help us when we sought help from her.
Also, this purification puja can be practiced as a preventive measure.
Often times, disasters strike unexpectedly. In performing this purification
puja half an hour each day for seven days each month, one can invoke
light to shine upon oneself, upon one's family members, and upon
the bodily area where there is illness. This will certainly lead
to a positive transformation
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