沐供
Shower Offering
20070315
----- Original Message -----
From: "Yutang Lin"
To: "Dharma Friends"
Sent: Wednesday, March 21, 2007 4:41 AM
Subject: Shower Offering
 |
Disciples in Si Chuan, China sent me Dharma instruments for group
offering uses. Among them there was a set for offering shower to the God of Wealth. That triggered my memory of the story that the Great Northern Heavenly King once used his head to ward off a huge rock thrown by some devil aiming at Sakyamuni Buddha. As a result of this heroic service to the Dharma he would feel pain in his head from time to time. Hence there is a tradition of offering shower to his head to soothe the chronic pain. So I started offering shower to that statue, but recognizing it as the Great Heavenly King relaxing in his palace (hence without his mount the lion and without the umbrella). Later disciples in Taiwan sent a statue of the Great
Heavenly King that was made for this shower offering. So I installed the original statue on my altar and began to use the statue in customary form for shower offering.
在四川的弟子們供我一套薈供的法器。其中有一組是用來以水沐供財神的。這個引發我憶起北方天王昔時曾用他的頭擋開一個由惡魔拋來襲擊釋迦牟尼佛的巨石。由於這個英勇的為法犧牲，導致他時而感到頭痛。因此在傳統上有以沐浴他的頭以減緩他的疼痛的供奉。所以，我就開始沐供那尊像，但是將之視為在宮中休息的北方天王（因此沒有坐騎的獅子及寶傘)。後來在台灣的弟子們寄來了一尊專為此供而製的北方天王像，因此我將原先的雕像安置在我的佛桌上，並且開始使用此一般常見形式的雕像來做沐供。
Attached is a photo showing me doing this shower offering.
附呈的是我正在做此沐浴供養時的相片。
My intention in adopting this offering as a practice is simply to
show respect to and care for Dharma services that transcended
considerations for personal well-being. And the Great Heavenly King certainly deserves our soothing efforts.
我修習此供養的存心只是以此來表達對於超越個人福祉考量的法務服務的敬重及關心。而且北方天王確實是應當得到我們如此的慰藉。
Attain Enlightenment Soon!
祝早成佛！
Yutang
鈺堂
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