Sutra Adaptation back on Year-End Ceremony after Two Years

Between 18 and 26 December 2021, Tzu Chi Merit Organization (Singapore) held 14 sessions of the Year-End Blessing ceremony at Jing Si Hall and on video conferencing platforms. (Photo by Lai Tong Heng)

“The Year-End Blessing ceremony is held to express our gratitude to our devoted donors. We have to hold the event physically to give everyone a feeling of homecoming, as well as coming together to gather their kind thoughts!” Despite the difficulties in organising an event during the pandemic, Caroline Tan, coordinator of the ceremony, hoped that everyone could reunite during this occasion and gather their prayers.

Held over the two weekends between 18 and 26 December 2021, Tzu Chi Merit Organization (Singapore) held its Year-End Blessing ceremony after overcoming the hurdles brought about by multiple pandemic restrictions. There were 14 sessions of the ceremony over the four days, with a total of 1384 attendees at Jing Si Hall. The scale of the ceremony may be small, but the event was still equally heart-warming as the previous years.

The ceremonies were also streamed live on Zoom and YouTube for volunteers over the age of 65 and public members who could not make it in person. With the ceremonies held both physically and virtually, people came together to gather their kind thoughts and prayed for the pandemic to end soon and for the world to be free of disasters.

Seizing the opportunity to relive the Bamboo Bank Era

To welcome visitors back to Jing Si Hall, the main hall was intricately set up with flowers elegantly displayed throughout and several lucite Buddha statues of “the Great Enlightened One of the Universe”, calming the hearts of the visitors when they entered the hall. Together with volunteers ushering sincerely, everyone returned to Jing Si Hall with great anticipation.

“The Great Enlightened One of the Universe” and the elegantly displayed floral arrangements are calming to the hearts of those who entered the hall. (Photo by Goh Shoo Weng)  

“The positive energy brought by Tzu Chi is really great. We can see the interconnectedness among people, just like a big family helping each other out. The programmes also encouraged us to follow the right path, listen to Master Cheng Yen's teachings and do good deeds,” said Mr Ng Yee Kong, a member of the public.

Although she had just completed a round of chemotherapy last week, Sandra Toh Lay Quan, a volunteer, insisted on attending the ceremony to collect the Red Envelope of Blessings and Wisdom from Master Cheng Yen and other Dharma masters. Sandra said tearfully: “You never know which comes first, impermanence or tomorrow. I’m deeply touched by the beauty and compassion of Tzu Chi when I returned to Jing Si Hall.”

The “Bamboo Bank Era” booth displayed the true spirit of “grains of rice can fill up a basket, drops of water can form a river, and pennies can contribute to the greater good”, as it was no short of curious visitors as many returning guests took the opportunity to empty the coins in their bamboo banks into the larger “bamboo bank” as volunteers put their palms together to thank every donor gratefully while the sound of their coins rolling into the larger “bamboo banks” engulfed the main hall.

Just like a yearly promise kept, members of the public donated the money they saved in the bamboo coin bank over the year into the “Sea of Merit”, with a staff member putting her palms together to express gratitude. (Photo by Lin Chun Huey)

“I would drop my loose coins into the bamboo coin bank every day. No matter how much, our little actions may be of great help to others,” said Lee Kuang Hua, a member of the public.

“It is my family’s annual affair to attend the Year-End Blessing ceremony as a symbol of blessing.” Mdm Wong Yoke Moi, a volunteer from Johor Bahru, could not return to Malaysia with her husband, Mr Tan Chee Han, this year due to the pandemic. However, when they found out about the Year-End Blessing ceremony online, they brought their three children to the event.

Mdm Wong Yoke Moi said: “Since they were young, my children are taught to count their blessings and serve those in need, so now they have the habit of saving money in their bamboo coin bank every day.” Having been educated on kindness and love, the children brought their coin banks that they had been saving up for a very long time and donated them to the Sea of Merit in the hope of helping more people in need.

Wong Yoke Moi (left) with her husband Tan Chee Han (right) brought their three children to the Year-End Blessing ceremony. She said, “It is my family’s annual affair to attend a Year-End Blessing ceremony”. (Photo by Ng Shey Ying)

Sowing seeds of blessings through adopting a vegetarian diet   

“Go vegetarian to protect lives and keep on serving others diligently. Join hands to spread love faithfully with perseverance and action” is the theme for this year’s Year-End Blessing ceremony.

With the pandemic still looming over the world, the footsteps of Tzu Chi volunteers never stop as they will always try to reach out to those in need during their darkest moment, which was depicted in the “Tzu Chi Year in Review” video.  Besides, a video showing the work of Tzu Chi Singapore, including launching a COVID-19 relief programme for Tzu Chi care recipients, broadcasting of the “Super Sunday” online programme for kidney patients, “Mentoring with Love” programme for children of care recipients and Tzu Chi volunteers taking the opportunity to spruce up the F1 pit building with Jing Si Aphorisms posters and interacting with frontline staff at the Community Care facilities during the pandemic, etc., were also screened.

The pandemic has taught us a great lesson which we ought to heed. Once again, in Master Cheng Yen’s speech to all volunteers and supporters of Tzu Chi worldwide, she encouraged everyone to be kind and do good to bring harmony to the world. With the pandemic still raging with no sign of weakening, she urges everyone to adopt a vegetarian diet and cultivate compassion to keep the virus away for the new year. 

Since adopting a vegetarian diet for 100 days and through the practice and understanding of the Dharma, Lai Pei Ting was motivated to carry on with her meatless diet to this very day. (Photo by Pua Poo Toong)

“To have gratification, one should learn to help others and not feast on their flesh.” 

Sister Yang Wen Ting, who started the vegetarian version of “Mukbang” in Hualien, Taiwan, brought this idea back to Singapore when she returned home in 2019.  Together with local youths, she started promoting vegetarian food on social media through daily live broadcasts that garnered great support. Because of this, many had the chance to try out new vegetarian stores. 

“How can we be beautiful if we devour a lot of the hatred and fear of animals before they die every day?”

Sister Yang Wen Ting also claimed, “the reason for choosing a vegetarian diet has nothing to do with enlightenment, self-cultivation or health benefits, but instead it is about respecting and loving the life of all beings.” 

Sister Lai Pei Ting, a physiotherapist, was another sharer.

“Two years before adopting vegetarianism, l used to love meat a lot, to the extent that I would go out to get fried chickens on days when my family are having vegetarian meals,” she shared. Sister Lai Pei Ting also recounted that year before joining the sutra adaptation performances, one must go meatless for 100 days. Through the practice and understanding of the Dharma, she was motivated to carry on with her meatless diet to this very day. Having shared her personal experience, Sister Lai Pei Ting encouraged the audience to embark on a meatless diet journey together.

Yang Wen Ting opined that going meatless is not related to spiritual cultivation, morality or health; it is more of a choice to respect life and the aestheticism of life. (Photo by Khor Kim Seng)

Putting Dharma into Practice

“The Dharma on the Vulture Peak never disappear... scenes of touching moments, together with sincere vows recreated after thousands of eons.” Volunteers recited and performed in unison as though everyone was present at the Vulture Peak when the Buddha began expounding the Dharma.  

After overcoming the hurdles brought about by multiple safety measures, Tzu Chi Merit Organization (Singapore) held the annual Year-End Blessing ceremony for 2021 over the last two weekends of 2021. The first ceremony after two years included the Lotus sutra adaptation of the Vulture Peak performances. 

“Every word, every verse served as a reminder if I truly comprehend the Dharma and put it into daily practice.” Sister Yap Sook Ting spoke on her emotional experience and wanting to rid of her afflictions through listening to Master Cheng Yen’s morning Dharma teaching daily, just like how the two thousand disciples listened attentively to Buddha’s teaching on the narrow Vulture Peak.

“As long as we put the Dharma into practice in our daily life, the Dharma will not disappear.” Sister Khoo Pin Joo, who is part of the organising committee, applauded the diligence of all the volunteers for attending Master Cheng Yen’s morning Dharma teaching since 2014 and their tenacity for not being deterred by the pandemic and to have booking sharing online

Local entrepreneur Toh Seng Hock shared that from these two months of practice, he felt that he had a better understanding of the Dharma and how he could incorporate the Dharma into his daily life. Toh Seng Hock then said the entrepreneur book sharing session also played a part because he got a better overview of the Lotus Sutra through the sharing.   

Local entrepreneur Toh Seng Hock is seen concentrating on the practice as he hopes to incorporate the Dharma into his daily life through practising.  (Photo by Fong Kwai Kin)   

Making the Great Vow to walk the Bodhisattva Path

Besides having close to 500 volunteers at the venue, there were another approximately 250 volunteers who joined the ceremony online via zoom. The 250 participants were either over 65 or unable to join the event physically. Despite the distance, the volunteers online performed the Sutra adaptation simultaneously as those at the event site.  

Chew Choon Hua, a 71-years-old volunteer, said that apart from memorising the sutras and hand movements, it was harder to do so online. “Although it was quiet at home when I’m practising alone, I always imagined myself in the Sea of Dharma with the company of many Bodhisattvas and treating it very seriously.”

78-year-old Hoo Soo Moi did not know how to use the computer, but this did not stop her from attending the practice through her mobile phone, only to realise it was not very conducive. Despite this setback and her old age, she overcame it by putting her heart into constant listening and practising to understand the Dharma better and be better prepared for the Dharma performance.

Like the Vulture Peak Dharma assembly, both elderly volunteers online and volunteers at Jing Si Hall performed the Dharma adaption together with Tzu Chi Singapore CEO Low Swee She. She then led volunteers to make the vow of having the determination to help all sentient beings and to light up the dark corners of society while walking the Bodhisattva Path.

As the Year-End Blessing Ceremony drew to a close under voices of gratitude, all attendees received a Red Packet of Wisdom and Blessings. The red packet symbolises peace and harmony and a form of blessings from all the Dharma Masters for all to stay healthy and safe while having good thoughts and doing good deeds daily.

Share