In celebration of the Earth Day on April 22, the Ling Jiou Mountain (LJM) Buddhist Society announced that its global campaign  of ‘Loving the Earth with 10 Million Chants of Mahakaruna Dharani’ surpassed the 11-million mark of prayers for blessings for our planet. The record is yet another manifestation of the ‘Loving Earth / Loving Peace’ ideal as well as an embodiment of the great compassion and vow of the LJM Founding Abbot, Venerable Dharma Master Hsin Tao.

Ever since its launch in 2012, the LJM ‘Retreat for Mahakaruna Dharani’ has become an increasingly popular annual event promoted to, and avidly attended by, the Four Groups of Buddhist disciples for participation in the retreat for chanting the mantra and dedicating the merits for safety of the Earth. The retreat continues to be a long-term LJM commitment to deeds and deliverables of charity, education, religious practices, and Dharma functions that collectively emphasize the notion that all lives are equal, and that ‘Loving the Earth’ must begin as a self-discipline.

The theme of Earth Day 2019 is ‘Protect Our Species’, which highlights the simple fact that all the Earth’s species are unique, and the humankind cannot exist without the ecology. As such, this year’s Earth Day theme overlaps heavily with another ideal that Dharma Master Hsin Tao has been promoting for decades, i.e. a diversified symbiosis and an inter-dependent coexistence best describes the only way to the Earth’s sustainability.

Ling Jiou Mountain’s celebration of Earth Day 2019 began at 10A.M. with a ceremonial ritual to pray for blessings for the ‘Mahakaruna Dharani Retreat’ and the collected chants of the Mantra. Retreat participants were seen chanting the mantra and holding a water lily in the hand, while moving in slow pace to the Bodhisattva Tara Plaza of the LJM Wu-Sheng Monastery. Then in the resonating voice of the song ‘Heal the Earth’, the water lilies were laid down in front of the stage. LJM’s residential masters were then joined by guests of honor to collectively announce that more than 11 million chants of Mahakaruna Dharani have been dedicated by the annual retreat over the past 8 years. Holy water blessed with Mahakaruna Dharani chants was then sprinkled to the ground to symbolize that ‘The Earth is at peace, when compassion turns people around’.

LJM pointed out that all beings are sentient and Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara makes no difference in spreading love. LJM further hopes that the 11-million chants of Mahakaruna Dharani will gather to garner a good magnetic field for positive energy that works to heal our planet, which has been subject to long-term exploitations and severe, repeated damages over time.

Furthermore, LJM has pledged commitment to regular beach cleaning for two designated areas, as well as to the conservation and regeneration of the ‘deep body shovel jaw carp’ and the 'calla lily’   both indigenous to Taiwan. The same spirit of ‘Loving the Earth’ manifests itself in Myanmar in the way how the Naung Mon eco-farm is operated in all ways organic.

Shih Liao Yi Master, a leading LJM educator, said to the effect that ‘the human mind is capable of creating a universal harmony, and it can also give rise to destructions. We must begin with the heart, and make all possible efforts to connect with Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara. We pray that Guan Yin’s mega force and energy will make resonance with our wavelengths possible.

The Retreat embodies our compassionate heart, to encourage people to chant the Mahakaruna Dharani mantra manifests our compassionate vow, and to plant trees marks our compassionate deed. It is herewith announced that once again the LJM will roll out its tree planting campaign at the Lung-Men Sports Center as a joint promotion with the LJM Charity Foundation, the NPO World Peace Society, and the Gong Liao District Administration. All are welcome to sign up to the event set for Sunday, April 28.