Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays !

     If you don't see any reindeer on the street, that is OK!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays !

Purple Lotus Connect  -   Here,  We connect !

new e-mail purplelotustemple@gmail.com

Dear Dharma Brothers and Sisters,

In the effort to present our members a professional looking e-Newsletter, effective immediately, you will no longer receive PLT news from pltmembers@gmail.com and purplelotustemple@gmail.com.

All correspondence and communication will be directed to the new official email account info@purplelotus.org. Please update your address book upon this change and feel free to send in any inquiry to info@purplelotus.org. Thank you very much!!

Purple Lotus Temple sincerely wishes you all have a prosperous, peaceful and wonderful new year!!

The Last 2009 PLT EOY Program Rehearsal from English Group

Hi All,
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your family!!!
Be Safe and Be Happy! :-)

Date: 12-26-09
Time: Rehearsal 2PM - 5:30PM
*For those missed the 1st rehearsal and still interest to join,
please come at 12:30PM - 5:30PM.
Making Costume - 5:30 until finish

Location: Please contact with Marianne or check your e-mail

Note: Dinner will be provided for those stay after 6PM

Due to supporting PLT EOY activities, the English Group Practice on
Sunday , 12-27-09 is canceled.

PLT - English Group

2009 Winter Charity Event Highlight

Families were lining up for the charity event.

We had a lot of clothings and toys to give away !



Our food stations

Union City Police Chief was helping to give away the clothings


All the families in the event.




All the people who made this a successful event! Union City Mayor, Council members, police department, and community service groups plus PLT members and PLS students.

The King of Dharma, His Holiness Liang-sheng is scheduled to LA

Namo Amitabha!
Greetings to everyone!

We would like to thank everyone for your support for the upcoming year-end Emperor Liang Repentance Liturgy Ceremony at Purple Lotus Temple.

Since Grand Master Living Buddha Lian-sheng will be hosting a Hevajra Empowerment and Ceremony in Los Angeles on December 26th, 2009, we have decided to travel to Los Angeles to participate in the ceremony. Therefore, the following scheduled programs for the year-end events at PLT have been revised:

(1) The Christmas Hot Pot Dinner will still take place on 12/25/09.
Please call to register before 12/20/09.
(2) All the sessions scheduled for 12/26/09 will be cancelled.
(3) The morning session of Mantra Chanting will be cancelled.
The Emperor Liang Repentance Liturgy will start as originally
scheduled at 2:00 p.m.

Due to the great number of people travelling to Los Angeles for Grand Master's events, we will be renting a big bus for transportation. The departure time from the bay area will be around midnight on 12/25/09. The return time from Los Angeles will be around midnight on 12/26/09. No lodging is included in this trip.

The transportation fee is $70 per person.
Please register for the bus before the end of 12/14/2009.

Thank you for your cooperation!

Purple Lotus Temple

Here comes again the annual PLT Winter Charity!

Purple Lotus Temple (PLT) Presents: 2009 Tri-cities Winter Charity, Sunday, December 20, 2009 from 2:00pm - 4:00pm

Event Location: Purple Lotus School 33615 9th Street, Union City

Hand in hand and heart to heart, let's work together to bring love & warmth to needy families in our communities! We sincerely appreciate your in-kind contributions, including dry food, new or gently used toys, clothing, books, small household items, etc.

Your voluntary services are absolutely welcome!

For monetary donation, please make your check payable to PLT (Please memo to 2009 Winter Charity.)

All donations are Tax-Deductible. PLT is a California registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Contact Information Questions? More Information? Please Call Our Winter Charity Hotline (510) 474-1898 ext. 201

For more than a decade, leading by the Founder Master Samantha Chou, PLT has distributed tens of thousands of pounds of food and supplies to the Bay Area communities. We embrace all cultures, races and religions. In addition to introducing the True Buddha School Tantric Buddhism doctrines, PLT strives to promote compassion, harmony, balanced education and humanitarian acts to all.

Your generosity is dearly welcome!

As Master Samantha has indicated lately:
Each brand new item donated is equivalent to
3 good deeds committed.
For every 3 gently used items you donated, it is one merit equivalently.

PLT sincerely welcomes and appreciates your generous support to this year Winter Charity Event (12/20) a success in
reaching out to more people in need.

PLT

Volunteer Needed!!

Dear members,

Every year, Purple Lotus Temple would host many ceremonies and events, providing our members opportunities to reduce karmic hindrance and be blessed with Buddha's enlightened energy. All of that cannot be accomplished without the devoted services from our Sangha and volunteers. As our efforts continue, we would like to encourage more volunteers to join us! With your wonderful helping hands, Purple Lotus can further expand our services and as well improve the quality of our services!

We welcome volunteers of any hours and any talents. Please contact 650-952-9513. May you all have a healthy, joyful and wonderful Holiday Season!

PLT

The End of the Year Emperor Liang Repentance Liturgy

Dear All,

The End of the Year Emperor Liang Repentance Liturgy is the last opportunity for us to make offerings to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in 2009. Purple Lotus Temple has prepared some gift baskets to make as offerings to pray for enhancement of wisdom and blessing, auspiciousness for the future year, resolution of enmities, and peacefulness, etc. You can also make offerings of these gift baskets on behalf of your parents, family members, dharma protectors, earth gods, house spirits, enemies and creditors, ancestors, attached spirits, etc.


Please hurry as the numbers of gift baskets are limited.

The gift baskets come in two sizes: $38 and $168.

Following the prescriptions in the Emperor Liang Repentance Liturgy, the items in these gift baskets consist of :

1) flower 2) incense 3) lamp 4) tea 5) fruits 6) water 7) food 8) clothing 9) sutras 10) jewels



In addition, the $38 basket has body care products while the $168 basket has herbal medicine, crown, bath oil and coffee.

To place an order, you can either reply by email (ptlmembers@gmail.com) or with a phone call (510-429-8808 to Peggy).
We appreciate greatly your support and encouragement!

Purple Lotus Temple 2009 Tri-cities Winter Charity

Purple Lotus Temple (PLT) Presents:
2009 Tri-cities Winter Charity
Sunday, December 20, 2009
from 2:00pm to 4:00pm
Event Location: Purple Lotus School
33615 9th Street, Union City


♥ Hand in hand and heart to heart, let’s work together
to bring love & warmth to needy families in our
communities! ♥

We sincerely appreciate your in-kind contributions, including dry food, new or gently used toys, clothing, books, small household items, etc. Your voluntary services are absolutely welcome!

For monetary donation, please make your check payable to PLT (Please memo to 2009 Winter Charity.) All donations are Tax-Deductible. PLT is a California registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Contact Information Questions? More Information? Please Call Our Winter Charity Hotline
(510) 474-1898 ext. 201

For more than a decade, leading by the Founder Master Samantha Chou, PLT has distributed tens of thousands of pounds of food and supplies to the Bay Area communities. We embrace all cultures, races and religions. In addition to introducing
the True Buddha School Tantric Buddhism doctrines, PLT strives to promote compassion, harmony, balanced education and humanitarian acts to all.

Om Mani Padme Hum, PLT

Notes from PLT English Group

Marianne is collecting donated items and plan to drop off at Union City on 12/18/09. So if any of you need help for dropping off the goods, please let her know.

If you are interested to volunteer at the upcoming charity event, please contact 510- 474-1898 ext. 201.

Please Support PLS Fundraising

Dear All,

Please see below information about pruchasing " End of Year Party Raffle Tickets" or open the attachment file. There are lots of benefits if you purchase the raffle tickets. There are limited gifts with buying raffle tickets, so hurry before we run out the gifts.

PLT

Purchase the 『End of Year Party Raffle Tickets』

Purchase Information: Grace (510)429-8808 or Email: pltmembers@gmail.com
We sincerely invite all of you to join our “End of Year Party” on 12/31/2009. We provide free dinner with drink and entertainment programs at the party. All participants will also receive a special gift and a blessing given by Vajra Master Samantha Chou.

All raffle tickets fund will be donated to the Purple Lotus School scholarships program. We appreciate greatly your support and encouragement!

There are lots of benefits if you purchase the raffle tickets. There are limited gifts with buying raffle tickets, so hurry before we run out the gifts.

1. Chance to win a Grand prize: $1000 Cash

2. Chance to win a First prize: 17inch Laptop

3. You can also have a chance to win a digital camera, Tibetan Tanka, DVD player, GPS, Multifunction Printer, Luxurious Watch, Christmas light sets, Kitchen Supplies, Gift basket and etc. More than 200 hundred prizes are given away!

4. Buy 6 raffle ticket, get 1 free ticket and one crystal Maitreya Buddha statue

5. Buy 10 raffle ticket, get 2 free ticket,2 crystal Maitreya Buddha statue, and 1 mantra music CD

6. Buy 20 raffle ticket, get 4 free ticket,4 crystal Maitreya Buddha statue, and 2 mantra music CD

7. Buy 40 raffle ticket, get 8 free ticket,8 crystal Maitreya Buddha statue, 4 mantra music CD and 1 crystal Buddha statue of the Eight-Main deties!

8. Buy 60 raffle ticket, get 12 free ticket,12 crystal Maitreya Buddha statue, 6 mantra music CD, and 1 Dragon Treasure Vase

9. If you buy 20 more tickets, you can exchange your gift with others. For example, you can exchange 2 crystal Maitreya Buddha statue for 1 cross vajra scepter; 2 Manta Music CD for 1 Jambala T-shirt or Camp of Wisdom T-shirt.

Grand Master Lu's Dharma Talk at Seattle Lei Zang Temple, Redmond, Washington on October 17, 2009





Grandmaster continues the Platform Sutra, "All sutras and writings of the greater and smaller vehicles as well as the 12 canonical books have been devised because of men. If there were no people, all dharma would not exist. Therefore know all dharma exists because of people and sutras for their sake."

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

More Than A Day


As Thanksgiving Day rolls around,
It brings up some facts, quite profound.
We may think that we're poor,
Feel like bums, insecure,
But in truth, our riches astound.


We have friends and family we love;
We have guidance from heaven above.
We have so much more
Than they sell in a store,
We're wealthy, when push comes to shove.


So add up your blessings, I say;
Make Thanksgiving last more than a day.
Enjoy what you've got;
Realize it's a lot,
And you'll make all your cares go away.


By Karl Fuchs

Let us commit to the assignment set by Master Samantha. WE ALL CAN DO IT !!!

Let us commit to finish the assignment prior Emperor Liang Repentance Ceremony in December given by Master Samantha as indicated below. If you need any help, please let any member in PLT english group know or contact PLT directly.

Master Samantha suggested to complete the following assignment prior attending the event.

The suggested assignment as followings:
1) Minimum 21 sessions of Repentance Sadhana but 49 sessions will be completed.

2) Vajrasattva Mantra (short version) 100,000 times

3) 7 sessions of Purification Sadhana

4) Fulfill 3 good deeds for each participant/register (living or deceased)

Dedicate above merits for sucess of year-end ceremonies so that all participants and registrants will experience auspiciousness, wish-fulfillment, and dharma bliss

PLT English Group

Vajrasattva Mantra (short version) - Grand Master Lu's original voice

Om, be-dza, sah-do-ah, hum-pei

PLT 2009- EOY Ceremony Schedule & Activities and Assignment

Dear All,

Some of you received the EOY event info from pltmember email on 11/3/09. In case you didn't, see below for the ceremony assignment, sponsor level, schedule, activities, registration form in English...



In order for the participants and registrants to receive auspiciousness, wish-fulfillment and dharma bliss at the 2009 EOY event, Master Samantha suggested to complete the following assignment prior attending the event.

The suggested assignment as followings:
1) Minimum 21 sessions of Repentance Sadhana but 49 sessions will be completed.

2) Vajrasattva Mantra (short version) 100,000 times

3) 7 sessions of Purification Sadhana

4) Fulfill 3 good deeds for each participant/register (living or deceased)

Dedicate above merits for success of year-end ceremonies so that all participants and registrants will experience auspiciousness, wish-fulfillment, and dharma bliss.


"The more the merrier" - Here is the two options for us to gain more merits and blessings.

Option 1: Regular Ceremony Registration Fee (required for all participants)
You may contribute any amount as you wish.

Option 2: Ceremony Sponsor Level (optional but will gain additional merit):
Main Repentance Benefactor (總懺主) - ＄2,888
Blessing Light Benefactor (光明懺主) - $888
Lotus Benefactor (蓮花懺主) $88

Schedule and Activities:
Registration Form:

You can obtain the information and forms from organizer or request any member to forward the e-mail attachment from pltmember e-mail.

Purple Lotus Temple 636 San Mateo Ave, San Bruno, CA 94066, USA. Tel: 1-650-952-9513 Fax: 1-650-952-9567
www.purplelotus.org If you would like to receive electronic newsletter regarding our latest activities, please email to PurpleLotusSociety@hotmail.com and type subject: Add E-Mailing List

Offerings:
You can bring your own and/or contribute to PLT Group Altar offerings and/or purchase with Purple Lotus Temple/Mandala

PLT English Group

Here is the Chinese version.

Don't Miss Purple Lotus Temple Events on Saturday 11/21/09 and Sunday 11/22/09

Dear Dharma Brothers and Sisters,

In supporting PLT upcoming activities, Lama Alfred encourages you all to attend the Homa ceremonies on this weeken. Therefore, Sunday, 11-22-09 from 10:30AM - 11:30AM, the English Group Practice is canceled.

Saturday, 11/21/09:

8:00PM - 大威德金剛除障超度護摩; Yamantaka Removing Obstacles Homa (with Bardo)

Sunday, 11/22/09:

1:00PM - 堅牢地神增益護摩 (沒有超度); Prithvi Deva Homa (No Bardo); 八白日 “Eight White Day” in Chinese Lunar Calendar

3:00PM -瑤池金母馬上有錢護摩; (有超度); Golden Mother Homa (with Bardo)


PLT - English Group

Grand Master Lu's talk with Master Lian Ha -- 10/26/2009 @ TBS Seattle

Avelokitesvara Great Compassion Mantra - Grand Master Lu's original voice

DaBeiZhou (Avelokitesvara Great Compassion Mantra)






NaMo HeLa DaNa, DuoLa YeYe, NaMo ELiYe, PoLu JieDi, ShuoBo LaYe, PuTi SaDo PoYe, MoHe SaDo PoYe, MoHe JiaLu NiJiaYe, Om, SaDo LaFaYi, ShuDa NaDaXia, NaMo ShiJi LiDo, YiMeng ELiYe, PoLu JiDi, ShiFo LaLeng TuoPo, NaMo NaLa JingChi, XiLi MoHe BoDuo ShaMe, SaPo ATuo, DouShuPeng, AShiYun, SaPo SaDuo, NaMo PuoSaDuo, NaMo PuoChie, MoFa TeDou, DanZhiTa, Om, APuo LuShi, LuJiaDi, JiaLuoDi, YiXiLi, MoHe PuTi SaDuo, SaPuo SaPuo, MoLa MoLa, MoXi MoXi, LiTuoYun, JuLu JuLu JieMeng, DuLu DuLu, FaShe YeDi, MoHe FaShe YeDi, TuoLa TuoLa, DiLiNi, ShiFo LaYe, ZheLa ZheLa, MoMo, FaMoLa, MuDiLi, YiShi YiShi, ShiNa ShiNa, ALaSeng, FoLa SheLi, FaSha FaSeng, FoLa SheYe, HuLu HuLu MoLa, HuLu HuLu XiLi, ShaPuo ShaPuo, XiLi XiLi, SuLu SuLu, PuTiYe, PuTiYe, PuTuoYe, PuTuoYe, MiDi LiYe, NaLa JingChi, DiLi SheNiNa, PuoYe MoNa, SaPuoHe, XiTuoYe, SaPuoHe, MoHe XiTuoYe, SaPuoHe, ShiTuo YuYi, ShiBuo LaYe, SaPuoHe, NaLa JingChi, SaPuoHe, MoLa NaLa, SaPuoHe, XiLaSeng, AMuChieYe, SaPuoHe, SaPuo MoHe, AShi TuoYe, SaPuoHe, ZheJiLa, AShi TuoYe, SaPuoHe, BuoTuoMo, JieXi TuoYe, SaPuoHe, NaLa JingChi, BuoChie LaYe, SaPuoHe, MoPuoLi, ShengJie LaYe, SaPuoHe, NaMo HeLa DaNa, DuoLa YieYe, NaMo ALiYe, PuoLu JiDi, ShuoPo LaYe, SaPuoHe, Om, XiDianDu, ManDuoLa, BaTuoYe, SaPuoHe.

PLT 20 year journey ( 2007 video part I /6 )

This is the PLT video dated in 2007 about the journey of Purple Lotus Temple.
Don't miss this. It is an exciting journey for Master Samantha.
We will continue the 2nd part next week.



Please scroll the text to match the time of the video for the translation.

00:01/9:48
The 20 year journey of True Buddha Purple Lotus Temple

00:08/9:48
Greetings from Grand Master Lu on Purple Lotus 20 year anniversary

00:16/9:48
Purple Lotus Temple, a local chapter of the True Buddha School
in the United States, is located in the San Francisco Bay Area in
California.

00:22/9:48
Purple Lotus Temple

00:26/9:48
In 2007, Purple Lotus Temple (PLT) celebrates its 20th anniversary.
Under the leadership of Vajra Acharya Samantha Chou,
PLT has sailed through all kinds of trials and challenges.
Step by step, it has forged ahead to grow into
the strong spiritual organization as it is today.

00:59/9:48
Founded in May 2nd, 1987,
PLT is located in the city of San Bruno, California.
Under the umbrella of PTL are:
Purple Lotus Publishing
Lotus Light Charity Subsidiary
Mandala Arts
Purple Lotus School
Purple Lotus Buddhist Institute
and

01:18/9:48
the Future Purple Lotus Temple Project.

01:25/9:48
Our ultimate goal is to carry out the instruction of our Guru
to eventually build

01:32/9:48
the Wa Kwang Purple Lotus University.

01:35/9:48
PLT’s mission is to disseminate
the True Buddha Tantric Dharma throughout the world.
We believe the increase of one’s knowledge in Buddhism through the TBTD
will lead to a decrease of anger, confusion, suffering
and ultimately result in happiness, peace, and awakening.

01:45/9:48
Vajra Acharya Samantha Chou
is the founder and resident master of Purple Lotus Temple of True Buddha School.

01:55/9:48
Master Samantha’s father was a famous doctor in Taiwan
who often provided free services to the sick and impoverished.

02:04/9:48
Among the six siblings, Master is the only girl.

02:11/9:48
When Master Samantha was nine years old,
her father suddenly got sick and passed away.
Bereft of her father’s love,
Master started asking many questions.
Why does a good person die so young?

02:27/9:48
Where has father gone to after he died?
Thus started Master Samantha’s quest into the Mystery of Life.

02:35/9:48
In July 1984, in looking for answers to the puzzles in her mind,
Master Samantha visited a Taoist medium in Taiwan.

02:40/9:48
In that encounter, Master’s psychic body awakened.
Her soul traveled to the realms of heaven, netherworld,
and she saw Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and the Dragon Kings.
She also saw her father whom she missed deeply.

02:58/9:48
Ever since the awakening of her psychic abilities,
Master is able to see things others cannot.
She starts to look at the world differently
and gains a new understanding into human existence.

03:10/9:48
But, from that time on, her menses also abruptly stopped.
“After my visits with the Taoist master,
I stopped menstruating.
The doctors were not able to figure out why.”

03:20/9:48
One night in November 1985,
Master Samantha had a vision of the Great Sun Buddha.
The Great Sun Buddha told her,
“You are pregnant with a girl.”
Further medical examination confirmed it,
Although Master has not had a period for 18 months
add doctors had announced that she was infertile.

03:51/9:48
Even more surprisingly,
when Master was three months pregnant,
the baby in her womb started chanting the name of Amitabha
and could converse directly with her.

04:00/9:48
Confounded by her experiences,
Master sought help from medical doctors and religious figures.
But, they were not able to help her.

04:12/9:48
They even ridiculed her and entertained the idea
that she might be mentally disturbed.

04:20/9:48
Finally, through the recommendation of a friend,
on March 29th 1986, Master flew to Seattle
to meet with Living Buddha Lian-sheng Sheng-yen Lu,
the founder of True Buddha School.

04:34/9:48
The night before their meeting,
Master dreamt of Grand Master Lu.

04:40/9:48
When Grand Master saw Master Samantha,
the first thing he said was,
“Your mission entrusted by Shakyamuni Buddha to help sentient beings now begins.”

05:00/9:48
Grand Master also told Master of her great affinity with him.
She is the incarnation of Maha Purple Padmakumara.

05:06/9:48
Master Samantha finally found the answers to her questions.
She took refuge in Living Buddha Lian-sheng
and started the cultivation of the True Buddha Tantric Dharma.

05:23/9:48
On July 22nd 1987, Grand Master bestowed the title of
True Buddha Vajra Acharya to Master Samantha.

05:28/9:48
In Grand Master’s 87th book,
The Mysterious Riots of Colors,
Grand Master wrote that,
“Master Samantha is the emanation of Purple Padmakumara,
one of the 18 Padmakumaras in the Maha Twin Lotus Ponds in
Sukhavati, the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.
Her mission in this life is to assist the White Padmakumara
in disseminating the Dharma and helping sentient beings.”

05:56/9:48
In her seventh month of pregnancy,
Master indeed gave birth to a baby girl.
Grand Master named her Miaohua (Megia).

06:10/9:48
In his 71st book, The Defeat of Black Magic,
Grand Master explained the mission entrusted by Shakyamuni Buddha
to Master Samantha and the identity of Megia.

06:35/9:48
In the following two years,
under the same condition of amenorrhea,
Master gave birth to two more children.

06:46/9:48
The second daughter was born in 1988.
Grand Master named her Miaoxing (Junia).
After the birth of Junia,

06:52/9:48
Master received a message from Amitabha
that she would have another son,
but she would also have to pass on from the world.


07:03/9:48
In 1989, while giving birth to her son Engih,

07:09/9:48
Master Samantha had a ruptured artery and
lost a great amount of blood.
She was on the verge of death.
Although the doctors tried to save her,
they were at the end of their rope.

07:23/9:48
At this urgent moment,
Grand Master entered into meditation
to save Master Samantha.

07:30/9:48
Grand Master said that “Just then the phone rang, it was 11 p.m., and
it was from dharma brother Chou from San Francisco.
All he could say was that Master Samantha was in grave danger.
Then he started sobbing. I told him that I was aware of it.

08:00/9:48
Then he hung up. I went immediately to the shrine,
lit an incense, and prayed to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
I was praying very sincerely with my whole being.
Because my mind was focused on Master Samantha,
I was able to spot her right away.
Her soul has come out to roam around.


08:40/9:48
She ran into a room to see an official
to start her process of emigration.

08:47/9:48
I say, ‘Where are you going?’
She said she was getting a visa.
To where?

08:57/9:48
She said, ‘To Heaven.’

09:03/9:48
I told her there is no road to Heaven.
‘How about Hell?’ she asked.

09:05/9:48
There is also no road to Hell.

09:12/9:48
I told her to go back to the world.

09:16/9:48
She protested, ‘Why? There is so much suffering in the world!’

09:20/9:48
I told her, ‘You have to endure the greatest suffering
before you can obtain the greatest birth.
Only by experiencing the great death will you be able to really live.

09:36/9:48
I am not trying to block your escape,
it is just that your mission has not been accomplished.

09:44/9:48
Therefore, she had no choice but to return to the hospital.

09:46
She had a second chance at life.

Continue Next Video

Grand Master Lu's visit in Texas on Nov 14th,15th

Nov 14th, 2009 in Farmersville, Texas
Kalachara Buddha Association

Congratulations To the Kalachara Buddha Association
The Grand Opening of Kalachakra Meditation Center
and the Kalachakra Buddha Offering and Blessing Ceremony
Hosted by the Holy Red Crown Vajra and Grand Master Sheng-Yen Lu

Nov 15th, 2009 in Houston, Texas
Houston True Buddha Temple

Mori Point Park Hiking Trip

Date: Saturday, November 7, 2009
Place: Mori Point Park, Pacifica, California

To prepare for this event, Elizabeth and I visited the site on Wednesday, November 4, 2009 to familiarize with the environment. As we walked to the area, I asked the Park Earth Gods to support and protect the PLT’s group upcoming visit on November 7, 2009. I sensed their smiles of approval upon us. As I recited the Earth Deva Prithvi mantra, the image of the basic “Five Offerings” appeared, a sign I took as a reminder that we should bring those items with us during our upcoming visit. Later, I confirmed this message with Lama Alfred and he stated that they also requested us to offer the Lotus and Mantra paper. This was a re-validation that spirits knew everything in advance.

On the day of the event, after a debriefing of safety rules and performing armor protection, we started our hike at Mori Point Park, Pacifica, California approximately at 10:35am. It was a clear, sunny day with a gentle soothing breeze. We walked on the pathway parallel to the beach, then we started our leisurely hike on the first ridge to an incredible lookout point about 500’ over the cliff, then up another 500’ above the ocean. The view of the crashing waves and the clean ocean beach below was absolutely breathtaking.





We set up the praying area at the top of the mountain. Although we emphasized about traveling light, due to everyone’s sincerity, generosity and respect for the Earth Deva Prithvi and Park Earth Gods, the offerings were astounding. Aside from the “Five Basic Offers” (flowers, incense, candle, tea and fruits), lotus, mantra papers, breads, tea eggs, chips, sandwiches, pot stickers and more than ten types and sizes of liquors were presented.

As Lama Alfred led the Earth Deva Prithvi and the samadhi, all were so in tuned with the prayers that the rest of the world was in silence. We were free of distractions, not even other hikers or any of the insects affected us. Some experienced seeing Dragon Kings, Park Earth Gods, their ancestors, while others saw Earth Deva Prithvi standing high above the cliffs at more than 1500’ during the service. At the end of the cultivation, strong winds blew some offerings away and chilled us briefly. Lama Alfred explained that the Gods have come to receive the offerings. This reminded me briefly of the time we were on the ferry for the Dragon Kings ceremony. As the offerings were tossed in the ocean, strong winds blew upon us to announce the presence of the Dragon Kings.

We enjoyed a pleasant picnic after the service. We socialized and further appreciated the marvelous view. To re-enforce Earth Deva Prithvi’s teaching of maintaining a clean earth, we picked up the trash. It is critical for us as cultivators to remember to apply what we have learned to our daily lives – “Walk Your Talk.” Another Dharma method we applied and proven effective was performing armor protection prior to the trip. We had no injuries or lost of belongings. Although a few expressed that they were uncomfortable climbing the high cliffs, everyone seemed to have enjoyed the overall experience. The total distance was approximately two plus miles with an estimation of 40-50 minutes each way. We never knew that Pacifica could be so beautiful. If you are looking for a place to watch a sunset, this will be a perfect spot.



Special thanks to Grand Master Lu, Buddhas, Bohittsavas, Earth Deva Prithvi, Park’s Earth Gods and all the Armor Protectors’ for their blessings and protection for a safe journey. In addition, thanks to Master Samantha for sharing Earth Deva Prithvi’s message with us so we could have this wonderful opportunity to offer at the mountain. Of course, thanks to Lama Alfred for leading the event and all the participants’ support and cooperation to make this a memorable experience.

Everyone is looking forward to the next event.
Note: 1Q 2010 event, Seattle and Vancouver.

Om Mani Padme Hum!
Marianne Hung
PLT – English Group Practice
Event Coordinator/Assistant

Welcome

Dear All,



Welcome to Purple Lotus Connect, our english blog for us to connect with each other and share our thought and experience in the True Buddha teachings. We will post all activities that are related to the True Buddha organization and our local chapter at Purple Lotus Temple. This site is designed for everyone to be part of True Buddha and Purple Lotus family.



cheers,
Purple Lotus Members