The Ritual Boundary Setting of the Water, Land, and Air Dharma Assembly: Returning to the Primordial State of Mind as Bodhicitta Arises

At dawn on 25 July 2026, the ritual of setting the boundaries for the Inner Shrine of the Water, Land, and Air Dharma Assembly commenced. We express our gratitude to everyone present this evening for setting aside worldly concerns, gathering with reverence and concentrated mindfulness, and participating in this grand universal offering, dedicated to transforming the world and liberating sentient beings.

The Water, Land, and Air Dharma Assembly constitutes one of the most direct and accessible expedient paths to buddhahood. The annual convening of the Water, Land, and Air Dharma Assembly at Ling Jiou Mountain is successfully accomplished each year not only through the blessing of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, but also because the convergence of devas, earthly beings, deities, humans, and spirits are fully present. Moreover, it brings together the compassionate aspirations and vows of the assembly, thereby generating inconceivable powers of transference for the deceased, spiritual blessing, and liberation.

The Water, Land, and Air Dharma Assembly constitutes one of the most direct and accessible expedient paths to buddhahood. The annual convening of the Water, Land, and Air Dharma Assembly at Ling Jiou Mountain is successfully accomplished each year not only through the blessing of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, but also because the convergence of devas, earthly beings, deities, humans, and spirits are fully present. Moreover, it brings together the compassionate aspirations and vows of the assembly, thereby generating inconceivable powers of transference for the deceased, spiritual blessing, and liberation.

This is especially true of our ancestors, parents, and relatives, whose karmic connections and blood ties bind them closely to us. As their karmic obscurations are purified and longstanding karmic entanglements resolved, the wholesome karma that naturally manifests from their purification also returns to benefit us. As a result, obstacles are removed, allowing us to dwell in peace and ease. Not only do our aspirations concerning family, career, health, and other aspects of this present life proceed harmoniously, but wisdom also unfolds, virtuous roots continue to mature, and our lives advance toward illumination and awakening.

The setting of ritual boundary begins with the mind. One must return the mind to its original ground and intrinsic nature, relinquishing all phenomenal appearances. When attachment to appearances is abandoned, coolness and tranquility naturally arise, the five poisons subside, and emptiness together with compassion become manifest. It is from this realization that bodhicitta emerges and the Bodhisattva's vow to liberate sentient beings unfolds.

At this very moment, everyone should gather the mind in single-pointed concentration and visualize the entire spatiotemporal domain of the Water, Land, and Air Dharma Assembly transforming into the pure vajra mandala of intrinsic nature. Within the inseparable union of emptiness and compassion, offerings are made impartially to all. Above, offerings are presented to the Buddhas and noble sages; below, the Dharma is bestowed upon all sentient beings throughout the Dharma realm. In this way, the merit generated by the Water, Land, and Air Dharma Assembly pervades all realms, transforms the five poisons, fully reveals innate wisdom, and actualizes the Water, Land, and Air Pure Land that transcends time and space.

This year is the Year of the Fire Horse, a period characterized by an intensification of fierce and volatile energies throughout the world. Infused with the pervasive force of human selfishness and desire, these conditions have contributed to innumerable calamities in the world. Through the collective establishment of this pure boundary, we not only benefit sentient beings dwelling in the unseen realms but also bring peace and harmony to the human world. United in shared aspiration, we dedicate these merits to the entire Dharma realm, transforming collective karma, pacifying disasters, and enabling all sentient beings to become free from fear and attain peace and well-being.

All sentient beings throughout world equally possess the spiritual state of mind. The entire spatiotemporal sphere of the Water, Land, and Air Dharma Assembly thus constitutes a field in which all forms of spirituality converge. In recent years, we have promoted the principle of "spirituality is ecology," encouraging everyone to awaken to the innate purity of their own spiritual state of mind and to recognize that all beings and phenomena are fundamentally interconnectedness and mutual support for thriving, rather than opposed to one another. Such awareness enables us to respect the intrinsic value of all beings, embrace the space for coexistence, and together build a world of shared fulfillment. This likewise embodies the Avatamsaka vision that “one is all and all is one, and the non-obstruction of all phenomena”.

As the saying goes, "Through the supreme practices and merits of the Water, Land, and Air Dharma Assembly, sentient beings are guided onto the path to buddhahood." To encounter this Dharma Assembly is itself the fruition of virtuous roots and merits accumulated over countless lifetimes. Everyone should therefore cherish this rare opportunity to plant the seeds of liberation and buddhahood for oneself, for one's ancestors, parents, relatives, and all sentient beings. One should let go of grasping and deluded conceptions, cultivate a mind of joyful equanimity, perfect the merit generated by every Buddhist rite, and work for the liberation of all suffering beings. In doing so, one also dissolves beginningless karmic enmities with sentient beings, transforming afflictions into bodhi.

Finally, we offer our most sincere dedication of all the merits generated through this Dharma Assembly: may conflicts cease and calamities be extinguished; may spiritual awakening flourish and ecological harmony prevail; and may world peace be realized and the Earth at peace.