An Account of the Origin of the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara World Peace & Harmony Puja

In the Avatamsaka Sutra, the youth Suddana visited Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, asking him the question:
How should one learn the practice of a bodhisattva? Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara replied, “There are innumerable Dharma practices that a bodhisattva should learn. Among all these practices, I started out slowly with the practice of great compassion. It was after a long time that I was finally able to enter deeply into the Dharma gate of great compassion, to liberate all sentient beings extensively, to cultivate boundless undefiled merits, and to attain supreme liberation. Suddhana! My intention for treading the path of bodhisattva through the Dharma gate of great compassion is to alleviate the sufferings of all sentient beings, to save them and protect them, so that they can live a life free of fear. If sentient beings wish to be protected by bodhisattvas and be free of fear, they should practice Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara’s Dharma gate of great compassion.”

(1) In April 2006, the first World Buddhist Forum was held in Zhejiang, China.
The primary theme of the forum was “a harmonious world begins in the mind”
The secondary theme of the forum was “a pure mind makes the world pure, a secure mind brings security to all beings, a peaceful mind brings peace to the world.”
How do we actualize “a harmonious world begins in the mind”? First and foremost is to engender the mind of loving kindness and compassion in the individuals.

In the Confucian tradition of Chinese philosophy of, to practice loving kindness is to be humane, and to practice compassion is to uphold moral justice and responsibility. From the Buddhist perspective, to practice loving kindness is to bring peace and happiness to all sentient beings, and to practice compassion is to alleviate the sufferings of all sentient beings.
In this restless and tumultuous world, people are becoming more and more unethical. To turn back the tide of decadence and prevent calamities before they occur, it is important to proactively educate people with the teachings of cause and consequence.
Moreover, energy and effort should be spent to promote the practice of loving kindness and compassion which are the very foundation of Buddhism. Only then can the unwholesome be rectified. If everyone behaves virtuously (by thinking virtuous thoughts, speaking virtuous words, and performing virtuous deeds) and stays away from the unwholesome, loving kindness and compassion will become a constant fact of life and disasters will naturally be averted. This will in fact, be the realization of the Efficacious Mantra of White Robe Guan Yin, that “Adversities are averted and all disasters and calamities are turned into dust”.

(2) In the Mahayana Buddhist tradition, the 19th day of the sixth lunar month (August 1, 2007) is the day to commemorate Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara’s enlightenment. It is also known as “the day on which calamities are averted”. It is customary for monks and nuns to be ordained on this auspicious day. Moreover, Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, as the efficacious and omnipresent savior who responds to the cries of suffering and offers relief, is the symbol of great compassion. In fact, Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara is known throughout the world and worshipped by many.
This is aptly described by the Chinese saying that “in every household, Amitabha Buddha is venerated, and Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara is worshipped”. Innumerable people have been helped by Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara and their stories are well recorded.

(3) To do away with superstition and promote the genuine teachings of Buddhism: If people only worship Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara without knowing that the essence of Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara is loving kindness and compassion, their practice will be a form of superstition or blind faith. It is important to help people cultivate an ethical attitude, and to inspire them with Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara’s spirit of loving kindness and compassion, so that they will engender the same qualities in their hearts and minds.
A tradition Chinese saying states that “do not do to others what you do not want them to do to you." Only if we reduce negative deeds will we truly receive the benefits of worshipping Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara.

(4) The world is plagued with disasters. To transform this common karma, we need to call on all people to contribute their effort. It is hoped that through the help of Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, and the effort of Buddhist groups acting in unison, our vow power will exceed that of the common karma of sentient beings. We pray that sentient beings in our world will depart from disasters and adversities and enjoy peace and blessings; we pray that the global economic condition will stabilize, and people can enjoy a peaceful life; we pray that sentient beings can live in a harmonious world where everybody abides by the principle that “a pure mind makes the world pure, a secure mind brings security to all beings, a peaceful mind brings peace to the world.”

(5) Bring together Buddhist organizations and make this unified effort a worthy example for organizations of other religions to emulate. We hope to bring together Buddhist organizations of all sizes in Malaysia, as well as ordained and lay Buddhists from around the world, regardless of their traditions. It is important that we all come together and contribute our parts for the future of Buddhism, and for the prosperity, security, and peace of the human race. If each of us can make whatever little effort we are able to afford, it is sure that we can bring light and hope to the world. All Buddhists around the world should work in unison to practice and promote Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara’s spirit of loving kindness and compassion, and offer relief to those in need of help. That way we will spread Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara’s message of loving kindness and compassion to the hearts of people around us. Let us all generate this aspiration as a means to repay the debt of gratitude to the Buddha.

(6) 2007 is the 50th anniversary of Malaysia’s Independence. By holding the World Protection Puja, we are doing our parts to repay the debts of gratitude to the nation, the world, and all sentient beings.  In the early twentieth century, to bring peace and avert disasters in China, the great Chinese master Yin Guang held a Puja in Shanghai to protect the nation. It is in the same spirit that we are holding this Puja, but we have extended the boundary from one nation to the whole world, and will use this opportunity to promote unity and understanding among different religious groups. We also hope that this event will serve to showcase Malaysia as a multi-ethnic nation where religious freedom is a fact and where the various ethnic groups live in peace and harmony.
It should also be noted that the holding of this World Protecting Puja is a groundbreaking event in that ordained and lay Buddhists from around the world will participate in the chanting sessions in their own countries, at the same time these sessions are held in Malaysia. That is indeed rare and unique. We can say that to be able to participate in such an event and cultivate such virtuous karmic condition is a precious opportunity that does not come often in our cyclical existence through the kalpas.

It is not a problem if we do not have much material things to share with sentient beings, for the most important thing is to spread the practice of loving kindness and compassion far and wide, to every corner of the world.