Fire Puja to Medicine Guru Buddha

Yutang Lin


Pouring or drizzling rain in keeping with tempo and rhythm,
Bright fire shines and dances while clothing remains unwetted.
Master and attendant rabbits face the Medicine Guru Buddha;
Seven deer appear looking far ahead into the path in front.

Comments:

Today during the fire puja to Medicine Guru Buddha there were some auspicious signs. These are carefully recorded below: Rain came now and then; sometimes pouring, sometimes drizzling. With Buddha's blessings the heavy downpour and hairlike drizzle match the periods when we were preparing the offerings inside the hut or performing the fire ceremony outdoors. Consequently, the fire was big and bright while our clothing was not even wet by the rain. At the end, the firewood came down and spread evenly in all directions. The ashes formed two rabbits. The larger one, with a pink eye, sat at the center of the fire altar, crouching on the throne formed by several coconuts. To the right front below its throne sat a smaller rabbit. Both rabbits faced squarely toward the Medicine Guru Buddha. The coming lunar year is of the sign of rabbit. Hence the appearance of these rabbits should be an auspicious omen of the coming for refuge in Buddha of many sentient beings. On the way home we saw seven deer stood on hillside by the road; the number happens to coincide with that of the Medicine Guru Buddhas. In the wilderness of this area occasionally we would encounter deer, at most three or five at a time. This is the first time we saw seven deer; as if the seven Buddhas came in transformation to grant blessings. How inconceivable it was!

Written in Chinese: February 8, 1999
Translated: September 9, 1999
El Cerrito, California


[Home][Back to list][Back to Chinese versions]