Within the grounds of Zen temples, there is a pond called a Houjou-ike (a pond for releasing captive birds, fish, etc.) located in front of the Sanmon (the three deliverance gate).
Such a pond is used for the Houjou-e ceremony, namely, a compassionate act of non-killing in which captured fish and other creatures are released into the pond without killing them.
This pond serves as a place for embodying the fundamental Buddhist ethic of “compassion for all life” (great compassion). In Zen Buddhism, the tranquil surface of the pond symbolizes “serenity of mind” or “nomindedness.”
In the scorching sunlight of midsummer, on the peaceful water of compassion which releases all living things from their sufferings, the sacred lotus of enlightenment blooms gracefully to awaken us to Buddha-nature.
No comments:
Post a Comment