The Water and Land Dharma Function of Shaolin Temple in Yisi Year Completed Successfully
On May 12, 2025, sandalwood-scented smoke hung in the air above Shaolin Temple when Buddhist chants were melodious. The Water and Land Dharma Function in Yisi Year took 7 days to complete Buddhist rituals regardless of day and night. Dharma masters led lay Buddhists to make boundaries, send out invitations, invite and offer sacrifice to holy ones from the heaven, invite and offer sacrifice to all beings or spirits from the lower world, dedicate merits, pay respects and repentance, provide offerings to the heaven, confer precepts of the nether world, release souls of the deceased, and practice meditation with efforts. There are all the four classes of saints and the six realms among the all spirits of existence, made offerings universally. The Water and Land Dharma Function helps sentient beings make vows, release from suffering and attain enlightenment. Hereto the dharma assembly comes to a successful issue. （report by Zou Xiang, Yue long, photos by Yue Long, Huang Yidi and Tang Xinyu）
Offering incense and water purification
Buddhist rites in the outer shrine
The Grand Shrine
Offerings to the Heaven
Offering sacrifice to the holy ones from the heaven in the Water and Land Dharma Function of Shaolin Temple in Yisi Year and inviting the Grand Monk Yongxin to mount the platform and give dharma teachings
Buddhist rites in the inner shrine
Building a boundary for the ritual
Sending invitations and hanging Buddhist flags
Inviting holy ones from the heaven
Offerings to holy ones from the heaven
Asking for pardon
Inviting beings and spirits from the lower world
Explaining precepts of the nether world
Offerings to spirits of the lower world
Paying a respect for the grand repentance
Releasing captive beings
Offering perfect sacrifice and burning perfect incense
Escorting judgement letters to leave
Escorting holy ones to leave
