88 Buddhas Repentance Ceremony
八十八佛洪名寶懺法會

The 88 Buddha Repentance Liturgy has often been chanted in many daytime ceremonies in Ocean Sky. In 2010, this beautiful and melodious liturgy was adopted as its year-long Saturday night repentance practice.

The 88 Buddhas are a combination of 53 Buddhas and 35 Buddhas selected from two different sutras. The two sutras stated that by prostrating to the 53 and 35 Buddhas, sentient beings can eradicate four grave sins (四重禁罪), five seditious acts and ten evil deeds (五逆十惡).

At the conclusion of chanting, there is this most common repentance verse:
往昔所造諸惡業 All the harm I have ever done, since time immemorial,
皆由無始貪瞋癡 Are caused by greed, anger, and ignorance.
從身語意之所生 And produced through my body, speech, and will;
一切罪障皆懺悔 Now, I confess and amend all.

By diligently prostrating to 88 Buddhas, we reflect on and repent the bad habits that keep us from enlightenment. We gradually eradicate greed, anger, and ignorance, in order to open new paths for the future.

Guan Yin Ceremony
觀音普門品法會

Known as the Bodhisattva of Compassion, Guan Yin is very popular among lay devotees in the Philippines. Every time Guan Yin Ceremony is held in Ocean Sky, the Chan Hall is packed with people wanting to pray and prostrate to the Bodhisattva.

The ceremony is often held on various occasions each year in the Monastery. In 2009, Ocean Sky found a unique way of converting the entire “Chapter of Universal Gateway of Bodhisattva Guan Yin” (普門品) from the Lotus Sutra into prostration format with different melodious chants.

Guan Yin Bodhisattva (Avalokitesvara) means “Observer of Sounds.” The compassionate Guan Yin vows to listen to the cries of any beings who are in distress and to immediately come to their rescue when they single-mindedly chant his name. According to the Universal Gateway chapter, Guan Yin constantly takes on 33 forms, as a man, a woman, a monk, a statesman, etc., according to the needs of the sentient beings, to perfect their wisdom in order to reach ultimate enlightenment.

Ocean Sky devotees are always filled with Dharma joy after chanting the chapter and know that by reflecting back to their minds, they can strengthen their inherent compassion to help other beings.