2007 International District Summer Festival

Ling Shen Ching Tze Temple (Seattle, WA) set up two stands across from Hing Hay Park.  A Tantric shrine was set up in one of the stands to allow visitors to pay their respects to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.  Countless visitors came forward to offer incense to pay their respects, make wishes and seek guidance from the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas through the oracles.  The other stand was set up to exhibit Grand Master’s (Shi Zun’s) books, thangkas, malas and other items with Buddhist symbolism to allow visitors to browse and purchase, if they would like to.  Senior Reverend Bi Zhen also held a live demonstration of  folding a lotus and a dharma boat, which attracted curious visitors to come forward to learn.  One of them was an 8th grade teacher who said that she would impart the art of lotus folding to her students in school.

The temple was happy to have the help of the reverends and numerous volunteers including Dexter, Simone, Jack, Winnie, Katie, among others, with this event.  The volunteers took turns distributing incenses and complimentary copies of Buddhist publications to the public.  Others helped with answering questions from the visitors and educating them on the benefits of chanting mantras and performing good deeds.  It was good for the temple to form affinity with all who came to pay their respects.  This year’s visitors included many children as well as many non-Buddhists.

On the 2nd day of the festival (Sunday), Shi Zun and Shi Mu honored everyone with their presence, together with local masters from the Seattle temple.  Shi Zun encouraged all to continue to spread the Buddha Dharma.  Senior Reverend Chun Lian stayed longer to help decipher the oracles for the public.

Ling Shen Ching Tze Temple located here in WA is indeed fortunate to have the guidance of Shi Zun in spreading Buddha’s teachings to benefit society in attaining peace, prosperity and progress, in educating everyone to start from the basics of simply chanting mantras and gaining merit to attain inner peace and family harmony.  A couple of days before the festival, Shi Zun divulged that he had prayed to the Dragon King to ask for rain to alleviate the extreme heat brought on by the heat wave.  Truly on Friday morning, thunder roared followed by rain, and the temperature was brought down to the 70 degrees (Fahrenheit) from the 90s.  All disciples were touched and were thankful for the compassion of Shi Zun and the blessings of the Dragon King and all Bodhisattvas.  This helped with the success of the 2007 Summer Festival which hopefully brought joy to all who attended and participated.