Dear all,

Recently, 3 of my students visited Lantau Island as a appreciation for their great effort in making a wonderful video about Kechara Oasis. How exciting!

At the end of last year, the group of 3 (pic above), along with two other groups of students, were given the opportunity to make videos about different Kechara departments. Each of the 3 groups came up with such creative videos… even though they had no prior experience in filming, scriptwriting, editing or directing!

After a month of filming and another month of public voting, Pastor Jae Jay, Pastor Adeline and Pastor Yek Yee‘s team gathered the most number of votes for their video on Kechara Oasis. Do take a look at the winning video here, Kechara Video Competition!

I am very glad that the three of them were able to visit the holy sites on Lantau Island. Before they left, I had advised them to take this trip seriously and to not visit merely as a tourist, but to view it as a pilgrimage trip. Doing so, they will then be able to get the most out of their trip… and will be able to share their experiences with the many people that they will meet in the future…

The 3 Pastors returned and wrote an article to share with my blog readers, and even made a video! Lantau Island is a beautiful place and a great pilgrimage site… If you’re in Hong Kong, do drop by at Lantau Island.

Tsem Rinpoche

Pastors in Lantau Island!

Written by Pastor Jae Jay, Pastor Adeline and Pastor Yek Yee

On 3^rd December 2013, the three of us Pastor Yek Yee, Pastor Jay Jae and Pastor Adeline were assigned by our Spiritual Guide, His Eminence Tsem Rinpoche, to produce a video for Kechara Oasis to promote vegetarianism. This video, together with those of Kechara Media Publication and Kechara Paradise, was included in the Kechara Video Competition that reward the winning team with a 4-day-3-night all-expenses paid trip to HongKong pilgrimage to Lantau Island to pay homage to the Tian Tan Buddha. After a month of voting, the Kechara Oasis promotional video (KO01 – The Superb Kechara Vegetarian Dining Experience!) won the video competition!

We departed to Hong Kong on 4^th March in the morning, arrived in the afternoon. Arrangements for the next day’s trip to Lantau Island were done almost immediately upon arrival. On the next morning, we took a cab from the hotel to the Tung Chung Cable Car Terminal to board the cable car to Ngong Ping on Lantau Island.

We boarded the visually spectacular cable car, crossing Tung Chung Bay to Ngong Ping. It was a 25 minutes ride with nice views: the vistas of the distant, vast South China Sea and the rolling grassland slopes of North Lantau Country Park. Although it was foggy that day, the journey did not failed to offer a spectacular panorama of verdant, mountainous terrain of Lantau Island, Tian Tan Buddha and the 360-degree view of the Ngong Ping Plateau.

Pastor Jae Jay and Pastor Adeline

Upon arrival at the Ngong Ping Cable Car Terminal, we were enthusiastically greeted by the friendly working crew at the terminal with souvenirs attached with our pictures. The Ngong Ping village, adjacent to the terminal, Po Lin Monastery and Tian Tan Buddha, was culturally themed with shops that offered souvenirs for the shopaholic and food for foodists. But as spiritual aspirants, our focus was what laid behind. As we strolled through the village, the sight of the Tian Tan Buddha becomes bigger and clearly, a magnificent view altogether.

The Tian Tan Buddha was erected in 1993, making the previously almost remote monastery, the Po Lin Monastery, visible on the world map. This Buddha rises 34 metres high, sitting in the south and facing the north to look over the Chinese people, bestowing blessings and protection.

As the visibility was rather low when we arrived, we made a detour to the Po Lin Monastery located opposite the majestic bronze Buddha for brunch at their vegetarian restaurant before paying homage to the Buddha. The front of the monastery was beautifully decorated with flowers and plants and its pleasant garden was very much alive with the beautiful chants of the resident monks vast amounts of flower offerings.

The monastery’s main prayer hall was filled a peaceful presence which captivated those who entered. It was built based on traditional Chinese Mahayana architecture. In the main hall stood the Buddhas of three worlds – Shakyamuni, Amitabha and Bhaisajyaguru Buddha. Behind is a beautiful Chinese painting of the 1,000 arm Avalokiteshvara.

Behind the main prayer hall was a larger temple complex which housed the five Dhyani Buddhas and 10,000 other smaller Buddha statues. On the left wall of the main entrance of the main prayer hall carved a 12 feet Samantabhadra Bodhisattva wall relief, while on the right is Manjushri Bodhisattva.

Pastor Yek Yee and Pastor Jae Jay making incense offerings

We made incense offerings to the Buddhas of Po Lin Monastery before we continue to see the Tian Tan Buddha. Made from 202 pieces of bronze plates soldered together, this Buddha statue took 12 years to complete. The Buddha is seated on top of a small hill surrounded with greens and can be accessed by climbing 268 steps up to its peak. The Buddha was built based on traditional scriptures complete with the major and minor marks of a great enlightened being. The features and incline of the head together with the raised right hand to deliver blessings to all, combined to bring a humbling depth of character and dignity to the massive Buddha.

His Eminence mentioned before that by building large outdoor Buddhas will help calm the surroundings of the land and also avoid natural disasters. In the past, huge Buddha statues such as Buddha Shakyamuni, Maitreya and even Lama Tsongkhapa were built in a war-stricken land to calm the land and bring peace to the people residing in that area.

We climbed to the top for a closer look at the remarkable Buddha, and to be awe stricken by the Buddha at the same time. The podium was composed of separate chambers on three different levels. On the first level are statues of six offering goddesses making offerings to Buddha, a small museum containing calligraphies and bamboo plaques of “The Practices and Vows of The Bodhisattva Samantabhadra” of the Avataṃsaka Sūtra (The King of Prayers) on the second level, the Buddha’s relic on the third level.

We circumambulated the Buddha with prayers for the long life of our Guru, His Eminence Tsem Rinpoche and for the success of Kechara and all its projects so that we may benefit many. We also enjoyed the breath taking views of the surrounding mountains and greens from the viewing point. At the base of the Buddha, we each took turn to give our individual sharing about the trip.

We slowly made our way down the hill where the Tian Tan Buddha sat and adjourned to the Wisdom path. Here, we had the opportunity to take a walk and see the calligraphy of Heart Sūtracarved onto halved tree trunks which mimicked the calligraphy written on bamboo tiles by Professor Jao Tsung-I in 2005

Before we left the Lantau Island, we made more incense offerings to the Tian Tan Buddha with prayers and aspirations for His Eminence, Kechara and all the people who have made this trip possible. We were inspired to continue to improve on our spiritual path and reminded ourselves of the qualities we aspired to achieve. All these will not be possible without the kindness of His Eminence and we would like to thank His Eminence from the bottom of our hearts to make this possible!

到香港大屿山去朝圣的缘起

这是一个很特别且有意义的朝圣之旅，而同行的三个人都是克切拉佛教中心的讲法师（张俊仁讲法师、温婉如讲法师和郭月谊讲法师）。为什么我们三位讲法师会同行去著名的香港大屿山朝圣呢？在这里我们要特别感谢上师尊贵的詹杜固仁波切给予如此美好机缘让我们三人能够在3月4日那天起啟，从马来西亚飞到香港大屿山去朝圣。话说约两个月前，仁波切突发奇想地构思了一个克切拉部门视频比赛，幸运的我们被挑选进行有关克切拉如意轩素食馆的视频录制任务。为了将此视频做好，毫无录制经验的我们，到处向人求救，幸好我们遇到好心肠的秀凤和AH LAI，经他们指点完成了这项不可能任务！也因经验丰且尽责的导演赖恩拔刀相助，以他熟练的录影手法，将视频如期完成，还有及每位参与的功德主、志工和参与者 ，让我们成功赢得这个到朝圣的机会。

从许多仁波切的视频开示，都会提到到佛教圣地朝圣的好处。印象最深刻，是仁波切说，在这娑婆世界的我们福德越来越单薄，若果有机缘到各圣地朝拜，一定要好好把握住。到圣地朝圣，可以让我们生生世世烙印下佛种子在心识中，直接开啟了一个证悟的善因。所以，细心的仁波切在当时我们三位讲法师临去前便特别再次叮咛说，要记得我们拥有此机缘到香港大屿山去朝圣，是十分难得的；一定要将所修习的教诲融入旅途中，好好地冥思、探讨和进行良善的祈愿，以将所目睹的、听闻的、亲身体验的，化成美好的分享，让每个人都可以获得如此美妙的佛音；以便不让这段朝圣之旅流于一般旅游观光的目的罢了

因此，3月5日，当我们早上起程出发前，经已锁定好自己今次去大屿山的发心！我们三人抱著一颗感恩的心，坐上昆平360电缆车，在绿意盎然的青山高空中摇晃了约半小时，终于正式踏上了大屿山的土地！从厚厚的雾层中，看到了模糊的天坛大佛圪立在远远的高处，天坛大佛虽离我们极远，可是它那逼人而来的灵气及大佛不自觉所散发出来的慈悲气围，令人心神顿时宁静了下来，那种感觉是超赞的！

我们信步慢慢地走著，并在路边停下来吃了著名的德记山水豆腐花一碗，暖一暖肚子，才开始当天最殊胜的大屿山朝圣之旅。先从山脚下的宝莲寺走去，宝莲寺里的佛像和各本尊的壁画，都十分精緻庄严，让我们不由自主地花费了很多时间，在那儿逗留细看观赏，佛像和其壁画总是有它的魅力，让你愿意花时间与他们共处。

逛完了宝莲寺，便朝我们当日的目标──全世界最大的户外青铜坐佛之天坛大佛奔去。造大佛者，肯定是一位智者， 他制造了数百格的梯阶让每位到来的朝圣者，一步一步慢慢地爬上去。每上一个梯阶，大家都会往上望一望高处的大佛，每个梯阶，所看到的大佛，所望及的景色，都有其特别的美感，叫人十分振奋。当与大佛靠得越近，祂所发出来的摄受力愈强，感觉自己像被一股慈爱深深地包围著，很有幸福满怀的心情。

哗噻！！！走了廿分钟，终于站在大佛的莲花梯架上，与大佛近距离的接触， 终能体会与佛同在的喜悦！天坛大佛就在我们的眼前，那是一种非笔可形容的兴奋，还有那股莫名涌上来的感动！真心为这里所有的众生感到随喜，到底要有多大的福德，才让我们坐拥如此巨大庄严的大佛呢？当年，将天坛大佛建设在大屿山其中一个目的是祈求大佛可以镇压整个香港岛屿，消除天灾，让国民安居乐业，这些年，天坛大佛可说完美无暇地尽了祂的职责。除此之外，因为它的存在，也促进了全香港的旅游业，这可是额外的收获呢！

离开了天坛大佛后，再往此岛的另一个必游朝圣景点，就是正磁场超级强的心经简林。前往心经简林去的一条青翠的小路，差不多走到一个小山头便可以看到耸立在山坡上大树桐，被破了半片，并绘上每段心经的经文。将心经刻划在木桐面，可能是经文长年累月的加持，整个山头似乎都被正面的磁场所包围著。

在大屿山进行了供养、朝拜、探勘、祈愿、诵经、拍摄、录影，很快的大半天就这样过去了，心里充满了法喜和感动。真的很感谢上师尊贵的詹仁波切的温馨提醒，在我们出发前进行了简短且殊胜的祈愿法会和调整了朝圣的发心，才让我们三人心灵上满载而归、不妄此行。

香港大屿山简介

香港大屿山（中国大陆方面有称为大濠岛，视为万山群岛的一部份）位于香港西南面，是香港境内最大的岛屿，面积146.75平方公里，比香港岛大84%。大屿山大部分地区属于离岛区，但大屿山东北部，包括阴澳、竹篙湾、汲水门等，在地区行政上属于荃湾区。

大屿山亦称大溪山、大姨山、大嵛山、大鱼山、大渔山、屯门岛，大屿山岛，大屿岛及烂头岛。大屿山的英文名“Lantau”正是粤语“烂头”的音译。虽然“屿”字的广东话正音同“罪”（zeoi6），但“大屿山”则读成“鱼”（yu4）。这是因为大屿山旧名“大鱼”、“大渔”、“大俞”等，皆是“鱼”音，“大屿山”一名是从清朝道光年间才开始的官方名称。

大屿山是香港最大的岛屿，位于香港的西南部，岛上芳草绿树、水光山色，景色十分诱人。香港最长的海滩长沙海滩就位于大屿山的南岸，这里的海水澄澈清透，沙粒雪白细小，海风吹来，漫步其间，独有一种惬意的感觉。宝莲寺和天坛大佛是大屿山的必游之地，宝莲寺是香港的佛教圣地，不仅建筑宏伟、风景秀丽，还有声名远播的斋菜，天坛大佛是全世界最大的户外青铜坐佛，宏伟祥和。

天坛大佛

天坛大佛座落在香港大屿山木鱼峰顶，是当今世界上最大露天青铜坐像。佛像身高23米，连莲花座及基座总高约34米。重250吨，由202块青铜焊接而成。重5吨的佛面，在浇注时加入约2千克黄金，更添光彩。大佛造型集云岗、龙门佛像和唐代雕塑技术之精华，庄重慈祥。坐南朝北，右手齐胸屈举，五根手指平伸，示”无畏印”，代表拔除痛苦；左手下垂脚上，反掌向外，指端微微向下，称”与愿印”，寓意施予快乐，表现了大雄大力与大慈大悲。被誉为尖端科技与东方艺术的结晶。从木鱼山脚登上天坛底座，有260级石级。底座仿北京天坛圆丘而建，故名。内部结构分3层：功德堂、展览厅和纪念堂。功德堂立有捐款者姓名的石碑。

兴建大佛的构想缘起于1973年，当年并开始筹划。1981年12月26日正式成立筹建委员会，专职研究筹建工作，包括审定佛像艺术造型、建筑材料及施工细则。其中大佛形象设计曾八易其稿，仅总工程设计一项，绘制图纸达5000多张。1986年5月由中国航天科学技术咨询公司总承包这项工程。1989年10月13日，大佛最后一块铜壁安装完成，当日举行了庄严的圆顶仪式。这个制作耗时3年，凝聚了信众、佛教界 人士、艺术家、技术工程人员等无数心血。

1993年12月29日（农历十一月十七日），是佛家阿弥陀诞辰，宝莲禅寺特择此日为天坛大佛举行庄严隆重的开光 仪式。天坛大佛是九十年代初建成的一座大铜佛，由中国航天科技部设计和制作，大佛身高26.4米，加上大佛底座三层，总高度近34米，占地面积约6567 平方米，重量高达250吨，由200块青铜铸件砌成，占地面积约6567平方米。它是世界上最高最大的露天释迦牟尼青铜像。因其基座是仿照北京天坛而设 计，故习称天坛大佛。

Video by the Pastors!

More pictures from the pilgrimage

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