Archive for October, 2007

Avalokitesvara Birthday Announcement

Saturday, October 27th, 2007

Date : 29 October 2007

Day : Monday

Imlek : 2558 Kao Gwe 19

On Sunday, 28 October 2007 ( Imlek : 2558 Kao Gwe 18 ) Kim Tek Ie Temple will open for 24 Hour.

On Saturday, 27 October 2007, we will close at 17.00 wib, prepare for cleaning the Temple.

Jin De Yuan - Kwan Im

Miracle of Kwan Im

Sunday, October 21st, 2007

Among the Sen Mings {Hok Kian: Sin Beng} / Deity who was adored in the temple, Kwan Im Hut Co by her followers is considered the one who frequently show the miracle. Someone whom with full of sincerity recite mantras: Na Mo Ta Pei Kwan Se Im Pho Sat, sooner or later will obtain assistance from Kwan Im, depending on SINCERITY and KARMA of the said person at the time of reciting.

The Miracle of Kwan Im Hut Co was many witnessed & told by her followers. Like the Virgin Mary (in Catholic), who was reported often showed herself or conducted a healing miracle like in Lourdes, of his statue shed tears. The Miracle of Kwan Im Hut Co to be written here is those recorded within the holy book or someone’s experience or testimony:

1. Those contained within Fa Yuan Zhu Lin Book, including telling about Sun Jing De {Hok Kian= Sun Keng Tek}. Sun Jing De was a civil servant of a social department in Ding Zhou city, Wei country. Sun Jing De has made a statue of Dewi Kwan Im and extremely diligent worshipped to the Goddess. One day, she was involved in a robbery incident by one of the perpetrators. Without examination & investigation Sun Jing De was then imposed a death sentence. The night prior to the execution of death sentence, she dreamt to meet with a priest who taught her to recite a prayer which then popular with the name Gao Wang Guan Shi Yin Jing {Hok Kian: Ko Ong Kwan Si Im Keng} for 1,000 times in order to escape from the death. In the morning, when she was escorted to the spot of the execution of death sentence, Sun Jing De still kept up reciting that prayer with full of SINCERITY. Exactly at the time of death sentence to be executed, Sun Jing De succeeded to complete the number 1,000 prayer. When a machete of executioner cut her neck, the miracle occurred: such machete was broken into 2 parts! Until 3 times the executioner replace his machete, Sun Jing De remained uninjured even a bit!!! All people attended there were exceptionally surprised. When it was investigated on the neck, statue of Kwan Im made by Sun Jing De, it was found there were 3 lines like scratch traces of sharp object. Receiving this report, the Prime Minister Gao Huan then instructed Sun Jing De to be set free from all cases, and suggested this rescuing prayer from Kwan Im to be written and & disseminated. Ever since Ko Ong Kwan Si Im Keng has been known to date.
2. Sun Dao De, someone who was keen of prayed & lived in era of Jin dynasty. In the age of 50 years hasn’t been blessed with any child. A Buddhist monk who lived in the temple nearby his house suggested to recite Guan Yin Jing {Kwan Im Keng}. Ever since, a moment later his wife got pregnancy & then delivered a male baby.
3. On March 1923, an Army officer, Zhang Jiang Jun, departed with his family from Shang Hai to Nan Jing by plane. After flying several moment, suddenly that plane had engine trouble & uncontrolled. Zhang Jiang Jun, who usually often recited Rescuing Prayer of Kwan Im, then, asked all people on board to pray together. Soon after reciting prayer, from the windows of plane was seen Goddess of Kwan Im smiling among the clouds. The plane that nearly crashed to the earth, suddenly able to wet up with the engine able to run again. Secretaryto Zhang Jiang Jun had the chance to take picture of Kwan Im face that appeared among those clouds.
4. In 1973, a US Air Force (USAF) officer who was performing patrol flying above Taiwan Straits, saw a collection of strange black clouds. He then took the picture of it. After being developed, it was seen the picture of Kwan Im standing on a flying dragon. This event was very shocking & had a chance to be published in several prominent newspapers.
5. In June 1977 big pratima Kwan Im in Port Stanley, Hongkong had moved miraculously. This event was preceded by the radiation of light from the precious stone being adhered on the said pratima forehead, and witnessed by many followers (of religion) who at that time solemnly prayed. This news was quoted by Pikiran Rakyat newspaper, Bandung of 7 June 1977 edition, from one of dailies in Hong Kong.
6. Guan Ming, a writer from Malaysia, told his experience published in the book of “Popular Deities of Chinese Buddhisme” of 1985 edition. In early 1979, Guan Ming experienced an extraordinary spiritual event that has changed him into an obedient Buddhist. For weeks, he prayed to God for the recovery of his younger brother who suffered from a malignant cancer. That prayer was heard by the Almighty and unpredictably Kwan Im Hut Co appeared before him. Kwan Im would only to heal his younger brother, but also said that he would be blessed with a son in the following year. His younger brother was decided by a doctor only able to survive in the next several weeks, it was found totally recovered!!! And in 1980 he was blessed with a son, precisely like what uttered by Kwan Im. Ever since, Guan Ming established a Kwan Im Prayer Association that was centered in Malaysia, to disseminate Buddhism and adore Kwan Im.

Talking about the miracle of Kwan Im probably requires a book as thick as Encyclopedia of Britanica, since each follower has his/her own story on his/her experience. To belief such kind of matters, it is not easy for common people, indeed. But if we are convinced that all religion stem from 1 SOURCE, namely God the Almighty, and introduced through different Prophets, in the places of different customs and traditions, and in different era {Person, Place & Period}, we need not to be surprised with such kind of miracle. Since it also occurs on followers of other religions, providing that they have practiced His teaching CORECTLY & SINCERELY.

Because having a religion is actually personal experience and may not be forced to others that of course having different experiences from us. Thus, the truth is we comply with the teachings our respective religion that pursuant to ourselves, without vilifying the religions of others & considering our own religion is the truest. Thereby, we will be able to live peacefully, tolerantly & mutually respected with other religion.

Jin De Yuan - Guan Yin

Er Lang Shen - The Protector of River City

Saturday, October 13th, 2007

Er Lang Shen is an Angle, the protector of River City. He is a son of Li Bing, a Governor of Xi Chuan Province, who lived during Qin Dynasty era.

At that time, Min River (Min Jiang, one of Yang Zi River branches with the spring in Xi Chuan area), frequently resulted in flood in Guan Kou area (near Cheng Du). As a Governor who was sensitive to the people suffering, Li Bing invited his son Li Er Lang, to visit disaster area and thinking how to deal it with.

Guan Kou people that had been desperate to encounter flood that always destroyed houses and their irrigated rice field and unirrigated rice field, seemed to give up and relied on the spiritual counselor to avoid the disaster. The spiritual counselor used this opportunity to exploit and threatened the people. It was said that the flood was due to King of Dragon wished to seek for wife. The people are required to send a girl every year to become the wife of King of Dragon in that Min River. Then every years was held ceremony of plunging a girl to the river led by spiritual counselor and followed by wailing and weeping of the girl’s parents.

Li Bing was determined to end all of these. And tried to make people aware that disaster could be hindered if they were willing to cooperate to restore the river flow. This effort was of course opposed by the spiritual counselors who saw that they would suffer loss if people no longer believed to them.

To encounter them, Li Bing said that his daughter was ready to become a wife of King of Dragon for this year. He asked the spiritual counselor led the ceremony. Previously, Li Bing instructed Er Lang to capture a big puff-faced water snake, pun into a bag and hidden in the bottom of the river.

At the time of bride delivery ceremony was held in the brink of river, Li Bing said to the spiritual counselor that he wished the King of Dragon showed itself in order that people could see its face. The spiritual counselor got angry and threatened. But Li Bing who was determined to end this cruel practice, asserted that the spiritual counselor to show the face of King of Dragon. Due to possible condition to act, Li Bing ordered his son Li Er Lang to jump into the river and forced the King of Dragon to emerge. After diving for a moment Er Lang came out again while dragged carcass or the said puff-faced water snake ashore. The people were uproarious. Li Bing said that the cruel King of Dragon has been killed. The people no longer required to worry about the disturbance anymore and needless to sacrifice their girls every year.

After that, Li Bing persuaded the people to control Min River. This effort was finally successful and people in that region were free from the flood. To commemorate the merit of Li Bing and Er Lang, then it was established Temple of Anniversary in that place.

Er Lang Shen, was adored by many people in Xi Chuan Province. Several Big temples particularly established for him located in Guan Xian called Guan Kou Miao: in Cheng Du, Bao Ning, Ya An and several other places named of Er Lang Miao ( Er Lang Temple). In addition to Xi Chuan, Hu Nan Province also had several quite prehistoric Er Lang Miao.

Er Lang Shen was featured as a handsome young man with three eyes, wearing golden dress, brings a three–pronged spear, followed by a Dog of Heavens (Thien Kou), and sometimes added with an eagle. He was considered as an Angle who Protecting City in the brink of river. But also often featured together with Tai Shang Lao Jun as guards.

Jin De Yuan - Er Lang Shen