The Avatamsaka Sutra states, "Among all offerings, the offering of the Dharma is supreme." Of all offerings, the one that brings the most joy to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas is the offering of the Dharma. Repairing temples and adding bricks and tiles can ensure the longevity of the Dharma in the world and help spread Buddhism. Among all offerings, this brings the greatest merit and the fastest benefits, generally manifesting in the current lifetime. If a temple is constructed in the name of a deceased person, especially within the 49 days following their death, the deceased can immediately be reborn in heaven or the Pure Land of a Buddha. Fellow practitioners, why does building a temple bring such great merit? Why are the rewards so immediate? The reason is simple. As you know, in Buddhism, there are the Three Jewels: the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha, which are of utmost importance and thus called "jewels". Let me ask you this, after the Buddha's Parinirvana, we are now in the Age of the Degenerate Dharma, I ask everyone, where are the Three Jewels? Where do the Three Jewels exist? In what form do the Three Jewels exist? Fellow practitioners, the Three Jewels exist in temples. How so? Let me explain. It's because in a temple, there are statues of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, which represent the Jewel of the Buddha. Every temple will certainly have Dharma teachings and sutras printing for distribution, representing the Jewel of the Dharma. And of course, a temple of Right Dharma is home to monks who uphold teachings of the Righteous Dharma, ensuring that the Dharma is passed down from generation to generation, and this is the Jewel of the Sangha. Since a temple comprises the Three Jewels, building temples to house monks, to make Buddha statues and to distribute sutras are the best ways for disciples to make offerings to the Three Jewels, the best way to support the Three Jewels. As disciples of the Three Jewels, no matter what meritorious deeds we do, nothing compares to the greatness of this merit. This merit is immense and brings benefits very quickly. The Buddha once said, "In the turbid world, I manifest in the form of Buddha halls and scriptures. Offering to Buddha halls and scriptures is equivalent to offering to my true body, and the merit will never be exhausted." Buddha halls refer to the halls with Buddha statues, and scriptures refer to the distribution of Buddha sutras. If a temple has the Jewel of the Dharma for distribution, if a temple has Dharma teachings, sentient beings will have a place of refuge. This is why the merit of building temples is immense. It will benefit the local populace and liberate countless sentient beings from the cycle of reincarnation. In Buddhist history, I believe everyone has heard of the story of Emperor Liang Wu's conversion to Buddhism. One day, Emperor Liang Wu asked Zen Master Zhi Gong, "Why do I, as an emperor now, have such great blessings and good fortune?" Zen Master Zhi Gong replied, "In your past life, you were a woodcutter. Once, you went to a mountain to cut wood and came across a dilapidated temple. Inside, there was an ancient Buddha statue which was exposed to the sun and the rain, being left unattended. You placed your straw hat on the statue to protect it. This is why you have such great fortune in this life." Building temples, donating tiles and bricks, and even repairing them follow the same principle; the merit is inconceivable, innumerable, immeasurable, limitless and beyond comprehension. If you understand the underlying principles and reasoning, I tell you fellow practitioners, if you have money, you will donate it for temple construction, because this brings immediate benefits and lasting advantages for generations. Not only can you cultivate fortune for yourself, but you can also accumulate pure karma and provisions for your descendants and future generations. If dedicated to recently deceased relatives, they can immediately attain rebirth in the Pure Land, getting rid of suffering and attaining happiness.
In praise graditude and Compassion
The Avatamsaka Sutra states, "Among all offerings, the offering of the Dharma is supreme." Of all offerings, the one that brings the most joy to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas is the offering of the Dharma. Repairing temples and adding bricks and tiles can ensure the longevity of the Dharma in the world and help spread Buddhism. Among all offerings, this brings the greatest merit and the fastest benefits, generally manifesting in the current lifetime. If a temple is constructed in the name of a deceased person, especially within the 49 days following their death, the deceased can immediately be reborn in heaven or the Pure Land of a Buddha. Fellow practitioners, why does building a temple bring such great merit? Why are the rewards so immediate? The reason is simple. As you know, in Buddhism, there are the Three Jewels: the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha, which are of utmost importance and thus called "jewels". Let me ask you this, after the Buddha's Parinirvana, we are now in the Age of the Degenerate Dharma, I ask everyone, where are the Three Jewels? Where do the Three Jewels exist? In what form do the Three Jewels exist? Fellow practitioners, the Three Jewels exist in temples. How so? Let me explain. It's because in a temple, there are statues of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, which represent the Jewel of the Buddha. Every temple will certainly have Dharma teachings and sutras printing for distribution, representing the Jewel of the Dharma. And of course, a temple of Right Dharma is home to monks who uphold teachings of the Righteous Dharma, ensuring that the Dharma is passed down from generation to generation, and this is the Jewel of the Sangha. Since a temple comprises the Three Jewels, building temples to house monks, to make Buddha statues and to distribute sutras are the best ways for disciples to make offerings to the Three Jewels, the best way to support the Three Jewels. As disciples of the Three Jewels, no matter what meritorious deeds we do, nothing compares to the greatness of this merit. This merit is immense and brings benefits very quickly. The Buddha once said, "In the turbid world, I manifest in the form of Buddha halls and scriptures. Offering to Buddha halls and scriptures is equivalent to offering to my true body, and the merit will never be exhausted." Buddha halls refer to the halls with Buddha statues, and scriptures refer to the distribution of Buddha sutras. If a temple has the Jewel of the Dharma for distribution, if a temple has Dharma teachings, sentient beings will have a place of refuge. This is why the merit of building temples is immense. It will benefit the local populace and liberate countless sentient beings from the cycle of reincarnation. In Buddhist history, I believe everyone has heard of the story of Emperor Liang Wu's conversion to Buddhism. One day, Emperor Liang Wu asked Zen Master Zhi Gong, "Why do I, as an emperor now, have such great blessings and good fortune?" Zen Master Zhi Gong replied, "In your past life, you were a woodcutter. Once, you went to a mountain to cut wood and came across a dilapidated temple. Inside, there was an ancient Buddha statue which was exposed to the sun and the rain, being left unattended. You placed your straw hat on the statue to protect it. This is why you have such great fortune in this life." Building temples, donating tiles and bricks, and even repairing them follow the same principle; the merit is inconceivable, innumerable, immeasurable, limitless and beyond comprehension. If you understand the underlying principles and reasoning, I tell you fellow practitioners, if you have money, you will donate it for temple construction, because this brings immediate benefits and lasting advantages for generations. Not only can you cultivate fortune for yourself, but you can also accumulate pure karma and provisions for your descendants and future generations. If dedicated to recently deceased relatives, they can immediately attain rebirth in the Pure Land, getting rid of suffering and attaining happiness.