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On Sunday the 25th of February 1996 about 50-60 people
gathered in the Rainbow Room at Amaravati for the regular Dhamma class.
The main focus was the model stupa that been built and decorated by
nearly 100 children over the previous year. Many people who weren’t
able to come had sent in some of their hair to be included in the ceremony.
We started by lighting candles and incense then paying our respects
to the shrine by bowing three times – to the three refuges (Buddha,
Dhamma and Sangha). Everyone took the five precepts.
EARTH:
Two trays were then passed around and everybody put some hair on it
This took quite a while and when it was done Venerable Kusalo added
all the hair that other people had sent – from Thailand, America, Europe,
New Zealand, from monks, from nuns, old people young people. There was
hair from about 150 people all in a pile. There were some Buddha medallions,
some earth from the Amaravati Bodhi tree. There were even three ‘baby’
teeth to go on the pile. Some fingernails and some skin. Everything
on this tray was of the earth element.
FIRE:
Then everybody wrote things on a piece of paper. They remembered painful
or hurtful things that had happened in the past. Maybe something nasty
someone had done, or maybe a very fearful thing. Some people didn’t
know how to write about their feelings so they drew a picture. Some
people were happy to share what they had written but it was very private
and you could just do it on your own. Some people wrote joyous and happy
things too. When everyone had finished and all the papers had been collected
they were burnt by two of the older children. We all imagined that the
pain and difficulties we had drawn or written about were going up in
flames – disappearing – out the window with the smoke. We thought of
the word ‘forgiveness’. We let go of those old feelings, let them fade
away like smoke. All that was left was a pile of ash – this is symbolic
of the fire element.
WATER:
There were two trays infront of the shrine – one holding earth and the
other fire. A brass bowl of water was put next to them. Water is a symbol
of life, of purity and of growth. Most of our bodies are made of water
so it is something that we all share in common. It is also something
we all need. By this time some of the nuns, monks and novices had come
to join us all. A couple more of the older children then started putting
the contents of the two trays inside the stupa. While they were doing
this the sangha chanted the ‘Jayanto’ blessing chant and lots of water
was sprinkled over EVERYTHING! This sharing of blessings, sharing of
water, is always a happy thing to do. All the kids got sprinkled, the
parents got wet, the sangha got some and of course the stupa got a bath.
This is the water element.
AIR:
There was lots of this.
Between every person there was some.
The stupa was full of space.
It danced and weaved itself between all the objects in the room.
Everybody joined in sharing it – there wasn’t one person who didn’t
breath – not even one. It joined with the fire element to help with
our forgiveness ceremony. It carried the water element from the brass
bowl onto people’s heads.
Space
Space
Space
Space
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