Venerable Wu He's Trip to South America (October, 2006)

After an overnight eleven and a half hour flight our plane landed in the Buenos Aires airport on the morning of October 20, 2006. As soon as I exited the gate, an Argentine friend holding a sign with my name greeted me. He helped me go through immigration and customs, thus the entire process went smoothly. Many Argentine Dharma friends, led by Sister Chang, and Venerable Wu He and Ms. Mei-Chu Chang who had arrived one hour earlier, were waiting outside for me. We then went to the Pure Land cultivation center.

Argentine Dharma friends prepared a feast-like lunch or us, after which we took a short rest. Venerable Wu He began to teach our friends in Argentina to sing the songs of praise and the poems used in the chanting practices, and also how to play the Dharma instruments. Venerable Wu He asked me to record his singing on my notebook computer.

On the second day, just like a half year ago, the carefully planned three-day Dharma program by Sister Chang finally took place.

Ms. Cheng from the Tzu-Chi Foundation in Argentina served again as the master of ceremony. Venerable Wu He lectured in the afternoons of the next three days on "The Essentials of Ksitagarbha Bodhisattva¡¦s Fundamental Vows Sutra." There were anywhere between fifty and sixty people in the audiences, including Argentine Bhikkhuni Venerable Zhao Zhan. The talk was well received. Many friends kept asking questions after the talk and Venerable We He patiently answered them all. The conversations ended about two hours later. Since the lectures were all in the afternoons, the instrument team practiced in the mornings.

After the lecture series was concluded, Venerable Wu He conducted a one-day retreat. The Dharma friends were very dedicated in the chanting. They also paid close attention as Venerable Wu He, Ms. Mei-Chu Chang, and I played the instruments.

On the day before going to Brazil, the friends arranged a one-day Buenos Aires city tour for us, and invited us to see the splendid world-famous Argentine Tango show in the evening. It was relaxing and enjoyable.

Just like the last visit, the experience of this trip was very positive. I especially admire and praise the dedication and diligence of our Chinese-Argentine friends in the Pure Land practice. The volume of their recitation and chanting, and the time they devoted to the practice was incredible. The members of the instrument team, although just beginning, were especially eagerly to learn and practice. They were very dedicated in their chanting and seemed as if they could have happily chanted forever.

All the lectures on "The Essentials of Ksitagarbha Bodhisattva's Fundamental Vows Sutra" and instrument teaching sessions (in Chinese) were recorded, made into audio CDs, and left for the Dharma friends before I came home.

In the afternoon of October 26, 2006, we boarded the flight to Sao Paulo. Upon exiting customs, a good number of Dharma friends led by Mr. David Hsieh delivered a warm welcome to Venerable Wu He. Then the carefully planned three-day Dharma program by Mr. Hsieh began.

In the evening of the arrival day, Venerable Wu He had a small group get-to-know-you dialogue to chat with about twenty friends. The dialogue lasted for about two and half hours and ended at 10:30.

For the following three days, Venerable Wu He lectured each afternoon on "The Essentials of Ksitagarbha Bodhisattva's Fundamental Vows Sutra." Each lecture was three hours long. There were anywhere between fifty to sixty people in the audiences. Also, in the back of the room, there were more than twenty Brazilian friends who listened to the lecture via Portugese translation. During the three days, Venerable also hosted a half-day chanting practice and conducted a ceremony of taking the Three Refuges. Many Brazilians took the Three Refuges.

On the day after the three-day program ended, Mr. Hsieh treated us with a tour to the magnificent Iguacu Falls. We flew to the city in the late afternoon and went to visit the Cheng-Tian Temple directly after de-boarding the plane. Although Venerable Wu He and the abbot Venerable Dao Yung had just met, they chatted for hours like old friends. Venerable Dao Yung also invited Venerable Wu He to lecture in their temple on his next visit to Brazil. Venerable Dao Yung also accompanied us when we visited the Iguacu Falls on the second day.

Early in the morning of November 1, 2006, we flew back to St. Paulo. I was to fly back to Chicago in the evening. At noon, we visited the Buddhist Light International Association Ju Lai Temple. Venerable Wu He and the abbot, Venerable Miao Duo, exchanged ideas on propagating the Dharma in the West. Venerable Miao Duo also invited Venerable Wu He to host retreats in their temple the next time he visited Brazil. In the evening, Ms. Mei-Chu Chang and I flew back to Philadelphia and Chicago respectively. Venerable Wu He continued to stay for one more day in St. Paulo to host a one-day retreat before he went back to Buenos Aires for his second lecture series in this trip on "The Essentials of the Amitabha Sutra."

All the lectures on "The Essentials of Ksitagarbha Bodhisattva's Fundamental Vows Sutra" and instrument teaching sessions (in Chinese) were recorded, made into audio CDs, and left in the Chun-Kwan Temple for the Dharma friends in Brazil before I came home.

It has been two and half years since the sponsored the visit of Pure Land School venerable Wu Shin to South America. It is incredible how quickly the Dharma conditions in Argentina and Brazil have matured. I am especially delighted to see this and happy for the friends there. As it is said, "Sangha members' praising each other is the only effective way to propagate the Buddha Dharma." When I saw the warm interaction between Venerable Wu He and Venerable Dao Yung, and then between Venerable Wu He and Venerable Miao Duo, I was very happy that the popular acceptance of the Buddha Dharma is perhaps now close.

Bert Tan