水陸法會=Water and Land Dharma Function; 水陸儀軌=Water and Land Liturgy; 圓觀=Perfect meditation; 中道實相=Middle-way reality; 真法供養=Offerings of the true dharma; 經懺; 施食; 天台圓觀
The Water and Land Dharma Function (also known as “Waterland Dharma Function”, “Liberation Rite of Water and Land”, and “Shuilu Fahui” in Pinyin Romanization) is one of the grandest dharma assemblies in Chinese Buddhism. It has the characteristics of being large, long-lasting, and producing a myriad of unequalled merits. The spirit of Water and Land Dharma Function is to “practice unobstructed offerings with an impartial mind.” However, impartiality and non-obstruction cannot be attained without resorting to the cultivation of oneself. If the spirit and meanings of Water and Land Dharma Function are neglected, the dharma function is reduced to a mere formality. The currently-used version of “Water and Land Liturgy” (“Shuilu Yigui” in Romanization) is a compilation of essence of various repentance rituals based on the theory and practice of the teachings and observation of Tiantai School. The core of the “Water and Land Liturgy” is the practice of the perfect sudden meditation (hereafter “perfect meditation”). Therefore, this study is trying to explore the spirit of making offerings of the true dharma in Water and Land Liturgy, from the perspective of the perfect meditation of Tiantai School by researching into the “Compilation of Water and Land Liturgies (Shuilu Yigui Huiben),” which was edited by Master Fayu in 1920’s and is used most commonly nowadays, while referring to the text of “Fajie Shengfan Shuilu Shenghui Xiuzhai Yigui” written by Master Zhipan in Song Dynasty and revised by Master Lianchi in Ming Dynasty. “The offering of the true dharma” is used as the core doctrine to penetrate the whole Water and Land Liturgy, which conveys the spirit of impartial offerings contained in the motto—“Practice unobstructed offerings with an impartial mind”—of Water and Land Dharma Function. Master Zhiyi’s interpretation of “making offerings of the true dharma” is to have perfect insight into all dharmas and thus fully realize the logic of middle-way reality. We know from the Water and Land Liturgy that the abstinence practice in the Water and Land Dharma Function is to allow participants to practice perfect meditation with the words in the liturgy through various rituals, in order to capture the spirit of great compassion and impartiality—the real character of all dharmas. The theoretical foundation of Tiantai’s perfect meditation is that the truth of the dharma-realm is the perfect interfusion with the three truths, so as to manifest the truth of non-duality of matter and mind, as well as the fact that all dharmas are marvelous. Therefore, an offering can be made to pervade the ten directions and ten dharma-realms, to achieve the goal of making offerings of the true dharma. The abstinence practice in the Water and Land Dharma Function is to practice perfect meditation through various rituals of the dharma function. If we understand that all dharmas are marvelous, perfectly penetrative and without obstruction, and phenomenally identical with their underlying principle, we are able to complete the supreme dharma offering and rediscover our real self. The whole Water and Land Liturgy is the implementation of perfect meditation, as well as the six perfections in myriad actions of the Mahayana bodhisattva’s path. The p
