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The seventh lunar month is known in folklore as the month when the gates of the underworld open. However, since 1974, Master Cheng Yen has been teaching the public the proper Buddhist understanding of this time. In the Buddha’s era, the monastic community would undertake a three-month “Vassa” or summer retreat, where they would not leave their residences in order to focus on studying doctrine and listening to the Buddha’s teachings. The 15th day of the seventh lunar month marks the end of this retreat, a time for the sangha to gather and share their spiritual insights. Therefore, the seventh month is an auspicious month, and the day the retreat concludes is also the “Buddha’s Joyful Day.” Thus, it is known as the Buddha’s Joyful Month, the Auspicious Month, and the Filial Piety Month.
◎ Bodhisattvas Gather to Pray for Blessings and Protect the Earth with a Vegetarian Vow
In recent years, the world has faced continuous natural and man-made disasters, with suffering prevalent among people. All of this stems from the disharmony in people’s hearts. Master Cheng Yen continually calls on everyone to come together with a sincere mind, to cast aside greed, and to pray for peace and harmony in the world.
Following the Master’s teachings, the Tzu Chi Canada Eastern Region Branch held the “Auspicious Seventh Month Prayer Ceremony,” inviting people of all ages to joyfully participate in the sutra interpretation. The event aimed for filial piety to bring auspiciousness and for everyone to collectively “Propagate the Dharma to benefit living beings with faith, vows, and actions; and to protect the Earth with the collective good of a vegetarian diet.”
Preparations for the Auspicious Month Prayer Ceremony began a month in advance. This year’s theme was “Promoting Vegetarianism for Health and Sutra Interpretation.” Activity team volunteer Hwei-fei Tsai busily rallied volunteers from Toronto’s three offices to participate in the event, hoping to bring a unique program to the attendees.
At 1:30 PM on August 24, 2025, attendees began to arrive with joyful hearts. There were three-generation families and elders accompanied by their children, all coming together for this grand event.
Many volunteers had been at the Jing Si Hall since early morning. In the afternoon, guests arrived in succession, and the decoration and kitchen teams were ready. We are grateful for the 101 attendees and 67 volunteers who participated that day. Among them, thirty attendees took a bus from Mississauga to the Jing Si Hall. The Tzu Chi West Toronto office, considering the long journey and frequent traffic jams on Toronto’s highways, arranged for everyone to travel together by bus, which is also a form of environmental protection.
The prayer ceremony began in the central Dharma-sea area with thirteen elders leading the congregation in chanting the “Sutra of Infinite Meanings – Chapter on Virtuous Practices.” This created a solemn atmosphere for the ceremony. Chanting with a pure heart, the voices were melodious and every word was dignified, as if spreading the Buddha’s voice to purify people’s minds. The elders’ voices contained wisdom and compassion; what they chanted was not just a melody, but the cultivation and faith of a lifetime. The lingering sounds of the chanting were like sweet dew nourishing the heart, calming everyone’s body and mind and inspiring infinite kindness. This persistence and piety are the most precious treasures of the Dharma-sea area, truly admirable and inspiring!
Yang-he Zheng, CEO of the Tzu Chi Canada Eastern Region Branch, stated in his speech that the seventh lunar month has long been misunderstood. The Master hopes that through this event, everyone can correct their perception of the seventh lunar month, and more importantly, reduce killing and promote vegetarianism. The Master taught, “The world is impermanent and the land is fragile. The only spiritual remedy is a vegetarian diet,” hoping to eliminate disasters and bring peace and joy to all.
Next, in a discourse from Master Cheng Yen, she emphasized that sincere love will be heard by all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Observing a vegetarian vow, protecting life, and purifying pollution will eliminate disasters; this is “creating blessings.” Life is impermanent, and one natural disaster can cause hardship for many. We must respect heaven and earth, and care for all people in the world. We must pray for the world with a sincere heart, and observing the vegetarian precept is “merit.” Creating blessings for the world starts with you and me; when everyone creates blessings, the world will be at peace.
This was followed by a solemn offering ceremony of lights, fruits, and flowers, completed to the chant of “Stillness and Clarity.” Afterwards, guided by volunteers, attendees came forward to the Buddha to make sincere vows.
◎ Sutra Chanting with “Brave and Healthy” Movements
Master Cheng Yen hopes to promote the “Dharma Essence of the Sutra of Infinite Meanings” and has used various forms of chanting over the years to make the scriptures accessible to the general public. Considering the sedentary habits of modern people, Tzu Chi introduced the “Brave and Healthy Chanting” series, allowing people to exercise while chanting the sutras. “Brave and Healthy” (Yong Jian) means courageous, healthy, and powerful, describing a style of chanting that is not gentle or sorrowful, but full of strength and vigor. Combining physical exercise with chanting helps one become more focused and stable. It is not only a practice of unifying body and mind but also a combination of compassion and wisdom.
The performance began with volunteers from North Toronto interpreting the second section of the “Chapter on Virtuous Practices.” This passage lists the eighty thousand great Bodhisattvas who are complete in precepts, concentration, wisdom, and liberation, highlighting their solemn virtues and the supreme state of their Dharma bodies. The audience followed the rhythm, performing movements similar to “Ten Dexterous Hands,” patting the backs of their hands and joints. Volunteers from Toronto then interpreted the fourth section, praising the great Bodhisattvas for using immeasurable wisdom and compassion to guide living beings away from suffering and toward enlightenment. The movements for this section involved the whole body, including bending and twisting to invigorate the muscles and bones.
Finally, volunteers from West Toronto interpreted the sixth section, which describes the Great Adornment Bodhisattva and eighty thousand other great Bodhisattvas rising to respectfully bow to the Buddha after seeing the assembly settled in concentration. They offer reverence to the Buddha in the most solemn and beautiful way, praising his virtues. The scene is majestic and filled with reverence and Dharma joy. The movements for this part included chest expansion, heel raises, and arm and wrist rotations.
Throughout the interpretation, simple gestures accompanied the rhythm of the chanting, guiding the audience to open their arms, step forward, and move with the melody while contemplating the scripture, all without losing a sense of solemnity.
◎ Sharing Experiences of a Vegetarian Diet
The health benefits of a vegetarian diet are widely recognized. Volunteers from the three Toronto offices shared their experiences, hoping to inspire attendees by showing the physical and mental transformations, peace, and joy that vegetarianism can bring.
First, volunteer Lina Zhang shared on the topic “Breaking Misconceptions, Seeing Another Possibility in Vegetarianism.” She mentioned many celebrities and athletes, such as actor and former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, entertainer Jackie Chan, Olympic cycling silver medalist Dotsie Bausch, and German strongman Patrik Baboumian, who are all vegans, debunking the myth that a vegetarian diet lacks sufficient nutrition.
Vegetarianism also reminds us to distinguish between “need” and “want,” and to choose “contentment and constant joy” over “suffering from constant seeking.” She concluded with a quote from the Avatamsaka Sutra: “All sentient beings possess the wisdom and virtues of the Tathagata, but they fail to attain them due to delusional thoughts and attachments.” Sentient beings inherently have a pure nature, and she hoped that today’s (8/24) event would be an opportunity for everyone to see their own delusional attachments and begin a journey of vegetarianism to protect life.
Volunteer Ming-long Dong shared that he used to be a foodie and was overweight. After encountering Tzu Chi, he listened to Master Cheng Yen’s teachings on the Lotus Sutra every day and was nourished by the Dharma. He is now a vegetarian and hopes everyone can adopt a vegetarian diet to protect life and create collective good fortune.
Finally, 80-year-old volunteer Pei-hua Xie shared that while meat-eaters can’t live without meat, she can’t live without vegetables. She has loved vegetables since childhood and shared her daily three meals of vegetables, fruits, and nuts—a simple, light, and balanced diet.
◎ A Relay of Sixty Years of Tzu Chi—A Bodhisattva Path for You and Me
Tzu Chi Headquarters produced a series of videos titled “A Relay of Sixty Years of Tzu Chi,” and the Eastern Canada branch shared two of them, “Charity” and “Typhoon Morakot,” with the audience.
The “Charity” video explained how Tzu Chi began with the “bamboo bank era,” saving fifty cents a day to help helpless elderly people living alone. This expanded to disaster relief and charity visits across Taiwan. Seeing the cycle of “poverty due to illness, and illness due to poverty,” it became clear that charity and medicine must be combined for thorough relief, which led to the start of free clinics. The hope is that everyone will respond to the “bamboo bank era” call to action, as small change can do great good, and more importantly, inspire kindness in everyone.
The “Typhoon Morakot” video showed that disasters do not happen overnight. The mountain forests had lacked rest for a long time, and it was necessary to relocate the villagers living in the mountains to flat land. Tzu Chi faced skepticism and challenges from the outside at the time, but by gathering everyone’s great love and affection, they successfully moved the villagers into permanent housing and built a permanent community within the deadline. As the sutra says: “The eighth merit is inconceivable; using various skillful means to inspire the mind. Once faith is established, make it valiant; guard it without wavering, making it firm.”
Next, the “2025 Tzu Chi Charity Chronicle” reviewed the first half of 2025, showing that wherever there is suffering, Tzu Chi volunteers will be there to bring warmth to neglected corners. Let us see how a single thought of kindness can create ripples, spreading throughout the world, touching and changing millions of lives.
What has Tzu Chi done in charity? Tzu Chi volunteers respond to calls for help, providing home cleaning and eco-friendly assistive devices to those in need. In emergency relief, Tzu Chi activated cash card distribution and provided shelter for victims of the Los Angeles wildfires. After earthquakes in Chiayi and Hualien and Typhoon Danas sweeping through Tainan and Chiayi, they comforted victims and initiated the most direct and practical assistance.
All donations from the public enable Tzu Chi to provide timely assistance.
The prayer ceremony concluded with the audience listening to and silently chanting the prayer song. In doing good deeds, no one should be absent; every person’s bit of kindness is a spark that ignites hope. And a kind heart begins with a single thought. Let everyone’s good thoughts gather, their voices resonate, and with the most sincere hearts, let us pray together for peace and happiness in the world, and for “the purification of minds, a harmonious society, and a world free of disasters.”
◎ Vegetarian Feast and Guest Sharing
The final part of the program was an invitation for everyone to go to the Gratitude Hall to enjoy rice balls prepared by volunteers from the three Toronto offices, along with longan red date tea and ginseng tea. Everyone chatted warmly in the hall, sharing their joy from the day’s activities.
Activity team volunteer Hwei-fei Tsai expressed her gratitude to all participating volunteers for their dedicated efforts and courage to take on responsibilities. Whether it was the chanting in the Dharma-sea area or the sutra interpretations by volunteers from North Toronto, Toronto, and West Toronto offices, everyone was quiet and focused, deeply feeling the wonder of the scriptures, creating a very captivating atmosphere. And the final “Warm-hearted Chat” saw every volunteer and attendee filled with joy, creating a harmonious and warm ambiance.
Two special guests, Mr. Zheng-hao Liao, Deputy Director of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Toronto, and Ms. Tsai-feng Hsu , Deputy Director of the Culture Center of OCAC in Toronto, attended the prayer ceremony. Deputy Director Liao expressed his admiration and witnessed the selfless dedication of the Tzu Chi Canada Eastern Region Branch to the community, as well as Tzu Chi’s influence in spreading Taiwan’s beauty and kindness. He affirmed that Tzu Chi’s promotion of vegetarianism, environmental protection, and guiding people towards goodness is very meaningful.
Deputy Director Hsu took time out of her busy schedule at the Culture Center to attend. Newly arrived at her post, she had previously participated in a seventh-month prayer ceremony at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taiwan and a Year-End Blessing ceremony at the Tzu Chi Guandu complex. Deputy Director Hsu was very grateful to be able to participate in the Eastern Canada branch’s Auspicious Month event. In this fast-paced and busy era with constant disasters, the Tzu Chi Canada Eastern Region Branch is a place of spiritual stability for the overseas community, which is a true blessing.
The Auspicious Month event led everyone to cultivate gratitude, be filial to their parents, do good deeds, and pray for the world. During the chanting, the audience felt a deep sense of peace and was moved that the event could promote the peaceful ideals of Taiwan and Tzu Chi.
Ms. Hsin-Hsin Hsu , daughter of volunteer Cixin Luo , served as a “driver bodhisattva” for the day, accompanying her mother and other Tzu Chi members to the event. She had some previous contact with Tzu Chi and felt the entire event had a warm feeling and that the time management was precise. She was grateful for the bilingual emcees, which allowed everyone to listen to many Tzu Chi stories in a warm atmosphere.
She found this year’s interactive sutra interpretation very energetic. Seeing many elderly performers on stage, the audience couldn’t help but follow along, thus responding to the scripture. The three vegetarian sharers were very authentic; even if they forgot their lines, they moved the audience, making them want to join the ranks of vegetarians.
Ms. Qing Lin came from Mississauga on the chartered bus from West Toronto to attend. A Buddhist herself, she has been a vegetarian for eighteen years. She loves Tzu Chi’s solemn and magnificent prayer ceremonies and tries to attend whenever invited. She thinks it’s a wonderful method that Tzu Chi presents Buddhist principles in accessible forms like music and sign language, creating a beautiful atmosphere that the general public can widely accept.
Mr. Chun-Yen Chen , attending a Tzu Chi event for the first time, thought the vegetarian food was delicious. He came with his girlfriend, Yi-De Chen , a prospective teacher at the Tzu Chi Academy of Humanistic Studies, at the invitation of volunteer Su-Wen Chang . Mr. Chen said he was not familiar with Tzu Chi, and every part of the event was new to him. As a Buddhist who chants sutras, he was grateful to attend and approved of how Tzu Chi positively expresses the concept of goodness during the seventh lunar month. He found the interpretation of scriptures through morning-exercise-like movements very interesting and plans to participate in more Tzu Chi activities in the future.
The Szu-Hua Chen and Chuan-Chieh Lin family have participated in Tzu Chi events many times. This time, they came at the invitation of Dr. Chung-Yen Chen and were attending the Auspicious Month event for the first time. Although their son is only two and a half, he sat quietly throughout the entire event. Ms. Chen said that Tzu Chi events have a very family-like atmosphere. Although they only eat vegetarian occasionally, they strongly agree with Tzu Chi’s philosophy of promoting vegetarianism and said they will eat it more often. This was their first time seeing the chanting interpretation, and they felt a sense of calm and serenity during the performance.
We are very grateful to all the attendees who brought their families and invited their neighbors. Nearly 170 volunteers and esteemed guests gathered, and through the Auspicious Seventh Month event, they entered the sutras through chanting, felt the solemnity of the Dharma assembly, practiced a vegetarian vow to protect life, and called forth the compassion in each other’s hearts. Praying in a one-on-one dialogue with the Buddha further collected good thoughts to bless all suffering beings in the world, their hearts resonating together.
Regardless of whether they were Buddhist, everyone could feel the meaning of the Auspicious Month from this spiritual feast filled with right knowledge, right faith, and right mindfulness. They responded with the practical action of embracing a vegetarian diet, extending their love to all living beings, and truly realizing the concept of “universal salvation.”
