Merit Dedication through Sutra Copying at Xiangyun Temple Draws Local Community Participation

By Life News Agency Correspondent Xixiu  Austin

Xiangyun Temple held a Sutra Copying Merit Dedication Ceremony on the morning of December 21 at 10:30 a.m., attracting a total of 42 participants. The atmosphere in the temple was solemn and serene. Through focused and mindful writing, participants cultivated concentration and inner stillness, manifesting the pure and collective power of group practice.

The event was led by Venerable Jueji and Venerable Ruyuan. It began with the recitation of the Heart Sutra, guiding participants to settle their minds in the present moment. This was followed by the sutra copying practice and the reverent reading of Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s Prayer for Sutra Copying and Listening to the Dharma. In his teachings, Venerable Master Hsing Yun explained that sutra copying refines the mind, nurtures character, and transforms one’s temperament. Through each deliberate stroke, practitioners calm both body and mind, coming to realize the true meaning of spiritual cultivation.

The monastics also cited the Analects—“To learn and repeatedly practice what one has learned”—to illustrate that sutra copying is not merely an act of learning the Dharma, but a process of continual practice and internalization. Through sustained writing, practitioners develop concentration and awareness, integrate the Buddha’s teachings into daily life, and enhance their overall quality of life.

On the same day, five local visitors were deeply moved by the tranquil atmosphere of the temple and spontaneously joined the sutra copying practice, personally experiencing the stabilizing and calming power of the Dharma. Upon the successful conclusion of the event, all participants felt filled with Dharma joy. Xiangyun Temple stated that it will continue to hold sutra copying activities in the future, inviting the public to settle the body and mind and purify the heart through spiritual practice.