Significance of the Water and Land Dharma Service

The Water and Land Dharma Service is the most elaborate and most meritorious Dharma service in Chinese Buddhism, and its name is often abbreviated to the Compassionate Offering Assembly, Water and Land Assembly, or Sanctuary of Water and Land. However, its full title is “Grand Banquet and Supreme Assembly of Sacred and Ordinary Beings in the Dharma Realms for the Universal Liberation of Sentient Beings from Water and Land,” and this each part of this is significant.

“Dharma Realms” refers to the equality in the inherent nature of the buddhas and sentient beings, which are of the same principle and thus called the “dharma realm.”

“Sacred and Ordinary Beings” refers to the Four Sacred and Six Ordinary realms in the Ten Dharma Realms. The Four Sacred Realms are that of the buddhas, bodhisattvas, pratyekabuddhas, and śrāvakas. The Six Ordinary realms are that of celestial beings, humans, asuras, hungry ghosts, animals, and hells.

“Water and Land” refers to the places in which sentient beings reside and experience their retributions. Because beings who live in water and on land experience more afflictions as opposed to the beings who live in celestial realms such as the desire heavens or form heavens who experience bliss, this part of the title specifies that it aids those who reside in Water and Land.

“Universal Liberation” means that it brings sentient beings of all six realms to awakening and causes them all to be liberated from the pain of hunger.

“Grand Banquet” means that there are no limits to the amount of food that is universally bestowed to all sentient beings.

“Supreme Assembly” means that aside from bestowing food, there is also the giving of Dharma through reciting sutras and mantras. This is able to cause sentient beings who are undergoing suffering to have a realization and understand the teachings, thus being refreshed by Dharma water.