Shuilu Fahui ( the fahui)has been seen as a union of the various traditions in Chinese Buddhism such as Chan, Pure Land, Esoteric, Tiantai and Huayan. The entire ritual is typically structurally divided into two types of rituals: those conducted at the Inner Altar (內壇) and those conducted at the Outer Altars (外壇).
The Inner Altar is traditionally considered the most sacred with limited access, where the core of the entire liberation rite is performed. It comprises 23 smaller alters: ten for the higher beings and and thirteen for the lower beings. Each alter has their own classification ranging from other buddhas, bodhisattvas, sages, and celestial protectors down to the lower beings dwelling in the six realms of rebirth: lesser devas, demigods, humans, animals, hungry ghosts, hell beings and deceased individuals. Each altar has a set of paper plaques decorated with paper flowers and talismans which contain the core essence of the invited spirit and a painting that described who each of the beings are along with a verse taken from the Inner Altar ritual text. Tables are set out for the monastics and sponsors to use, complete with kneelers, the ritual text for reference, a handheld censer, and plates of flowers to use when inviting beings. Offerings of food, beverages and incense, chanting and reciting of secret mantras and various sūtras, transmitting precepts and bowing in repentance on behalf of the higher and lower beings are the core procedures in the Inner Altar.
The Outer Altars consisting of separate halls in the monastery/temple, are open to all participants to help create merit for the work being done in the Inner Altar. Typically this group consists of a total of six or seven altars each focusing on different scriptures and rituals. The Repentance Ritual of the Emperor of Liang 梁皇寶懺 and other rituals such as gongfo zhaitian (供佛齋天) rites where offerings are made to the Triple Gem and deities and tantric Yujia Yanhou (瑜伽燄口) are usually performed in a Grand Hall/Great Altar (大壇). The Lotus Sutra, the Amitabha Sutra, the Medicine Buddha Sutra, Suramgama Sutra, Avatamsaka Sutra and various sutras are recited together with associated devotional practices in the Lotus Altar (法華壇), the Pure Land Altar (淨土壇), the Yaoshi Altar (藥師壇) the Lengyan Altar (楞嚴壇), the Huayan Altar (華嚴壇) and Various Sutras Altar (諸經壇) respectively.
Shuilu Fahui 2026
This year, the fahui was held exactly on the same dates as last year. Led by Ven Hin Shuen and accompanied by Ven Chuan Deng and five monastics of SPGA, our delegation of over 60 departed Hong Kong on 10 October, arrived at the Shanghai Pudong Airport after 12 noon, and settled down in the temple by 5 pm. The 7-day fahui covering 25 foshi 佛事 (ritual/ceremony) started on 12 October and ended on 18 October. Yujia Yanhou typically performed to nourish and liberate hungry ghosts and to promote the lifespans of the living and to avert calamities and prevent disasters were performed six times in Yuan Man Hall 圓滿殿from 5:30 to about 11-11:30pm.
Everything went very smoothly thanks to the volunteers under the leadership of Ven Hin Shuen. Life in the monastery during the fahui was simple and routine. Breakfast was normally served at 7am and religious activities began at 8 am. Lunch and dinner were served at 11:30 am and 4:30pm respectively. Ven Hin Shuen and Chuan Deng, five monastics and some 30 sponsors (of three levels) stayed in the Inner Altar.
11/10 Preparation Day
The most important event today was to purify the entire temple space. The ceremony started at 1 pm at Yuan Man Hall. We all took part and followed some 70 monastics of the temple to go round all halls. It was the first time I entered the Longevity Blessing Hall where yellow labels for the deceased and red labels for the living beings were placed on the wall opposite each other. As soon as I entered, I spotted the yellow labels of my brother Alan and my best friend Lillian (who passed away in 2025 and 2007 respectively) on the bottom roll on the wall. Tears poured down. At the end of the purification ceremony, the nine-lotus lamp was hoisted. At 5:30pm we had the first Yujia Yanhou with countless mantras and mudras which I find as mystifying, fearsome, and powerful as ever. Tonight’s ceremony was sponsored by the main sponsor of the fahui.
October 12 – 18 Shuilu Fahui
Day 1 – We all assembled in the Main Hall and spent the whole day chanting The Repentance Ritual of the Emperor of Liang 梁皇寶懺 . I like this ritual that paved the way for my becoming a Buddhist in 2023. We had the second Yujia Yanhou in the evening.
Day 2 – The purification ritual of the Inner Altar (啟壇結界) began with a series of preparatory work, including setting up the altar as well as purifying the ritual space under the command of three senior monks. While the monks and major sponsors were seated at their individual table, we were seated on the east and west wing with three on a long table. I knew my place and found it easier to comprehend the scripture and follow the elaborate steps to be taken (though I had to keep an eye on what Ven Hin Shuen and others were doing). During this ritual, we walked around the temple ground and had ceremony at four locations namely, the Huayan Hall, Five Contemplations Hall (Dining Hall), Main Gate and Longevity Blessing Hall. The sun shone above us and I thought I might faint at one time!
At 1 pm, we assembled in the inner alter for a ritual writ of invitation and hanging of banners (發符懸幡). The writ describing the intent of the main donors that the liberation rite was occurring at the temple was issued by the presiding monk. It was done in the form of a paper horseman who was tasked with issuing the invite. We followed the monks to go the yard to watch the burning of the paper horseman and raising of a giant banner (for the higher beings) and lanterns (for the lower beings) on flagpoles.
This year, we had a chance to sponsor for the Yujia Yanhou. Tonight, I took part in the ceremony with nine other sponsors. I was busy getting out of my chair to join others to invite the five chief monks to the hall, stand in the middle of the hall facing the monks to recite parts of the text, offer incense, follow the monks to pray in the Longevity Blessing Hall for the deceased; and lastly follow a monk to the temple ground to pray for the beings suffering in the lower realms. I began to understand more about this highly ritualized and symbolic ritual and the underlying meanings of each step I had taken.
Day 3 – In the morning, we recited text inviting saintly beings to come (請上堂). Apart from the normal incense offering, we threw flowers onto a cloth bridge to welcome the saintly beings to join at their respective tables. In the afternoon, we had the Fangsheng 放生 (Life/Merit Release) ceremony when snakehead, clams, eels and snarls kept in 40 boxes were released. I had time to take part in the Repentance Rituals afterwards. We had the fourth Yujia Yanhou.
Day 4 – At 8 am, we made offerings to the saintly beings (供上堂) in the Inner Altar. This was an elaborate ritual involving ten offerings which include incense, flowers, lamps, fruits, tea and drinks, food, perfume, clothing, Dharma treasures, and jewels. There were ten tables and we filed to offer incense for each table after the presiding monk recited the text. We also offered our treasures to the saintly beings. For me, my treasures included a few sutras that I always take with me on the road, chanting beads, some money and my HK card for the elderly.
As nothing was scheduled in the Inner Altar in the afternoon, I took a short nap (what a luxury!) and returned to the Main Hall for the Repentance Ritual. At the end of the chanting, we followed the monks to the Longevity Blessing Hall to pray. This time, I saw the yellow label for Aliana who passed away this June on a top row directly in front of me. I was in tears again: the last time I saw her was in last summer when we went to visit Elaine who passed away in August 2025. I did not see her when she was in HK early this year as she was too busy. Aliana had a stroke in May and passed away a month later. Life is indeed precarious and impermanent.
Day 5 – Today was the busiest day when the text and ritual detailed in the second book of the fahui (159 pages) were completed. We were at the Inner Altar at 5am for the ceremony involving the “Issuing Petitions for Amnesty” (告赦) . It is a petition issued specifically to Brahma, Sakra, deities from the lower realms and locality gods to grant reprieve to lower beings to allow them to be present for the liberation rite. Another paper horseman is ritually burned and sent off.
At 8am, we all assembled at Yuan Man Hall to take part in gongtian (Devotional offerings) (供天) which is very elaborate with music. It is a cheerful occasion and all present were given a pack of goodies (peanuts, sweets etc) at the end of the ceremony.
At 10:30 am, I joined nine other donors for the gongfo zhaitian (供佛齋天) (Offerings to Buddhas and Celestial Guardians Dharma Service) at Yuan Man Hall. It was the first time I joined others to invite the Senior Monk to the hall to conduct the ceremony. During the ceremony, we as donors followed the monks to the Longevity Blessing Hall to pray. After the ceremony, we went to the dining hall to give red packets to all monastics.
At 1 pm, we attended the “Inviting the mundane beings” ceremony (請下堂) . Similar to the ceremony to invite the saintly beings held on Day 3, a cloth bridge was set up to welcome lower beings into the Inner Altar. Esoteric mantras were recited to bring the beings from the lower and hell realms to be present for the ritual. There were 13 Tables.
At 7 pm, we returned to the Inner Altar where the Precepts for the netherworldly beings (幽冥戒) were cited. The three presiding masters invoked teachings to the invited lower beings. The registered ancestral or deceased relations of the main sponsors would also ritually receive the precepts by proxy.
Day 6 – We were now on the third and last book of the ritual. The three monks recited the 88 Buddhas Great Repentance alongside confession verses focused on purifying the body, speech and mind from past negative karma. At 10 am, we had Fogong (offerings to Buddhas).
From 1 to 4:30pm, we made offerings to the mundane beings (供下堂) in the Inner Altar (the ritual is similar to those rituals in Day 3). Once again, I offered my sutras, chanting beads, money and my ID card as treasures.
The last Yujia Yanhou sponsored by SPGA lasted from 5:30pm to midnight (same as last year). It began with a powerful deafening drum performance for some 15 minutes. One of the donors sponsored the a small-scale fireworks which was fairly spectacular. The weather was good and it was a good show! Before the ceremony ended, the whole assembly followed the monks to pray in the Longevity Blessing Hall. We were all very happy and had noodles after midnight! What a long day!
Day 7 – Today was the last day of the fahui. We had a short ceremony of 35 minutes namely “Final offering of Completion” (圓滿供) when we made our final offer of incense, food, drinks, flowers to all invited beings. At 9am, we had the ritual of “Final offering of Incense and sending off Five Judges to deliver the Plenary Petitions” (圓滿香 xx). Each judge would be riding a horse: Judge of the Heavenly Bureau would be mounting on a yellow horse, Judge of the Mid-earth Bureau of Merits on a black horse, Judge of Underworld Bureau of Merits on a white horse, Judge of the Upper Altar Distribution Bureau on a green/blue horse; and Judge of the Lower Altar Distribution Bureau on a red horse. During the ritual, the written proclamations were placed into small bags attached to the paper judges. The figures were ceremonially burned (sent off), symbolically carrying the reports instantly across the universe so that the invited beings may peacefully return to their abodes.
At 2 pm, we assembled for the last time at the Inner Altar to begin the “Seeing off the Guests” ceremony (送聖). Each of their effigies in the Inner Altar (in the form of paper plaques) are paraded on the temple grounds and collectively placed onto a paper boat and burned, symbolizing their ascent to the Pure Land. The burning of the boat serves as an aid to visualizing the beings ascent and also serves to mark the conclusion of the liberation rite. Last year, we had an official procession accompanied by an orchestral band going outside the temple ground before burning the paper plagues, boat, horsemen, effigies etc. But as it was raining, the presiding monk could only perform the ritual inside Yuan Man Hall.
The fahui finally came to a perfect ending. We lined up to give red packets to all monastics taking part in the fahui. Abbot Kuo Ding kindly allowed us to take a group photo inside the Yuan Man Hall. I also had photos with Elsa, Catherine and David whom I met on trips to Japan and India many years ago. After dinner, we all began to pack and clean up our room.
October 19 Shanghai -Hong Kong
It was raining when we set off for Shanghai Pudong Airport at 8:15 am. We had a smooth ride and checked in shortly after 12 noon. We were back in HK after 5pm.
Remarks
This fahui has particular significance for me. With the right conditions, I was able to join the ritual for the first time in my life last year, less than a month after my elder brother passed away. I did not travel to Sydney for his funeral and the fahui gave me a chance to mourn and pray for him. This year, I had a hip replacement operation in mid-July with a reasonably satisfactory and fast recovery. With the right conditions again, I was able to join this year’s fahui and it was the first time I left Hong Kong since the operation. I was blessed to be able to fully take part in the fahui though I still would not knee. Instead, I sat when others were kneeling; and bowed when others were kneeling on the ground.
I like taking part in foshi 佛事. I am not superstitious but I find this ritual uniquely Chinese and extraordinary as it seeks to help all sentient beings including those in the lower realms. It is the most elaborate ritual underlined with humanity and altruism in Chinese Buddhism. I am glad I have been able to make a small contribution for gongfo zhaitian and Yujia Yanhou and take part in the ceremony. I felt more involved as I was able to follow the text and appreciate more the inner meaning and significance. The fine details of the ritual are truly amazing! The only part I mostly missed is the reading of proclamations by the presiding monk. I supposed it was read in Putonghua which I can normally follow. But I confessed I could only hear the name and address of SPGA, the main donors and the number of times the main sutras had been recited. I think I have to get myself better prepared before the next fahui by reading the full ritual text (660 pages). Then I might know the standard messages and wording in these proclamations.
I deeply appreciate the guidance of Ven Hin Shuen with whom I took refuge in the Three Gems two years ago. I had eye infection when I left Hong Kong and was unable to get proper medication with me as the pharmacist would not work till 10am at Manning on weekends. I wish consultation by zoom were adopted so that travelers, like me, could seek advice and get proper treatment. Ven Chuan Ding knew my problem and was very caring. I have met many old as well as new friends. It was wonderful to meet Elsa, Catherine and David again! after almost ten years.whom I met on tours to Japan and India organised by a SPGA has not mentioned when this fahui will be organised again. But I hope with the right conditions, it will organise it again!