Over two days of combined rehearsals for the chorus and sign language actors, Sister Ci Yue carefully explained and corrected the sequences presented by them. (Photo by Chai Yu Leong)
With just 15 days left in the countdown to the 2013 Year-End Blessing Ceremony and the“Dharma as Water” stage adaptation, the entire team in Singapore was feverishly engaged in intense preparations. During the period from 29 November 2013 to 1 December 2013, Chief Director and Choreographer of the “Dharma as Water” stage adaptation, Sister Ci Yue, and her team of eight made the trip down from Taiwan to Singapore. With their help over three short days, the Singapore execution team and the actors of the stage adaptation received much encouragement.
The contents of the two and a half hour long stage adaptation are based on the contents of the “Water Repentance” text that Dharma Master Cheng Yen expounded from 2003 to 2008. Every formation, hand gesture and expression used in the drums, skits, chorus and sign language sequences in the adaptation bear a meaning. In order that the participants of the stage adaptation can deeply grasp these meanings, the Taiwan team conducted two talks for the Singapore “Dharma as Water” team and were on hand to correct imperfections and dispense advice during the rehearsal and evaluation sessions for the actors, drums, chorus and sign language teams.
On 29 November 2013, after the Taiwan team touched down, they proceeded to do a round of inspection of the actual-day venue of the stage adaptation. They had a meeting with the organizing committee right after, before starting work on the rehearsal sessions. Sister Ci Yue, together with Cai Hui Ling from the Singapore planning team, evaluated the rehearsals together, helping to neaten the sequences by doing away with superfluous actions, resulting in the actors being more focused and concise in their portrayals. Taiwan artiste, Chen Ting, who had accompanied Sister Ci Yue on the trip, shared his on-stage experiences with all and tirelessly went through the sequences with them again and again.
Chorus and Sign Language Teams Manifest the Dharma Onstage
There are a total of 1008 chorus and sign language actors participating in the current stage adaptation, and they are meant to occupy two sides (A and B) of the stage. A combined rehearsal session was held at the usual North zone community practice grounds with a makeshift stage in order that the actors would be more prepared for the actual day presentation.
“Sing out loud! Move the audience, and all heavenly and spiritual beings with your sincere invitation to participate in this Dharma assembly!” The chorus and sign language actors kept their eyes and ears peeled for instructions from Sister Ci Yue as they went through their sequences repeatedly. “Imagine that the vast universe has unfolded in front of you; you can see the nine orbiting planets of the solar system and you can reach out to touch the earth……”With her guidance, the actors found themselves gradually immersing into their roles.
Chorus actor Luo Yu Ping expressed her admiration for Sister Ci Yue’s impeccable grasp of every single movement in the “Dharma as Water”stage adaptation. She was astounded by how Sister Ci Yue was immediately able to point out her mistake which she herself had never noticed.
Sign language facilitator Qiu Min Hui shares that after Sister Ci Yue’s explanation, she realizes that in order for the pure Dharma to be manifest in one’s every movement, sign language actors must first understand the meaning of the lyrics and internalize the teachings. At the conclusion of the rehearsals, Sister Ci-Yue gave the actors on side B of the stage a score of 98 marks. Upon hearing that, everyone heaved a sigh of relief, aspiring to put their best efforts towards the goal of manifesting the Dharma in their actions.
The rehearsal session on Sunday meant for actors on side A of the stage had added numbers who turned up in lieu of missing the Saturday session. With their collective wisdom, the various community leaders had asked everyone to call up those who had missed the Saturday rehearsal and encourage them to come for the Sunday session. Chen Wen Zong, one of those who came for the “replacement session,”said : “Yesterday I received calls from my group leader (in charge of side A of the stage), my community group leader, as well as various other volunteers, reminding me to come for today’s session. How could I not turn up?”
Chen nods his head in satisfaction as he comments that the rehearsal had benefitted him greatly. “Sister Ci-Yue would request teachings from the Master for every single sentence of the lyrics. Hence she is able to guide us in the most direct and effective way in bringing out the Dharma teachings and artistic expression inherent in the adaptation.”
Musing on Cause and Effect
On 30 November 2013, the Taiwan team conducted two talks for the stage participants of the “Dharma as Water” stage adaptation at the Kreta Ayer People’s Theatre in Chinatown, where Liu Jia Yun from the Department of Religious Culture and Humanitarian Aids, Tzu Chi Foundation (Taiwan) spoke about the original intent of the adaptation, and the significance and meaning of one’s participation.
Liu then shared a story with the audience. A volunteer in Taiwan had told her this through her tears : “Since this year, I’ve had seven operations done on my spine. Every time the anaesthetic wore off, I would suffer greatly from the terrible pain.” In the past, this volunteer would personally buy live bullfrogs from the market and prepare them for consumption. She had done so in the hopes of being filial as her mother loved to eat bullfrogs. In order that her kitchen not be dirtied by the hopping bullfrogs, she would severe their spines in half with her knife after skinning and cleaning them.
Liu explains that the “Water Repentance” text speaks of the law of cause and effect. Both kind and evil thoughts create their respective karma, and we do not know our karma will ripen. Liu then proceeded to screen a clip on volunteer Xu Wen Xiang. During the period that the “Dharma as Water” practice sessions were ongoing, Xu was hospitalised due to final stage liver cancer. Despite being confined to the hospital bed, Xu continued to practice singing the lyrics and practicing the sign language. However, he passed away before the stage adaptation was presented, and his son took his place.
The video clip struck a chord with Liu Peng Chun and opened a floodgate of tears as her father had passed away from lung cancer three weeks before. Liu firmly believes in the law of cause and effect, and is grateful that from the time her father’s illness was discovered till the time he passed away, only a month had lapsed. “During the period that I was taking care of him, I could not go for the practice sessions. I’m grateful that (with the whole process over so quickly) my father had facilitated my participation in the stage adaptation.” With the blessings of her late father fresh in her mind, she cherishes the opportunity to be part of the sutra adaptation even more.
Sister Ci Yue reminded her listeners that the Master had said that in life, we can choose not to believe in many things, but we must have firm belief in the law of cause and effect. When Imperial Dharma Master Wu Da received a Dharma-throne of agarwood from the emperor, his arrogance created the opportunity for Chao Cuo, an enemy whose life was wrongfully taken ten lifetimes ago, to manifest as a human-faced sore on his leg. After suffering the effects of his karmic retribution, Wu Da later wrote the “Water Repentence” text.
Through hand-drawn notes, video clips, and personally singing the lyrics and demonstrating the sign language used, Sister Ci Yue explained the complete sequence of the adaptation to her audience. In the segment “Repenting the Obstacle of Afflictions,”the text tells us how afflictions arise from our desires and thoughts. Sister Ci Yue shared that in the past, she had eagerly purchased property in different parts of Taiwan. Yet she was troubled that she could not stay in all of them. When her own daughter suffered a failed relationship with a long-time boyfriend, she comforted her with these words : “fate brings people together; a relationship cannot be forced.” The teachings on cause and effect have enabled Sister Ci Yue to better face the challenges in life and she now understands that only when we let go, can we decrease our afflictions.
Upholding the Vegetarian Precept
“From watching the segment ‘Experiencing the Six Realms in a Dream,’my mother, a lover of good food, decided to become a vegetarian,”said Sister Ci Yue. In this segment, a meat-loving mistress of a rich household experiences the suffering of animals killed for their meat when her spirit leaves her body and attaches itself to an animal. After this surreal episode, the mistress is often tormented by the scenes she saw in her dream.
Listening to Sister Ci Yue’s explanatory notes on this particular segment shook up Liu Mi Lan’s thinking and feelings of remorse arose in her. She has vowed to up uphold the vegetarian precept, and wants to share the negative karma of consuming the flesh of living beings with her family members, hoping that they will be spurred on to uphold vegetarianism and protect lives too.
“All beings that are born exist for a reason，together, we live as one family in the Saha-world. Heaven values the life of all beings, why then, must we senselessly kill?”Here, she goes on to explain to her audience that participants of the stage adaptation must sincerely observe a vegetarian fast, so that they can receive the blessings of the Dharma with purified hearts and bodies. Only then, can they be “qualified” to spread the Dharma and persuade others to repent the past and cultivate for the future. Sister Ci Yue gives the example of many Dharma masters who are deeply revered by devotees; apart from having a deep knowledge of the Dharma, they would also have been upholding vegetarian precepts. With pure bodies, hearts and minds, they can inspire many towards Right Faith.
A nine-year-old participant in the adaptation, Wu Le Xuan, wears a childish smile on her face but speaks with maturity. “I finally understand that the stage adaptation is about the law of cause and effect, and we must repent for our transgressions. The stage adaptation is a very important Dharma assembly; may all of us walk the path of enlightenment life after life.”
“The sea of suffering is vast and boundless, by turning back, we can return to the shore.”Wu shares her favourite verse in the adaptation and goes on to express that we must seek to liberate the masses of suffering people with the Dharma. When asked how we can help these people, she replies in all seriousness: “By the power of our compassion.”
Sister Ci Yue leaves us some food for thought : we have the opportunity to enter the Dharma because of the affinity we have with the Buddha and Master Cheng Yen. It is also due to the vows we have made long ago to the Buddha. In living out the teachings in our daily lives, the ones we benefit are none other than ourselves. She hopes that everyone will internalize the teachings and apply it in their actions, so that our world will continue to grow in kindness and disasters will decrease.
The first evening that the Taiwan team was in Singapore, they held a meeting with the main coordinators and teams so that everyone was on common ground. (Photo by Ong Soh Chin)
With just 15 days left in the countdown to the 2013 “Dharma as Water” stage adaptation, Chief Director and Choreographer of the “Dharma as Water” stage adaptation, Sister Ci Yue, and her team of eight made the trip down from Taiwan to Singapore to assist in the evaluation and rehearsals. (Photo by Wong Twee Hee)
Sister Ci Yue reminds her audience that the sincerity of their vows and repentance is reflected in their every movement. (Photo by Tan Cheng Hwa)
On 30 November 2013, the Taiwan team conducted two talks for the stage participants of the “Dharma as Water” stage adaptation at the Kreta Ayer People’s Theatre in Chinatown. (Photo by Tan Cheng Hwa)
A nine-year-old participant in the adaptation, Wu Le Xuan, says, “I finally understand that the stage adaptation is about the law of cause and effect, and we must repent for our transgressions. The stage adaptation is a very important Dharma assembly; may all of us walk the path of enlightenment life after life.” (Photo by Lai Tong Heng)
During a study session, participant Liu Peng Chun sheds tears the video clip screened reminded her of her father who had had passed away three weeks earlier. With the blessings of her late father fresh in her mind, she cherishes the opportunity to be part of the sutra adaptation. (Photo by Lai Tong Heng)
Taiwan artiste, Chen Ting (right), who had accompanied Sister Ci Yue on the trip, shared his on-stage experiences with all and tirelessly went through the sequences with them again and again. (Photo by Ng Sher Ying)
Chen Yi Jun (centre), shows the actors how to make use of body language to portray the four evil karmas of speech. (Photo by Tan Cheng Hwa)
Here， the Department of Religious Culture and Humanitarian Aids, Tzu Chi Foundation (Taiwan) films the drums team in practice. (Photo by Yong Keah Pei)
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