On a grandiose scale, the Water & Land Dharma Function is the most spectacular, colourful ritual event in Chinese Buddhism. There are also other names such as the Compassionate Shrine, the Water & Land Function or the Water & Land Shrine. However, its full title should be ‘The Universal Deliverance and Grand Feast Assembly for all Sages, and Sentient Beings gathering from the Water and Land realms of Dharma Realms’.

The very first Water & Land Dharma Function was initiated by the imperial court of China. It all took place on account of a dream of the Emperor Liang (5BC). In his dream, the Emperor met a monk who told him of the never-ending suffering of the four kinds of birth (viviparous, oveparous, born of moisture and spontaneity) in the Six Paths (hell, the world of hungry spirits, animals, asuras, human and heaven). The monk implored Emperor Liang to organise a Water & Land Dharma Function to relieve all beings from suffering.
 
Nowadays, the Water & Land Dharma Function is organised by the collaboration of the Sangha and the devotees. The Fo Guang Shan propagates group effort, sharing of kindness and developing of good affinity. They encourage as many as ten thousand contributors to support such an auspicious event. Hence, the Function is also known as the “Ten Thousand Contributing Causes Water & Land Dharma Function”

The Water & Land Dharma Function takes seven days and seven nights to complete. There are two places of worship/chanting; the Inner Platform and the Outer Platform. Depending on the venue, the Outer Platform can be subdivided into several small platforms such as the Sutra Platform, the Lotus Platform, the Pure Land Platform, the Neng Yen Platform and the Hua Yen Platform. The Water & Land Dharma Function requires from ten to hundred monks to conduct. Preparation for the Function is planned many months in advance and calls for as many support and contribution from the devotees and the lay people.

The Dharma Function commences solemnly with the recitation of the sutras and the sprinkling of Dharma Water inside and out, up and down, and in all four directions of the platforms. A boundary is drawn whereupon the Holy Water landed. The powerful purification ritual adorns the platform; purifies and pacifies the mind and body of all the sangha and participants. Any impure or unclean intruders will inevitably be affected by the wonder of
this ritual.
 
All activities of deliverance and the blessing of all sentient beings are centered in the Inner Platform. The purpose of drawing the boundary is to prepare the platform ready for the arrival of all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and to keep away all intruders from disturbing the pure and undefiled surroundings. This will ensure the Dharma Leaders have absolute concentration without disruption.

During the function a flag will be hoisted.The flag will be hoisted on a pole located in the front left-hand side of the main shrine or on a higher position above the Temple’s main shrine. The words written on the flag are:
 
"Launching the Universal Deliverance and Grand Feast Assembly for all Sages and Sentient Beings gathering from the realms of Water and Land in the Dharma Realms"
 
During the day, all sentient beings will be able to see the flag flying in the sky. At night, wandering spirits from afar will be able to spot the light and find their way to the Temple to join and share the benefit of this Function.

In summary, the procedures and rituals performed during the ceremony are:

• The Dharma Function commences with the drawing of the boundary
• Dispatching of the Notice and hoisting of the Flag
• Invitation to the Upper Level
• Offering to the Upper Level
• Dispatching of notices and petitions
• Invitation to the Lower Level
• Refugee taking by the spirits of the departed
• Offering to the Lower Level
• Deliverance
• Transporting the Heavenly Congregation