Can Vows Made at Mount Jiuhua Be Fulfilled at Donglin Temple?

Q: I made a vow at Mount Jiuhua. Is it acceptable to fulfill that vow at Donglin Temple? I’ve heard Donglin Temple is in urgent need of funding right now, while Mount Jiuhua is well-funded. Venerable Master Da'an replies: First, let me restate your question: if you made a vow at Mount Jiuhua, can you fulfill it at Donglin Temple? The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas never frame vow-making and vow-fulfillment as a transactional, mercantile exchange. Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva would never grow wrathful and bring misfortune upon you if you fail to return to fulfill your vow on time. That is not the conduct of a Bodhisattva. The true essence of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva is to liberate all sentient beings from suffering. He has no desire to receive any amount of money from you whatsoever. To the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, the entire empty Dharma realm, along with time and space, transcend all limited constructs. There is no concept of "this place or that place" in their perception. Our inherent mind-nature pervades the entire Dharma realm. As long as you approach with utmost sincerity and resonate with the Bodhisattva, he will answer prayers from a thousand different locations. We should not draw arbitrary boundaries for ourselves. So if you made a vow at Mount Jiuhua, you may fulfill it at any location you wish. Fulfilling your vow at Donglin Temple is perfectly acceptable, but you should not hold the view that Donglin Temple is in great need of funding while Mount Jiuhua is well-funded. That way of thinking is unnecessary. It is true that Donglin Temple does require some funds for the construction of its large Buddha statue, and devout lay Buddhist devotees often ask me: "Is Donglin Temple short on money?" I always tell them Donglin Temple is not lacking in funds. The matter of funds is not about whether we have a surplus or a shortage. We simply follow the course of conditions. If we have more funds, construction will proceed more quickly. If we have less, it will move more slowly. If we have no funds at all, we can simply dedicate ourselves to proper recitation of the Buddha’s name. What does the concept of "lacking funds" or "having enough" even mean? So please do not say that Donglin Temple is in need of this or that. The only thing Donglin Temple truly needs is for you to urgently devote yourselves to reciting the Buddha’s name and seeking rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. We need nothing else.