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In the vast and boundless sea of suffering,
human life is like a blind man lost on the road.
With no wise one to guide him, with no enlightened teacher to instruct him,
He paces back and forth on the road, not knowing where to go.
Blown by the wind of karma, suddenly up to the heavens and then back to earth,
We turn forever in the wheel of the six paths.
Just when the blind man is about to give up in despair,
An old man carrying a lantern appears,bringing light to the world.
Lighting up the lamps of our minds,healing the illnesses of our minds,
Leading living beings onto the broad and brightly-lit road.
No one will be lost and flustered again.
The nourishing moisture of the Dharma rain:
To how many has it brought new life?
To how many wandering sons has it provided refuge?
The Dharma rain of the wise one
Washes away the dust and defilement in living beings’ minds.
Living beings bathe in the rain of Dharma,
Constantly receiving its moisture.
Their Bodhi sprouts grow day by day,
Their hearts and souls become bright and peaceful.
Infinite is our gratitude towards our compassionate father.
In endless lifetimes it would be difficult to repay his kindness and virtue.
Bringing blessings and hope to us in the Dharma-ending Age,
He inspired boundless dreams and aspirations in our lives.
Impermanent is the world; merciless is time.
Manifesting illness, our compassionate father left us.
Merciless trauma! We are too young and cannot accept this cruel reality.
Silently we wait, hoping to see our father’s compassionate face once more.
But waiting all this time has only brought pain and disappointment.
Although our elder one is gone in body,
he has left behind an infinite treasury of Dhama.
We must all pick up our hopes, repair our spirits, and turn from grief to face the reality.
With continuing zeal, let’s raise up the bright lamps he lit,
Carrying on the elder’s three great vows－
Dharma propagation, education, translation of Sutras－
And working hard to save beings in the Dharma-ending Age.
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In the vast and boundless sea of suffering,
human life is like a little boat floating on the sea.
Without the guidance of a bright light or a compass,
It breaks the waves and heads into the wind, following its vague course.
Bobbing up and down on the sea of karma, we cannot find a way out.
Just when the boat captain is feeling helpless and frightened,
A ray of light shines forth from an island,
Bringing the hope of life to living beings in danger,
Lighting up the lamps in our hearts.
With new purpose and direction in our lives,
We are no longer lost and confused.
Standing tall, lifting our heads, we fear no more the huge, surging waves.
Plucking up our courage, we face one danger after another,
Painting bright colors on the canvas of life.
Thinking of the old man with a lantern,
Who brought us hope and blessings,
Our hearts are filled with deep gratitude.
Under the constant guidance of our good teacher,
We walk step by step on the great bright path,
Going forward to greet the sunrise.
Everyone was intoxicated with the bliss of Dharma in those happy days,
But right on the footsteps of our happiness came the sorrowful news.
The lantern-bearing old man decided to return to empty space.
He hopes that we will not depend on him,
But will light up our mind lamps by ourselves.
The elder one’s earnest wish
Was that his disciples would grow up
And become strong and self-reliant,
So that we could make Buddhism flourish
For the sake of beings in the sea of suffering.
Let us all put aside our sorrow and pain,
And carry on the elder one’s final teachings.
Let us do our best to help living beings in the Dharma-ending Age
By supporting the Proper Dharma and keeping it alive forever.
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