檳城掩方便關

戊申公六十九歲春。公偕善和尚。至雪蘭岷觀音閣。乃慶老自建。旋至怡保。大小霹靂參觀。往極樂寺。講起信論。行願品。信心皈依者眾。經畢。即閉方便關。暫停講。修禪。不會客。在寺度歲。

宣化偈曰：

熱鬧場中度春秋。捨己耘人不自憂。
誠恐後學墮此病。公故示現掩關修。

Expediently entering seclusion at Penang

In the spring of 1908, the Master's sixty-ninth year, he traveled to Kuan Yin Temple in Selangor with the Venerable Master Shan Ch'ing (Wholesome Rejoicing) who was its founder. They visited the great and small Pi Li Caves at Ipoh, and the Master subsequently stayed at Chi Le (Ultimate Bliss) Monastery, where he lectured the Shastra for the Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana and the Chapter on the Vows and Conduct of Universal Worthy. Many faithful devotees took refuge. When the Sutra lectures were over, he expediently entered into seclusion and temporarily suspended further lecturing. Cultivating dhyana samadhi, he did not receive any guests, and spent New Year's at the monastery.

The gatha says:
Toiling in the noisy fields he spent many springs and autumns.
He gave himself up to training people and never worried on his own behalf.
However, afraid that his pupils would fall into this illness,²⁰
He purposely set an example of entering into seclusion to step up his cultivation

20. The illness of being overly involved in the hub-bub of noisy life and neglecting the cultivation of Ch'an.