有一年的冬天，我到哈尔滨南边上号的地方去办事，经过某个旅店，这个旅店的老板是我的皈依弟子，所以我就进去看他。他对我说：“师父！我的店中住了一个吃素的人，他想出家修行，可是找不到庙。师父您能不能收他为徒弟？”

One winter, I went to a place south of Harbin to take care of some business. On my way, I passed a hotel owned by my disciple, and I went in to say hello. The owner said, “Dharma Master, there’s a person staying in my hotel who wants to become a monk, but he can’t find a temple. He’s a vegetarian. Could you accept him as your disciple?”

我说：“他为什么要出家？”

“Why does he want to become a monk?” I asked.

老板说：“他是山东人，以裁缝为业，和一个抽大烟（鸦片烟）的女人同居。有一天，他不在家，这个女人将他所储蓄的钱，全部拿走了，晚上等到裁缝回家时，才发现自己人财两空。他受了这个打击，就感到心灰意冷，觉得人生无趣，所以决定出家修行。他到哈尔滨南冈极乐寺，想跟如光法师出家，可是如光法师不收他为徒弟，他无奈住在我的店里，天天愁眉不展，闷闷不乐，不和任何人说话，实在很可怜！”

“He’s a tailor from Shandong province, and he lived with a woman who smoked opium. One day when he was out, the woman made off with all his savings. When he came home to find the woman and all his money gone, he felt that life is totally meaningless. And so he has decided to renounce the life of a householder and cultivate. He went to Ultimate Bliss Monastery south of Harbin and asked to join the monastic order under Dharma Master Ru Guang, but he was turned down. Not knowing what to do, he came to my hotel. He is very unhappy and doesn’t talk to anyone. It’s a real pity.”

我说：“把他叫来！”老板去叫他，但他不来，大概他看我穿着破袍，不像个有庙的和尚。第二次叫他来，他勉强来了，开口便说：“你叫我来做什么？”（山东人心直口快）

“Go get him!” I said. The owner went to call him, but he wouldn’t come out. Maybe he saw my rag robes and thought I didn’t look like a monk who had a temple. After being called a second time, he came reluctantly. The first thing he said was, “What do you want from me?” (Shandong people are very frank and outspoken.)

我对他说：“我来这里，就是找你。”他很惊奇地问：“你认识我吗？”

“I came to get you,” I said.

“Do you know me?” he asked in surprise.

我说：“现在不谈这些，你愿意出家吗？我的庙上缺个做饭的人，你可以藉此修苦行，有饭给你吃，有屋给你住，可是没有钱给你花，你愿意去吗？”

“Let’s not talk about that. Do you want to become a monk? My temple needs a cook. You can take this chance to cultivate ascetic practices. You’ll be fed and have a place to stay, but no cash. Are you willing to come?”

他听我说可以收他做徒弟，很高兴地说：“我愿意去！”随即跟着我去庙上，担任做饭的工作，于是受沙弥戒，法名叫果能。

Hearing that I was going to take him as my disciple, he replied happily, "I’ll come!" He returned to the temple with me, worked as a cook, took the novice precepts, and received the Dharma name Guo Neng.

有一天，他心血来潮，在一间小屋造了一个炕，但是事先没有经过庙上的人同意，他就自作主张。当时，我不知内情，可是就有人在我面前说风凉话，说：“收徒弟，自己管不了徒弟，真丢人！徒弟没有做完，就当起祖师来了！”我觉得奇怪，于是到后边看看，究竟发生什么事情？遇见一位师兄弟，他对我说：“你的徒弟造反了，不守道场规矩，没有经过同意，就私自造火炕。”

One day, on a sudden impulse, he made a brick bed in his small room. He did this without asking for permission from the people in charge of the temple. I was not aware of it either. But then some people sarcastically commented, “You take a disciple, but you can’t even discipline him. What a disgrace Your disciple thinks he’s already a patriarch!”

Thinking this strange, I went to the back of the temple to see what on earth had happened. On the way, I met a Dharma brother who said, “Your disciple has revolted. He’s built a brick bed for himself and broken the rules of the Way-place.”

我进他房间一看，果然他坐在炕上打坐，他见我进来，下炕顶礼，我问他：“这炕是谁教你造的？”他说：“没有人。”我说：“既然没有人教你造，你怎么可以自己随随便便就造炕，这是犯规矩的！”他无话可说，就跪在地上，我说：“你在佛前忏悔，跪一炷香。”

I went into Guo Neng’s room and found him sitting on the brick bed meditating. When he saw me, he came down from the bed and bowed to me. I asked him, “Who told you to make this brick bed?” He answered, “No one.” I said, “If no one told you to make it, how could you go ahead and construct it on your own? That’s against the rules!” He had nothing to say, he just kept kneeling. I said, “Go and repent in front of the Buddha. Kneel for the time it takes for one stick of incense to burn down [about an hour].”

我走了之后，他没有到佛前跪香，又回到炕上补衣服。半小时之后，我到佛堂去，不见他在跪香。我又到他房间去，问他：“果能，你为什么不跪香？”他说：“等一会儿。”

But after I left, he did not go to kneel in front of the Buddha. He went back to the bed to mend his clothes. Half an hour later, I went to the Buddha Hall and didn’t see him there. I returned to his room and asked him, “Guo Neng! Why didn’t you kneel?” He said, “Later.”

我说：“你不愿意跪香，我替你跪香。”于是我到佛前上香，跪在砖地上。

“If you’re not willing to kneel for one incense, I’ll do it for you.” I went to the Buddha Hall, lit a stick of incense, and knelt down on the brick floor.

他看我跪着，无可奈何在我后边哀求地说：“师父！我知道错了，请您原谅！请您起来，我现在跪着呢！”我说：“我管不了徒弟，可是我能管得了自己。”经过这次的教训，以后他处处守规矩，时时用功修行，他有知过必改的勇气，希望你们也能知过能改。

He saw me kneeling and begged me to stop, saying, “Master! I know I was wrong. Please forgive me. Please get up! I’m kneeling now!” I said, “I can’t discipline my disciple, but I can discipline myself.” After this incident he always followed the rules and cultivated diligently at all times. He had the courage to correct his mistakes when he recognized he was wrong. I hope you can also correct your mistakes when you become aware of them.