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位於北加州達摩鎮的法界佛教大學今年秋季班開設太極拳課程，由來自台灣的七十二歲老先生潘柔世任教。潘柔世先生曾獲國際武術比賽老年組冠軍，他以太極拳面對一切快慢招式，以柔克剛，以慢制快，深獲太極拳精髓。
潘先生自三十九歲起練習太極拳，當時他的健康狀況很差。所幸他是極有恆心毅力的人，做任何事都全力以赴。因此四十餘年來，在忙於成衣生意的同時，他每天都利用清晨三個小時，勤習太極拳不輟。潘先生認為，太極拳也是一種「道」，人生最終的真理之一，因此由練習太極拳中，他達到無比平和安寧的心境。在練太極拳以前，他很容易動怒。學了太極拳之後，他現在已成了一個沒脾氣的人。
潘先生很喜歡太極拳，當他練拳時，總感到身上每個細胞都充滿了氧氣，使他覺得身心輕快健康。他常說，太極拳是免費的萬靈丹，足以治療絕大部份的疾病，甚至癌症。他相信練太極拳可防止癌細胞擴散。
最難能可貴的是，潘先生自四十歲起便斷欲，精氣神不外洩，自然元神飽滿，活力充沛。他說在學習太極拳一年以後，他發現若不斷欲，則練太極拳時，腳不易站穩。此外，煙、酒容易擾亂心神，他也決定一起斷除。四十歲這年，可以說是潘柔世先生一生的轉折點，放下煙、酒、色，又得到太座全力的支持配合，使他在做生意之餘，得以從太極拳一門深入，體會煉精化氣、煉氣化神、煉神化虛的道理。他指出，練太極拳練得好時，體內熱騰騰，皮膚卻是涼的，因為毛孔全部鎖住，全身像是被一層鐵膜覆蓋，不但不畏寒冷，甚至感覺外來的細菌無法入侵。自那時起，他便不曾感冒過。
一般人很難自動斷欲，潘先生是如何做到的？他說：「就像師父常講的：觀一切男子是我父，觀一切女子是我母，對父母要尊敬、孝順，自然不起欲念了。」 談到孝順，潘先生表示，他十五歲負笈日本留學時，聽到老師說，真正的孝順，是不讓父母煩惱。他當時一聽，如醍醐灌頂，大受感動。想了好幾天之後，他終於想出一個不教父母煩惱的好方法，他開始每天寫一封信回家，不但報告自己的生活、學習狀況，也附上每日開支會計報告，沒有任何隱瞞。每天一封家書的習慣維持了十年，直到返回台灣為止。這份恆心毅力，促使他對人生的每一件事都全力以赴。
在日本留學十年，潘先生受過完整的日本中、大學教育，因此他的日文說、寫都很流暢。目前他正將宣化上人的法語翻譯成日文，即將譯出的是「春日蓮華」（宣化上人法語摘錄，目前僅有中文版）日文版。他也在法界佛教大學新設的日文課程任教。今年法界大學秋季班結束後，他計劃返台一行，明年再來檢視學生的學習狀況。
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Dharma Realm Buddhist University in Talmage, northern California, is offering a Tai Chi (Chinese shadowboxing) class this fall semester on Tuesday and Friday evenings, taught by Mr. Rou-Shr Pan, a seventy-two-year-old man from Taiwan, who won the championship in the section for elders of International Martial Arts, by performing Tai Chi together with other fast- and slow-moving arts. Because he knows Tai-chi to its essence, he can apply his skill to subtly overcome the strong with the gentle, to subdue the quick with the slow.
Mr. Pan began practicing Tai Chi at the age of thirty-nine, when he was suffering from poor health. He is extremely diligent in all he does, and has been dedicated to Tai Chi for over forty years now. He feels that Tai Chi is one of life's ultimate truths, because it allows the mind to reach such an ultimate tranquility. Before he practiced Tai Chi, he would easily get angry, but now he has no temper at all.
Tai Chi gives him a sense of well-being, as if every cell in his body were pumped full of oxygen. He says that Tai-chi is the free panacea for all diseases, and believes it can prevent the spread of cancer.
In his fortieth year, Mr. Pan did a most difficult yet worthwhile deed--he cut off his desires, and thus has been able to contain his spirit, energy, and essence. His natural constitution has become full and energetic. After practicing Tai Chi for a year, he discovered that if he didn't cut off desires, he would not be able to stand firmly. He also found that smoking and drinking easily disturb the spirit and mind. Thus, he made up his mind to cut them all off at one time. His fortieth year could be considered a pivotal year in Mr. Pan's life, for he put down smoking, drinking and sexual desire. With the full support and cooperation of his wife, he was able to use his leisure time to deepen his Tai Chi practice, experiencing the transformation of essence into energy, of energy into spirit, and of spirit into emptiness.
body close up, and the body seems to be covered by a layer of iron. In such a state, one not only has no fear of coldness, but also feels that germs cannot infect one. Since then, he has never caught cold.
It is hard for ordinary people to cut off desire voluntarily; how could Mr. Pan accomplish this task? He says, "It's just like the Venerable Master says, 'See all men as my own father, and all women as my own mother.' If we are filial and respectful to our parents, then sexual desire will not arise." Mr. Pan said that when he went to study in Japan at age fifteen, he heard his teacher say that "real filiality" means not worrying or afflicting your parents. He was so struck by this revelation that it stayed on his mind for several days. Finally, he figured out a way to not worry his parents. He started writing to his parents everyday; telling them about his daily life, his studies, and even his daily expenses; he hid nothing from them. He maintained the habit of writing letters back home for ten years, until he went back to Taiwan. It is with such perseverance and fortitude that he strives to give his best in all he does.
Mr. Pan is working on a translation of Ven. Master Hua's lectures into Japanese. Having spent ten years studying in Japan, he speaks and writes Japanese fluently. Currently, he also teaches a new course at Dharma Realm Buddhist University in elementary Japanese. He will be leaving for Taiwan after the Fall semester ends, but plans to return next year to see his students' progress.
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