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聖僧三現•
大西北興建潮音寺
如來將演大法，或一個地區法運將興，或舍利寶塔出土等等，往往有放光動地等祥瑞的徵兆。聖僧三現，隴西高原其將佛光普照乎？
一九九一年秋，甘肅居士以聖僧三現的奇跡見告，因貧瘠之地，無力修建道場，央餘做將伯之舉，仰祈國內外四眾開士大力施助，共成盛舉。在大西北建立顯密道場，弘法基地，功德利益，惟佛能知矣！頌英覺得其事頗奇，是否屬實，有待查證。在佛教中，必須真實不虛，絕不能有半點虛妄。乃委託甘肅靖遠礦務局，第四中學教師，家住臨洮的楊宗義居士，到當地負責核實，他是相知多年的虔誠佛教徒。經歷一年多的多方調查，蒐集各方面的不同意見，及人證物證，才肯定了這一殊勝因緣，謹做事實報導如下：
如德法師俗姓楊，今年（一九九二年）五十七歲，甘肅積石山縣人。十三歲時，依蘭州五泉山嘛呢寺出家。一九五八年因破除迷信，拆寺逐僧，回家還俗，結過婚。後讓其妻改嫁，孓身到青海、甘南州、瑪曲縣等地的佛教道場坐禪苦修。
當一九七０年九月在其家鄉的生產隊當飼養員時，在公路上忽來了爛頭、爛手、爛足喇嘛，紅色破舊袈裟，手足指快爛光，膿血腥臭，坐在路上，眾人圍觀。如德師深生憐憫，就借了一輛手推車，拉他回家中供養，卻不聞腥臭味。
那喇嘛預言，到一九八０年後，農民得地，和尚回寺。翌年，喇嘛教他去朝禮塔爾寺和拉蔔楞寺，並要回去了。乃又借車送他，到臨夏城關一個地方，癩僧要下車，指著此地嚴肅地說：「這裡曾是喇嘛寺，您要發心在此建立大叢林！」說著，拿出一個淡黃褐色的石珠子，交給他說：「在珠子上出現字時，到塔爾寺來見我！」說完就不見了。（一現）
如德師常常看看石珠，直到一九八五年他朝五臺山回來，果然珠上出現了「南山佛」三個字。同時上面出現折光的西方三聖，正面看、側面看都一樣。師於一九八八年九月先到瑪曲河見貢唐倉活佛後，即到青海塔爾寺，跑遍了各個殿堂，直找到第二天，到最高最古的殿堂時，那癩頭喇嘛精神煥發，笑迎上來。陪他看了酥油花等，並為講解。奇怪的是塔爾寺中人，都不知他，也不見他。同出寺到一處古木參天的大石頭處，說這是他的住處；又指著一株大榆樹說，這樹是我在數百年前種的。又叮嚀他回去就建潮音寺。又說了五言八句偈後，又不見了。（二現）
如德法師回來就到臨夏，按其所指示的北塬孟家墩的臺地，在此山溝中找到了大山洞。即八句偈中的「下有地藏宮」。師即在此洞中坐了八十天。至一九八九年正月，如德師同四位藏族道友同朝普陀山。正月十五日在圓通殿附近又見到了那癩僧，這次是紅光滿面，身穿漢僧的灰色海青了。領他們到圓通殿朝禮，又囑建寺事；又領到甘露井前汲飲甘露水，就在此時又不見了（三現）
這次回來後，就同當地四眾創建潮音寺。在平原上造寺，同時挖窯洞，有不少人助工，不要工資。他們生活極艱苦，僧眾每天早晚二課外，白天全是挖洞蓋房，吃得是低劣的雜糧，幾乎沒有茶餚。已沿山溝半坡上挖窯洞二十九孔，已可打七修持了。在平原上造屋做僧寮夥房等，塑供有西方三聖等佛像，建寺工作已初具雛型了。全套雄偉的大叢林藍圖亦已擬就，可是這就要等待有大力布金之時，方能鳩工興建了。
更有奇道是：如德師在修定中見一白馬在地藏宮前飲水，他就在所見飲水處掘下去，掘到五尺餘，就湧出清泉，可以滿足建立大叢林用水的需要了。照理，在這個乾旱的大白土窯洞山岩地區是不可能有泉水的。從一九九０年五月到一九九一年四月，在挖洞修路中，又挖出大批文物－石斧、石鑿、陶器…。據州博物館考古鑑定，屬四千兩百年前的「齊家文化」，有關資料圖片積可盈寸，奇跡尚多，此不具述。
如德師在瑪曲縣外香寺山洞中坐禪苦修，前後歷二十一年，感應事蹟頗多，有外香寺住持阿克喇嘛用漢藏兩種文字，寫的書面證明。第一次積石道上迎送聖僧事，有當地四人的書面證明。第三次普陀遇聖僧有同行者作證。他在積石和臨夏的苦行精進和至誠為法，當地的護法居士都非常感動，並已組成了「甘肅臨夏潮音寺重建委員會」（釋覺一、王效賢、馬蘭芳、安理國、楊宗義、孟煥等）當地政府撥給大片山地和平原地。如德法師已於一九九二年四月，至五臺山大塔院寺重受比丘具足戒，並結夏安居，具足律儀了。潮音寺如法精進的道場中，修持、弘法工作已經展開，只待著各地布金款而來，叢林殿堂當可蔚興了。
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A Sagely Monk Manifests Three Times
The Construction of Chau Yin Monastery in Northwest China
When the Buddha was about to proclaim the great Dharma, when the Dharma is about to flourish, or when a jeweled relic pagoda is about to be unearthed, etc, there may be auspicious omens such as the emitting of light or the shaking of the earth. So, do the three manifestations of the Sagely monk mean that the Buddha's universal light will shine upon the high plains of Lung Syi?
In the autumn of 1991, a layman from Gansu told me about the miracle of the Sagely monk appearing three times. Because the area was poor, it could not afford to establish a Way-place. Thus he asked me to request assistance from the four-fold assembly of disciples both within China and overseas. A Way-place of Manifest and Secret Teaching was thus established in the Great Northwest to serve as a base for propagating the Dharma. Only the Buddhas can know of the merit, virtue and benefit in this. I, Sung Ying, felt this event was rather unusual, and sought to verify it, for the matters of Buddhism must be absolutely true, without the least bit of falseness. So I asked a teacher in the Fourth High School of Jing Ywan Mining Bureau in Gansu, a sincere Buddhist disciple I've known for many years, Mr. Yang Dzung-yi of Lin jau, to take responsibility for verifying the matter. After more than a year of extensive investigation, collecting opinions, testimonies and evidence, we can now confirm these sublime conditions, and make the following factual report:
Dharma Master Ru De, whose lay surname is Yang, is fifty-seven years old this year (1992). He is from Ji Shr Shan County in Gansu. At age thirteen, he left the home-life at Mani Monastery in Lan jou of Wu Chwyan (Five Springs) Mountain. In 1958, during the anti-superstition movement which wrecked monasteries and expelled the Sangha, he returned to lay life and married. Later he let his wife remarry, and went alone to Ching Hai Province, where he cultivated Dhyana meditation and ascetism in Buddhist Wayplaces in Gannan State, Ma Chyu County, and other places.
In September 1970, while working as a livestock tender in his hometown production team, he came across a Lama on the road who had raw sores on his head, hands and feet, and was wearing an old, ragged red kashaya sash. His fingers and toes were almost completely rotted away, and he stank of pus and blood. Sitting at the road side, he was surrounded by onlookers. Touched with pity, Master Ru De borrowed a handcart and pulled him home to make offerings, unaware of the foul stench.
The Lama predicted that after 1980, farmers would regain their land and monks would return to the monasteries. The next year, the Lama told him to worship at Ta Er Monastery and La Pu Leng Monastery. Since the Lama wanted to go back, he again borrowed a cart to send him off. At the gate of Lin Sya City, as the sore-ridden monk got off the cart, he pointed and solemnly said, "This used to be a Lamaist Monastery. You should resolve to build a great monastery here!" He gave him a yellow-brown stone bead, saying, "When words appear on this bead, come see me at Ta Er Monastery!" Then he disappeared. (First Manifestation)
Master Ru De often looked at the bead, and as he returned from a pilgrimage to Wu Tai Mountain in 1985, sure enough the three words Nan Shan Fwo (South Mountain Buddha) appear on the bead. There also appeared the refracted image of the three Western Sages, which was the same seen from the front and side. In September of 1988, after visiting the Living Buddha Gung Tang Chan at Ma Chyu River, the Master went to Ta Er Monastery in Ching Hai Province. Searching all the halls, it was not until he reached the highest and most ancient hall on the second day that he found the Lama with sores on his head, who greeted him with a radiant smile. He accompanied him to visit Su You Hwa and other places, acting as a guide. Strangely enough, the people in Ta Er Monastery neither knew nor saw him. Leaving the monastery, they came to a large boulder beneath towering trees, where the Lama said he lived. Pointing to a huge elm, he said, "I planted this tree several hundred years ago." He also told him to build Chau Yin Monastery as soon as he got back. After speaking an eight-line verse with five characters per line, he again disappeared. (Second Manifestation)
As soon as he returned, Master Ru De went as instructed to Lin Sya, to a plateau at Meng Jya Dwun of Bei Ywan, and found a large cave in the mountain gully. This was alluded to in the eight-line verse: "Below is an Earth Treasury Palace." The Master meditated in the cave for eighty days. In January of 1989, he worshipped at Potola Mountain with four Tibetan Buddhists. On January 15, near the Hall of Perfect Penetration, he again saw the sore-afflicted monk, this time with rosy face aglow and wearing the gray robes of a Chinese monk. He led them to bow in the Hall of Perfect Penetration, reminding him again to build the monastery. After taking them to drink sweet dew water at the sweet dew well, he again disappeared. (Third Manifestation)
After returning this time, he and the local Four-fold Assembly established Chau Yin Monastery. It was built on level land, and caves were also excavated in the mountain. Many people worked without pay. Their lives were extremely hard; aside from doing the morning and evening ceremonies, the Sangha members spent all day excavating caves and erecting buildings. They had meals of the lowest-grade grains and almost nothing else. Alongside the mountain gully, a cave with twenty-nine niches has already been excavated, and is ready to be used for cultivation sessions and so forth. On the level ground, living quarters, kitchens, and so forth have been constructed for the use of the Sangha, and images of the three Western sages and others have been carved. The work of constructing the monastery is already beginning to take shape, and the entire blueprint of this magnificent monastery has already been laid out. However, this project must wait for a great financial contribution before it can be fully realized.
What is even more miraculous is that when Master Ru De was in samadhi, he saw a white horse drinking water in front of the Earth Treasury Palace. Afterwards he excavated at that place, and when he had dug to a depth of over five Chinese feet, a clear spring gushed forth, enough to meet the demand for water of the great monastery to be established. In fact, it was impossible to have spring water in such a rocky, cave-filled area of white clay. From May 1990 to April 1991, during excavation and construction, they unearthed many artifacts, stone axes, stone chisels, and clay utensils. The County Museum estimates that these artifacts date back 4,200 years to Chi Jya Culture Period. Related information and illustrations have accumulated to an inch in thickness, and the incredible events are too many to recount here.
Master Ru De cultivated Chan meditation and ascetic practices in the mountain caves of Wai Syang (External Fragrance) Monastery in Ma Chyu county for a total of twenty-one years. The numerous responses have been documented by Lama Ah-ke, Abbot of Wai Syang Monastery, in both Chinese and Tibetan. The first encounter with the Sagely monk on the road in Ji Shr has been recorded by four local eye-witnesses. The third meeting with the Sagely monk at Potola can be verified by his traveling companions. His ascetic practices, vigor, and extreme sincerity towards the Dharma while in Ji Shr and Lin Sya touched the local Dharma-protecting laypeople so much that they organized a Gan Su-Lin Sya Committee for the Rebuilding of Chau Yin Monastery. (Shr Jwye-yi, Wang Syau-syan, Ma Lan-fang, An Li-gwo, Yang Dzung-yi, Meng Hwan, and others.) The local government granted them a large piece of both mountainous and flat land. Dharma Master Ru De has already gone to Da Ta Ywan (Great Pagoda Courtyard) Monastery on Wu Tai (Five Peaks) Mountain to retake the complete Bhikshu precepts in April 1992, also staying for the summer retreat, thus becoming replete in both the Vinaya and Deportment.
At Chau Yin Monastery, the work of vigorous cultivation in accord with the Dharma has already begun, and with the financial support coming in from all places, this Way-place will certainly flourish once again!
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