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前期提示：
名國畫家張大千，曾為沙彌，為母逼迫還俗。結婚後，到敦煌千佛洞，不畏艱辛，模擬壁畫有成。居美時，宣公上人曾與會面，並提詩贈之。
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張大千
「電馳太空比高天」：張大千畫畫的境界，就好像電到太空那麼快。所以他的藝術評價在現代古代來講很高的，有多高呢？和天都差不多了。當時我送給他，他看到前四句說：「好詩！好詩！」就說作得好詩。後四句我又說「觀音示現丈夫相」：我說，他這個樣子，長長的鬍子，和大悲咒觀世音菩薩示現圖中，有這麼一個相，很相似的。雖很相似，但並不是說他是觀世音菩薩示現。就是他是觀音菩薩的化身，他也那麼又修行，修行又墮落，還作過猴子。但在今生他有一個丈夫相，很長的鬍子。
「彌陀親頌長者顏」：這不是一定的，你們也不要把他弄得說彌陀佛怎麼樣。我相信甚至於阿彌陀佛，都會親身讚歎說他是一個長者的樣子，長者的相貌。可是雖然有長者相貌，丈夫相，看他那個樣子，還是像猴子似的。他看觀音示現丈夫相，彌陀親頌長者顏，說：「噯！太好了，這個詩！」就這麼很高興的，然後又看最後兩句，「遊戲三昧雖快樂」：我說遊戲三昧雖快樂，你在這兒遊遊玩玩，飄飄盪盪，雖然好玩的，「莫忘西方紫金蓮」：你不要忘了西方還有紫金蓮花，比這個更好的。他看完這兩句把頭低下來就說：「哎呀，我墮落了！哎呀，我墮落了！」說好幾聲。這是我和他來往的一段緣。
他晚年回到臺灣，在台北市郊外雙溪，造了一個摩耶精舍，弄一些個花草樹木。他很歡喜梅花的，他在Car-mel（卡美兒）這地方也有一些梅花，可是美國的梅花都沒有香味。他要我春天去看梅花，我說：「我沒有時間來了。」那麼，他八十多歲以後有一點病痛，就在那兒圓寂了。
這是一代的名畫家也跑了，所以他一生也都像畫畫似的，難怪他做一個畫家。他一生所行所做是一幅真正的畫，可惜還沒有人給他畫出來。他最放不下的就是吃好東西，因為他願意吃好東西，所以對烹調這一道特別有研究。什麼東西怎麼樣吃，怎麼樣做，他有專門的研究。在台北，我的皈依弟子張果觀，也常常去給他下廚。他若請客都請張果觀去做廚，所以張果觀也是一個名廚。以上是張大千一生的事情。
→待續
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Reminder from last issue:
The renowned painter Zhang Daqian had been a novice monk, but was forced to return to lay-life by his mother. After marrying, he went to Thousand Buddhas Cave in Dunhuang, where he toiled diligently and made successful reproductions of the wall paintings. When he was residing in the United States, the Venerable Master Hua visited him and composed a poem for him.
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Zhang Daqian
Like lightning traveliug through space, high up to the heavens. The mood in his paintings is as quick as a lightning flash in space. In terms of both classical and modern art, the critical appraisal of his work is pretty high. How high is it? Almost as high as the heavens. When I presented this poem to him, he read the first four lines and said, "Good poem! Good poem!" The poem continues, "Guanyin manifests the appearance of a great hero." I meant that with his long beard, he looked very similar to one of the images of Guanyin Bodhisattva in the Great Compassion Mantra. Although there was this resemblance, I'm not saying that he was a manifestation of Guanyin Bodhisattva. Even if he were a transformation body of Guanyin Bodhisattva, he still cultivated, and he still fell into the lower realms. He became a monkey, too. Nevertheless, in this life, he looked like great hero with his long beard.
Amitabha would personally praise his elder's countenance. This is not necessarily the case, so don't interpret it as saying that Amitabha Buddha really praised him. I believe that even Amitabha Buddha himself would praise him and say he had the demeanor of an elder. Even though he had the look of an elder and a hero, he still resembled a monkey. When he read the lines, "Guanyin manifests the appearance of a great hero; Amitabha would personally praise his elder's countenance," he was so happy and said, "My! Wonderfully written!" Then he read the last two lines: "Although playfully roaming in samadhi is delightful," although you have been enjoying yourself and travelling at leisure, and it seems to be a lot of fun, "Do not forget the purple-golden lotus in the West." Don't forget that there are purple-golden lotus flowers in the Western Pure Land, which are even better than this. Seeing these two lines, he lowered his head and lamented several times, "Oh! I've fallen! I've fallen!" This is the affinity I once had with him.
In his late years, he went back to Taiwan. At Wai Shuangxi, a suburb of Taipei, he built the Maya Hermitage and grew some plants and trees. He was very fond of plum blossoms. Here in Carmel, he also had plum trees; however, American plum blossoms have no fragrance. He asked me to go and look at them in the spring, but I told him, "I'm afraid I can't spare the time." In his eighties, he contracted a slight illness and died.
So a famous painter of his time was gone. His life was picturesque, too; no wonder he was a painter. Everything that he did in his life was really like a picture. It's a pity that nobody has painted it. What he found most difficult to renounce was good food, so he specialized in cooking. He investigated how different dishes should be cooked and prepared. In Taipei, my disciple Zhang Guoguan often went to serve as a cook at his parties. Zhang Guoguan is also a famous chef. The above has been an account of Zhang Daqian's life.
→To be continued
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