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本人有幸能知道宣公上人一生中，對佛教所做出的極大貢獻。雖然上人信仰
大乘佛教，但上人的胸襟廣大開闊，並深知大覺者出世教化的精義。上人雖沒有受過英語教育，卻能將佛法崇高的教義帶到西方，因而啟發了東、西方人士跟隨他嚴
謹自律和專心致志的精神，來學習佛法。他對座下的人，不論出家、在家，都極有影響力，能把他們調教得都走上他本人在一生中，以身體力行的戒德與智慧之道。
上人不僅致力於神聖的教化工作，同時也建立了壯觀的萬佛聖城，並發展成
西方佛法的象徵。聖城不只是禮拜、打坐的中心，也是一所佛教大學，也是一個聞名的佛教研究翻譯中心。其成績將使未來千千萬萬的有情眾生都蒙受利益。
步著過去法顯、義淨等佛教大師的後塵，宣公上人足跡遍及西方和亞洲，遠
至香港、新加坡、馬來西亞和臺灣弘揚佛法，建立道場。在我們馬來西亞有很多信徒尊敬上人，並想追隨上人。
宣公上人的離世，真是大家的損失。但從他的離世，我們仍可學習到佛陀所
提醒我們的人生三苦：生苦、壞苦（老病）和行苦（死）；這是無人得以倖免的。我們必須重新努力，精進追隨上人的腳步，以便脫出無休止的輪迴纏縛。但願上人
和我們一樣，都能免於世間之苦，證得涅槃之樂。
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I am proud to recognize the tremendous service
that the Late Venerable Master Hsuan Hua had rendered during his
lifetime in the cause of Buddhism. Although he was an orthodox follower
of the Mahayana School of Buddhism, he nevertheless displayed a great
openness of mind and recognized the transcendental essence of the
Teachings of the Enlightened One. Although not English educated, he was
able to bring the sublime teachings of the Buddha to the West and
thereby inspired both Easterners and Westerners to follow his
discipline and devotion to the study of the Dharma. His was a dynamic
personality that inspired his followers, both monks and nuns as well as
laypeople, to follow the path of discipline, virtue and wisdom that he
himself had trod throughout the seventy-seven years during which he
manifested himself in this earthly form.
He devoted his tremendous energy not only towards
the noble task of teaching, but also to that of developing the more
tangible, physical aspects of Dharma Practice. His greatest
contribution in this area was the building of the magnificent edifice
called the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, which will long endure to
symbolize the presence of the sublime Dharma in the West. It is not
only a place of worship and a meditation centre; it is also a
University and a renowned Buddhist Research and Translation Centre.
Many millions of sentient beings will benefit from the work done at
this centre for a long time to come.
Following in the footsteps of the great Chinese
Buddhist Missionaries of the past like Fa Hsien and I Ching, the Late
Master Hsuan Hua travelled widely not only in the West but also in Asia
as well, spreading the Dhamma in far-off places like Hong Kong,
Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan where he established Buddhist Centres
for the study and propagation of the Dhamma. In Malaysia there are many
members and devotees who respect him and try to emulate the footsteps
of the great Master Hsuan Hua.
The demise of Master Hsuan Hua is indeed a great
loss to all of us. But we can learn even from his passing away of what
our Lord Buddha had reminded us—that all of us are subject to the
triple suffering of Jati (Birth), Jara (Decay) and Marana (Death). No
one can stop that. We must therefore endeavour to renew our efforts to
follow in the footsteps of the Late Master and work diligently to free
ourselves from the bonds of Samsara, the endless round of rebirths. May
he, like all of us, be freed from worldly suffering and may he attain
final Nirvanic bliss.
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