|
「程
天熹老居士」：這位程天熹老居士，是我在東北認識的。一般人都稱他叫程
善人。因為他願意幫助人。對窮人，他很願意幫助的。「居住於哈爾濱市西南後興隆溝
屯」：他以前的時候，住在哈爾濱市西南上後興隆溝。他的家我也到過很多
次，常常在他家裡住。我還做沙彌的時候，常常到哈爾濱，有的時候順路就到他家裡去。他家裡的人就留我在那兒住幾天。
有一年，他家裡就鬧鬼了，就是叫鬧邪。鬧邪怎麼樣一個邪呢？他那兒有一個男
人哪，就有一個邪魔附他的體。附體怎樣呢？就一天到晚常常吵著要給他燒房子。要把他房子都給燒了。這樣子，他就很害怕，就套一個車，到我廟上去找方丈和
尚。正是什麼時候呢？正是過年三十日子。求方丈和尚給他去治邪去。方丈和尚也是自己惹不起，往我身上推：「嗯，你去！」「我就那麼多事，願意管人閒事？」
他說：「這個程老居士啊！對我們廟上是很有貢獻的啊！他現在家裡有麻煩了，你去到那兒，到他家裡看看囉！」
我去，一進他房裡啊，這個鬧邪的人呢，就在北邊站著，我在南邊炕上坐著。這
個鬧邪的人怎麼樣看呢？就這麼用那個手指頭遮著眼睛這麼看。人家就問他：「你為什麼要這麼看？」他說：「我睜不開眼睛，這麼光呢！」然後看看，一打挺，就
跑了，那個邪沒有了，也不再給他們放火了。就這麼就好了。你看，這是邪門不是邪門？
那時候，我大約有二十來歲吧！二十一、二歲，還是二十三歲，我也記不清楚，
是二十二歲。因為這個，每逢我一去，他對我也特別好的。我那時候很年輕的，穿著破破爛爛的，剛出家的小沙彌。他盡給我叩頭、頂禮。家裡的人，他孫子也皈依
我，親戚也好多個皈依我。啊！不收也不行。
這個老居士，當時他怎麼樣也想不起來，將來我會給他寫這麼一段小文章，來紀
念他。這是在他始料所想不到的。我現在因為出來這麼久啊！回憶起來這些人呢，已經都作古了。所以我給他們寫，盡我的一點心，寫一篇小文章來紀念紀念他。因
為這個，所以李景華和程天熹，我都給他們寫一個小文章，作為大家一個鼓勵，令他們這種善人的功德啊，不會泯滅。
程天熹和李景華他們也是親戚，因為親戚的關係，李景華信廟上方丈和尚常仁大
師，程天熹也相信，與我們廟上和尚關係都很深的；所以我們都互相也知道。現在我寫這個文章來紀念他，如果他們活著，我也不一定寫的。等他死了，我看值得我
寫的，我就寫；不值得我寫的，我就不寫。我這也是實事求是。
他哈爾濱後興溝屯和李景華的前興溝屯，他在後興溝住。「曾任哈爾濱市上號道
德會主席，眾皆呼為程善人」，「幼年不羈」：可是他年幼呢？不羈，就是不太守規矩。吃、喝、嫖、賭，什麼都有的。一般的人給他取名字叫「程三尖頭」––這
個頭是尖尖的，程三尖頭的。我們北方話有「尖頭」，你懂嗎？他們大約都還不懂。尖頭，別人叫他程三尖頭。「放蕩不拘」：他也很歡喜玩女人，所以有個大太
太，又有個二太太。可是以後大太太、二太太都信佛了，都很誠心的佛教徒。這個二太太呢，對我也很有信心的。
「其母守孀」：他母親是一個守寡的，很年輕的時候就有了一個兒子。「後為報
親恩」：他少年的時候，很不守規矩；一懂得事了，他就孝順母親了，他想要報親恩，所以「改邪歸正」了。「事母至孝」：還侍奉他母親，很孝順的。「樂善好
施」：他也願意做好事，樂善好施。「茹素皈佛」：茹素皈依佛，他也皈依三寶，也吃齋了。「入道德會」，很願意做慈善的事情，於是乎他就入道德會。「以身作
則，為慈善界之楷模」：做慈善一個模範，一個榜樣。「佛教之中之虔誠者」：在佛教裡頭也很虔誠。「教子有方」：他教兒子也很有方法的。「治家多謀」：在家
也治得發財了。
「眾望所歸」：因為他也有錢了，心地也好，「故公推為上號道德會會長」：在
道德會，所以大家就公推他為哈爾濱南上號道德會的會長。我認識他的時候，那時他就當了會長。一般人稱呼他叫「程善人」。以前是「程惡人」，以後改個名字叫
「程善人」；「程三尖頭」以後變成一個「吃虧的」。啊！你看！佛教能大變活人，「以前的種種，譬如昨日死；以後的種種，譬如今日生。」所以我現在給他寫一
小篇文章。
偈
曰：
人之初生性本善 習染而成良能暗
守孀教子行正路 立志孝母痛改變
熱心公益助社會 虔誠信佛化震旦
柏舟高節冰雪冷 道德慈航登彼岸
「人之初生性本善」：人一出生，性都是善的，「習染而成良能暗」：由這個
習，慢慢的就把良心、智能都覆藏起來，埋起來了。
「守孀教子行正路」：他的母親守寡，又教自己的子，要走一條正路。「立志孝
母痛改變」：他自己不懂事情的時候，那麼不守規矩；一懂事情，就改邪歸正了，也立志要孝順媽媽了。痛改變，他痛改前非，把以前的錯誤都改了。
「熱心公益助社會」：他對公益的事情很願意做的。「虔誠信佛化震旦」：他在
道德會今天也就講道德說仁義，這麼樣子來教化我們中國的一切的眾生。
「柏舟高節冰雪冷」：能守孝是很不容易的，守寡也是很不容易的。冰雪冷，就
是冷寒。「道德慈航登彼岸」：他在道德會，道德會也就像慈航的大船似的，在那個地方做種種功德，他準備登彼岸的基礎。
|
|
Elder Upasaka Tianxi Chen
lived in the village at the rear of the Xinglong Canal, in the
southwest of the city of Harbin. I met the Elder Upasaka when
I was in Manchuria. People called him Good Man Chen because he liked to
help others, especially the poor. His home was in the rear village of
the Xinglong Canal, and I often visited and stayed there. During the
period when I was a novice monk, I often dropped by his house on my way
to Harbin, and his family would always ask me to stay for a few days.
One year his house was haunted by
a demon. How did it happen? The demon possessed one of the men, who
began raving all day long about wanting to set the house on fire.
Upasaka Cheng was alarmed by this, and so he hitched up his carriage
and came to our temple looking for the Abbot. It was New Year’s Eve. He
asked the Abbot to exorcise the demon, but the Abbot couldn’t handle it
and asked me to go take care of it.
“What makes you think I’m
willing to take care of other people’s business?” I asked.
“Elder Upasaka Cheng has given our
temple a lot of support. He’s having some trouble at home now, and you
ought to go take a look,” said the Abbot.
When I walked into his home, the
possessed man was standing on the north side of the room. I sat on the
brick-bed on the south side. The man covered his eyes with his hands
and peeked at me through his fingers. Someone asked him why he was
doing that, and he said, “It’s too bright! I can’t open my eyes.” After
looking for a while, he ran out of the house, and with him the demon
also left and no longer threatened to burn down the house. Now,
wouldn’t you say that was a haunted house?
I was about twenty-two at the
time, or perhaps twenty-one or twenty-three. After that incident,
Upasaka Cheng always treated me with great deference whenever I visited
his home. I was just a young novice dressed in tattered robes who had
newly entered the monastic life, but he would always keep bowing to me.
His immediate family, his grandchildren, and many of his other
relatives took refuge with me. I had no choice but to accept them as
disciples.
The Elder Upsaka would never have
expected that I would write this short essay in his memory. I have been
away from China for such a long time, and these people that I am now
remembering have all passed away. And so I have written about
them to express my feelings and to commemorate them. I have written two
short essays in memory of Jinhua Li and Tianxi Chen so that their good
example can encourage everyone, and so that their merit and virtue will
not be forgotten.
Tianxi Cheng and Jinhua Li were
relatives. Because of this, Li Jinhua’s faith in the Abbot of the
temple, Great Master Changren, influenced Tianxi Cheng to believe in
him as well. Since they were very close to the Abbot, I also came to
know them. That’s why I have written these commemorative essays. I
might not have written them if they were still alive. I write about
people only after they have died and only if I think they are worth
writing about. I try to be conscientious in this matter.
Jinhua Li lived in the village at
the front of Xinglong Canal, and Tianxi Chen lived in the rear village.
He served as the president of the Virtue
Society of Shanghao, Harbin, and was known as Good Man Cheng. As a
youth, he led a carefree and dissipated life. He was rather
unruly, a profligate. He ate, drank, womanized, and gambled—he did just
about everything. People gave him the name “Sharp-headed Cheng,”
meaning his head was like a sharp point. In Northern China we have the
expression “pointed head.” Do you know what it means? Probably none of
you are familiar with it. [Note: It means someone is always trying to
get the best deal—a sharp dealer.] He was quite dissipated and fond of
women, and so he had both a wife and a mistress. Later on, his wife and
his mistress both came to believe in the Buddha and were very sincere
Buddhists. His mistress also had deep faith in me.
His mother was a widow. She
gave birth to her son when she was quite young. Later, wishing
to repay his parents’ kindness, he reformed and attended upon his
mother very filially. As a child, he was very naughty.
When he grew older and understood more, he became very filial and
obedient to his mother. After he changed and became good, he was eager
to do charitable deeds. He joined the Virtue Society and was later
elected to be the president. He was serving as the president of the
society when I met him. Everyone called him Good Man Cheng. He used to
be “Evil Man Cheng,” but he reformed and became Good Man Cheng.
“Sharp-headed Cheng” became a person who was willing to take losses.
So, you see, Buddhism can really change a person. It can help people to
put their past behind them and make a new start in life. That’s why I
have written this little essay about him.
He rejoiced in doing good
and in giving to others. He became a vegetarian and took refuge with
the Buddha. He liked to do good deeds and was very generous.
He took refuge with the Triple Jewel and ate only vegetarian food. He
joined the Virtue Society, conducted himself properly, and was both a
model philanthropist and a devoted Buddhist. He was a model
for those who liked to perform charitable deeds. Moreover, he was a
sincere Buddhist. He was a good parent and a capable head of
the household. He raised and taught his son well and managed
the household so skillfully that their family grew rich. Since
he commanded the respect and support of the public, he was elected as
president of the Virtue Society of Shanghao. Since he was both
wealthy and kindhearted, people nominated and elected him to be
president of the Shanghao Virtue Society in south Harbin.
A verse in praise says:
Although people have a
wholesome nature at birth,
They develop
habits that obscure their
conscience and wisdom.
The widow
taught her son to take the proper
path;
Determined to
be filial to his mother, he
reformed radically.
He devoted
himself to helping the society
And used his
sincere faith in Buddhism to
influence
the Chinese
people.
His pure
integrity was like a cedar canoe in
the ice and snow;
His
virtue brought the boat of compassion to
the other shore.
Commentary:
Although people have a
wholesome nature at birth, / They develop habits that obscure their
conscience and wisdom. Although people are basically good when
they are born, their consciences and wisdom gradually get buried under
their bad habits.
The widow taught her son
to take the proper path. His widowed mother guided him to
walk upon the right path. Determined to be filial to his
mother, he reformed radically. As a young boy he was very
naughty, but as he became more mature, he made up his mind to be a good
son. He got rid of all his past bad habits.
He devoted himself to
helping the society / And used his sincere faith in Buddhism to
influence the Chinese people. He worked enthusiastically for
the benefit of society. He taught and influenced the people of China by
lecturing on morality, humaneness, and righteousness at the Virtue
Society.
His pure integrity was
like a cedar canoe in the ice and snow; / His virtue brought the boat
of compassion to the other shore. Being filial and being a
widow are not easy things to do. The ice and snow represent the cold.
The compassionate boat is an analogy for the Virtue Society. At the
society, he performed all kinds of meritorious deeds and laid a
foundation for sailing to the other shore.
|
