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原本住在外地的鄧永平，在一九八八年到西雅圖探親時，經外甥介紹到金峰寺拜佛，種下了一個緣；一年多後搬到西雅圖，就每週前往金峰寺參加法會。
鄧永平很早就想皈依上人，也曾到萬佛城參加過數次的法會。但每次都因同行的居士必須趕回西雅圖，無法等他皈依，故作罷。直到一九九二年，上人到金佛寺舉行法會及皈依時，才如願以償。
每次師父到西雅圖時，鄧永平定會去聽師父的開示。記得有一年上人到一位居士家中，他聽到這消息後，就開車帶著全家五口，欲拜見上人。但不知為什麼總是開錯路，繞了很久才到達，但已經晚了一步，師父早已休息了！在失望之餘，正準備離開時，一位法師叫住他們，說：「師父要見你們！」讓他興奮地趕快帶著家人去頂禮上人。當見到上人時，上人即慈悲地問：「有無任何問題？」他答：「沒有什麼問題！只想頂禮師父及聽聽師父的開示，就不虛此行了！」，可見鄧居士對佛法的深信及虔誠。
鄧居士平常以淨土法門為功課。每天早課後必誦《普門品》，晚課《阿彌陀經》，從不間斷。他說只要誠心拜佛，不做壞事，定可逢兇化吉。去年七月，金峰寺準備要為上人做七七時，他想去買一對蠟燭，迷糊中不知為什麼，竟把車開上了高速公路。當時路上擁擠，車速大約只有三十五英哩，突然左手邊一輛車，從後面撞上，接著又撞車頭，使整個車子打了九十度的轉，亦動彈不得，保險桿也撞斷，但人卻毫髮無傷。事後回想，如果不是佛菩薩及師父的加被，可能早就沒命了。因此，他不時鼓勵大家要誠心拜佛、念佛，諸惡莫做、眾善奉行。 |
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Before he came to Seattle to visit relatives in 1988, Deng-Yong Ping, who was not a resident of the state of Washington, was introduced to Gold Summit Monastery by his nephew. That set up affinities, and a year later when he moved to Seattle he began attending the Dharma Assemblies at Gold Summit Monastery every weekend.
Deng Yong Ping wanted to take refuge with the Venerable master from very early on, and he went many times to the City of 10,000 Buddhas to attend Dharma Assemblies. But because the laypeople he went with needed to rush back to Seattle, he could never wait for the refuge ceremony. It was not until 1992, when the Venerable Master went to Gold Buddha Monastery to conduct a Dharma Assembly and refuge ceremony, that he finally fulfilled his wish.
Every time the Venerable Master went to Seattle, Deng¬Yong Ping always went to listen to the Master's talks. He remembers one year when the Master was visiting a layman's home, he drove his entire family of five to pay their respects to the Master. But for some unknown reason he took a wrong turn and it took a long time to finally reach the destination. When they finally arrived, they learned it was too late-the Master had already retired. Extremely disappointed, they were preparing to leave when a monk called to them to wait, saying, "The Master wants to see you!" Deng Yong Ping was delighted and quickly led his family to bow to the Master. The Master kindly asked if they had any questions. Upasaka Deng said they didn't have any requests or questions, that just being able to bow to the Master and to listen to his instruction made the whole trip worthwhile. Obviously Upasaka Deng cherishes a profound sincerity toward the Buddhadharma.
Layman Deng cutivates the "Pure Land Dharma-door." Every morning he recites the "Universal Door Chapter" and in the evening he recites the Amitabha Sutra without fail. He says that one need only sincerely bow to the Buddhas and not do bad deeds, and it's for sure that potential calamities can turn into auspicious events. Last year in July, when Gold Summit Monastery was preparing to do seventh weeks of memorial ceremonies, Upasaka Deng was on his way to buy some altar candles when he got confused and ended up on the freeway.
There was a traffic jam and so the moving speed was only about 35 miles an hour. But suddenly the car behind him slammed into the rear of his car, bounced off, and then hit the front of his car as well, spinning the vehicle to a 90-degree angle. The car was totalled and the roadside protector railing was broken in two. But no one was the least bit hurt. Upasaka Deng reflects that if it hadn't been for the aid of the Bodhisattvas and the Master aid, he could easily have lost his life. Because of that he encourages everyone to sincerely bow to the Buddhas, be mindful of the Buddhas, offer up all kinds of good conduct, and be careful not to do any evil. |
