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八十四歲的李果瑚，是金峰寺年齡最長的一位居士。她很早就喜歡拜佛，但找不到一個好道場，直到二十幾年前金峰寺成立。自此每個週末一定到寺裡共修、聽經、聞法。並開始每天做早課、誦經、念一○八遍〈大悲咒〉。
有一天早上，她正在誦經時，忽然看到師父，並對她說：「好好念經，好好念《普賢行願品》」，說完師父走了，那時金峰寺每週法會就是誦《普賢行願品》。從此她每天早課後一定誦《普賢行願品》，至今不間斷。雖然行動有些困難（因兩個膝蓋開刀裝有鐵釘，以致不能彎曲），但每年只要有人邀約前往聖城，她一定前往去見師父及參加法會；記得有一年，巴士從西雅圖早上六點開到聖城已是晚上十點多，但師父仍然在辦公室等著他們的到來。
李果瑚是由大陸到香港，之後又隻身一人來到了美國。她是個平易近人，又思想健康、豁達的人，目前與一對虔誠的基督徒年輕夫婦同住。雖然信仰不同，但她學佛道心堅固，且常勸其吃素，更是誦經回向給他們，尤其他們有一個兒子，很不聽話，令大人煩惱；老果瑚就默默誦經回向他，結果這孩子個性改變了。
她看此世間的人很苦，因此發願「將來成佛時，做一個大醫王，療治眾生病苦，願他們能離苦得樂！」她常常勸人要念佛、誦經，一切難關都會迎刃而解。
她給人紮實信任的感覺，跟她在一起會覺得很開心。最後願她老人家身體健康，事事滿願。 |
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At 84, Guo Hu is the eldest of Gold Summit Monastery's laity. Since young, she liked to bow to the Buddhas. But 20-some years ago when she first came to Seattle she couldn't find a good Way-place until Gold Summit Monastery was established. From then on, every weekend she would always come to the Monastery to join the ceremonies and listen to the Dharma and the Sutras. She also began to do her own morning recitation, recitation of Sutras, and 108 recitations of the Great Compassion Mantra daily.
One morning while she was reciting a Sutra, she saw the Venerable Master, who said to her, "Recite the Sutras well. Recite the “Chapter of Universal Worthy's Conduct and Vows.” After saying that, the Master left. At that time, the “Chapter of Universal Worthy's Conduct and Vows” was recited every weekend at Gold Summit. After that, Guo Hu made a point of reciting the “Chapter of Universal Worthy’s Conduct and Vows” every morning following her morning recitation, which she still does to this day. Although she has some difficulties getting around (because of an operation during which steel pins were placed in her knees, which prevents her from being able to bend them), still, every year, when she knew someone was going to the Sagely City, she would always go to pay her respects to the Venerable Master and attend the Dharma Assemblies. She remembers one year when the bus left Seattle at 6 am and didn‘t arrive at the City until after 10 pm, but still the Venerable Master was there waiting for them in the Administration Building .
Guo Hu went from China to Hong Kong and then came by herself to the United States. She has a healthy, broadminded attitude and is easy to get along with. She lives with a young Protestant couple and although their beliefs are different, her wish to study Buddhism is strong. Further, she often urges them to eat vegetarian food and transfers the merit of her Sutra recitations to them--especially to their son who doesn’t listen to his parents and causes his elders great concern. Elder Guo Hu silently transfers the merit of her Sutras recitation to him and in fact he has changed significantly.
She sees people in this world as really suffering and because of that vows ”In the future when I become a Buddha, I will be a great doctor who can cure beings of their pain and suffering. I vow that they will be able to leave suffering and attain bliss! She always encourages people saying that by reciting the Buddha's name and Sutras, any difficulty can be gotten through.
She gives people a sense of faith and trust. Being with her makes you feel happy. Finally, we all wish her good health and that everything will go well for her. |
