師父上人及諸位善知識！我想講一講我家以前因殺生而得的惡報，及因福德而得的一些善報。有些人聽過了，不妨再聽一聽。
在家時，我先生和我公公兩代人，皆從事餐廳殺生的行業。在皈依師父上人之前，他們是屢勸不改的。我女兒因勸他們，用心過度，加之對他們的頑固憂愁失望，遂染重病。因女兒不肯用他爸爸殺生賺來的錢治病，他們勸以湯藥飲食，都被拒絕。如此病情日漸困重，不久即離開我們了。
那時我在聖城，出家一年多，沒有馬上知道此事。師兄等，不忍告訴我，師父得知後，命徒弟告訴我。並為此舉行三天的地藏法會，也立了一個永久牌位，我非常感激。不是說為那三天的地藏法會才感激，而是為師父的恩德。
後來，隨師父及弘法團回台灣，見到我同修。當時因為女兒的去世，使我很生氣，但他似乎有決心改行的樣子。後經上人同意，他得以到聖城居住，隨大眾薰修，這又對他的改變幫助非常之大。否則他不知還要再欠多少債，這也無意之中救了兒子一命。怎麼說呢？
當我還在台灣六龜的分支道場時，（同修在萬佛城）我的小兒子從八樓頂摔下。他四個未婚的哥哥都在上班，不在家。幸好鄰居聽到一聲巨響，衝出去看，發現是他！連忙叫救護車送他上醫院。小兒子這一摔，摔的很慘，嘴巴裂開得像豬公一般，兩條大腿亦裂開，腰間摔出一個大洞，兩眼睛血淋淋的，一動也不動。目睹此慘狀，料不可救，台北醫院也拒收。我兒子掛電話到六龜找我，隨後大約三點多趕去醫院。我是第二天才趕到醫院，一看兒子變成這樣子，禁不住就熱淚奪眶而出，隨即持誦大悲咒，祈求觀世音菩薩大慈大悲、求師父上人加持。醫生要我們走，堅持不收，我不與他頂，也不回答他，只管口中默默持誦大悲咒。
次日清晨，兒子的眼睛活動了一點，似有口渴之狀，我遂將經大悲咒加持的大悲水，一點一點餵他喝下。等到醫生再來時，對兒子的回甦十分驚異，也不再趕我們走了。兒子在醫院住了三個星期，可以坐輪椅就出院了。不過出院後兩個多月來，總是眼睛呆澀的盯著人看，一句話也不講。那陣子上人在寶纈寺，他哥哥帶他來找我，恆持師、恆雲師知悉後，就說要帶我兒子去見師父。當居士把他抬進來時，師父正在樓上休息，稟報之後，把他抬上樓。上人看了他一會兒，說：「他還沒好呢！他如果好了，自己會講話。」隨後一首撫著他的頭頂，另一隻手抓住他的手，口中念念有詞。不知是大悲咒？還是四十二手眼？這大約持續了二十分鐘。
那天晚上，兒子的神識清醒了。我們又趕去聽上人講開示。他告訴他哥哥，在他昏迷不醒時，他一直叫著：「師父！師父！我不要死，您一定要救我，釋迦牟尼佛！您要救我。」他夢見師父，師父就是這樣撫著他的頭頂，抓住他的手加持他，還叫他不要放手。後來上人回聖城，我回六龜，沒再去看他。一次從電話中意外得知，在與上人告別的那個晚上，他已經能唱歌了！
這是我「失去女兒拾回兒子」的經過。我們學佛的人，如已知因果，仍然昧著因果作事的話，那就真的要罪加三等。上人教我們的，我們要好好記住。
自從我公公改行後，尤其在皈依上人之後，已經能慢慢吃素了。因他不識字，不能誦經，但是他能專心念佛，持續好幾年。後來生病住院，似有不治之狀，然口中仍唸不停。往生前兩天，忽然發喃語：「念佛好，你也好，我也好，阿彌陀佛很好！」又說：「阿彌陀佛要我回去了！」我那時在聖城不知道這情況。
師父的境界真的不是我們可以揣測得到的。有一天上人突然要我回台灣去，並要兩個師兄同行。我匆匆趕回去，到了公公病床邊，他已經快不行了。這時有一位也是做餐廳同事的太太來看他，依風俗，她將一個紅包，藏在公公的枕頭底下，沒想到公公突然成驚怖狀！口中叫到：「不好啦！不好啦！會咬人啊！會咬人啊！」想必那錢來之不淨——沾滿殺生血腥怨債。等那婦人回去後，我們將那錢包取出，公公就不再驚叫。
第二天一早，公公命已垂危，我們為他持誦地藏王菩薩名號。三個鐘頭後，公公安詳往生。其身體柔軟，我們遂改誦阿彌陀佛聖號。現在我以自身的經歷想鼓勵大家努力修行，警醒大家要深省因果。如有人殺生，要以善巧去勸他不要再做，因為殺生的果報，真的是太可怕了。 |
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Venerable Master and all Good Knowing Advisors:
I’d like to talk about the retributions my family has experienced, both evil retributions derived from killing and good retributions derived from blessings and virtue accumulated in the past. Some of you have heard about these things before, but you can listen to them once again.
When I was still a laywoman, both my husband and my father-in-law were in the restaurant business, which involved slaughtering animals. Before taking refuge with the Venerable Master, they'd never listened to any exhortations to change and reform themselves. My daughter had tried hard to persuade them to give up their occupations and was disappointed by their stubbornness. When she contracted a serious illness, she was reluctant to use the money her father had earned from killing to cure herself; she also refused to take any medicine or food. Her health deteriorated day by day, and she passed away before long.
At that time I was at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas (CTTB), having just left home a little over a year ago. Since I was not in Taiwan, I was not immediately informed about her death. Out of compassion, my fellow cultivators didn’t dare tell me about it. When Shr Fu heard about this, he wanted my fellow cultivators to tell me and hold a three-day Earth Store Session for the sake of my daughter. He also set up a permanent memorial plaque. I was very grateful, not for the three-day session, but for the Master's kindness.
Afterwards, I returned to Taiwan with Shr Fu and the Dharma-propagating delegation and saw my ex-husband. At that moment I was very angry about my daughter. For some reason, my ex-husband had decided to change his job. After obtaining permission from the Master, he had the chance to live at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, cultivating with the whole assembly, and this really helped him a lot. Without this, he probably would have incurred more karmic debts. My son was also saved by this. Why do I say so?
Well, while I was still staying at a place called Liuguei in Taiwan, and my ex-husband was at CTTB, my youngest son fell from the eighth floor while his four elder brothers were at work. Fortunately, upon hearing the sound of his fall my neighbors rushed out and found him. They called an ambulance and had him sent to the hospital. My son was terribly injured by his fall. His mouth was split open wide as a pig's, both his legs were broken, he had a big wound in his waist, his eyes bled, and he was totally paralyzed.
Seeing this, people thought his case was hopeless, and no hospital would accept him.
My other sons called me at Liuguei, and I rushed there the next day, arriving at the hospital after three o'clock. Upon seeing my son, I burst into tears and recited the Great Compassion Mantra, praying that Guanyin Bodhisattva and the Master would compassionately aid my son. Doctors refused to receive him and wanted us to leave. I didn't argue or say anything, but just kept reciting the Great Compassion Mantra in my mind.
The next morning, my son's eyes moved a little and he seemed to be thirsty. I gave him water over which the Great Compassion Mantra had been recited. When the doctors returned, they were extremely astonished by his recovery and no longer tried to make us leave.
My son stayed in the hospital for three weeks and checked out when he was able to move about in a wheelchair. But for the next two months after he had left the hospital, he would stare idiotically at people and not say a word. During that time, the Master was at Baojie Temple in Taiwan, and my other son brought him to see me. When Heng Ch'ih Shr and Heng Yun Shr knew about this, they wanted to take my son to see the Master. When he was moved in by some laypeople, Shr Fu was resting upstairs. After reporting to Shr Fu, they lifted him upstairs. The Master looked at him for a while and said, "He hasn't completely recovered yet. When he gets well, he will be able to speak.” Then he used one hand to support the top of my son's head and the other to hold his hands, and recited something-perhaps the Great Compassion Mantra or the Forty-Two Hands and Eyes-for over twenty minutes.
That night my son regained consciousness, and we rushed to attend the Master's lecture. After returning home, he told his brothers that when he was in a coma, he dreamed of Shr Fu supporting the top of his head with one hand and holding his hands with his other hand, telling him not to let go of his hand. My son kept yelling, "Shr Fu, I don't want to die! Save me! Shakymuni Buddha, please save me!”
After that the Venerable Master returned to CTTB, and I returned to Liuguei. I have not seen my son since. Once I heard on the phone that he was able to sing songs the very night we said farewell to the Master.
These are my experiences about losing a daughter and keeping a son. If we who study Buddhadharma already know the principles of cause and effect but still act in confused ways, our offenses will be even more serious. We have to keep in mind what Shr Fu has taught us.
After changing his job and especially after taking refuge with the Master, my father-in-law was gradually able to become a vegetarian. Although he was illiterate and couldn't recite sutras, he single-mindedly recited the Buddha's name for several years. Then when he got sick and was hospitalized, it seemed that he was too ill to be cured, but he continued to recite with perseverance. Two days before he died, he suddenly murmured, "Reciting Buddha's names is really good; you are good and I am good, and Amitabha Buddha is also good.” He also said,” Amitabha Buddha wants me to go back.”
I was then at CTTB and did not know about this. One day the Master suddenly wanted me to go back to Taiwan, and also ordered two other Dharma brothers to go along with me. Shr Fu's state is inconceivable.
I rushed home in a hurry. When I reached my father-in-law's bed he was about to die. Right at that moment, the wife of one of his colleagues came to see him, and according to custom, she put a “red envelope” (containing a gift of money) under my father-in-law's pillow. Unexpectedly Father was suddenly terrified and called out, “It's bad! It's bad! It can bite people.” It was quite obvious that the money had been obtained by improper means; it was stained with blood and grievance. When the woman left, we took out the red envelope, and my father-in-law stopped calling out.
Early the next morning, as my father-in-law's death approached, we recited Earth Store Bodhisattva's name on his behalf. Three hours later, he passed away quietly and peacefully. His body was soft, and we began to recite Amitabha Buddha's name for him.
I wanted to tell these two personal stories to encourage all of you to cultivate diligently and also to deeply reflect upon cause and effect. If you see people commit killing, please skillfully exhort them to stop, because the retribution of killing is just too terrible. |
