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今天我們大家來到萬佛聖城慶祝地藏菩薩誕辰，這是一個特別的日子。梵文中，此菩薩名為 Ksitigarbha，意為大地貯藏。他同許多菩薩一樣，決意要救度一切處在六道生死中的眾生，尤其是要救拔地獄眾生。在亞洲佛教徒的心中，他的知名度僅次於觀音。
從任何一幅地藏菩薩的畫像上，我們都會看到他手中所持的九環錫杖。過去出家人手持錫杖，每走一步，杖頂端的九環都會發出聲響，提醒前面的小蟲讓路，免得被踏傷。地藏菩薩總是持著九環錫杖，用它開啟地獄之門。地藏菩薩到地獄中，為那裡的眾生說法，消除罪業，使他們得生天道或人間。
地藏菩薩俱有大願、大行、大智、大悲。他的願既深又廣。願深，因為他立志到最深的地獄中去度眾生；願廣，因為眾生未度盡，地獄不空，他誓不成佛。他的大願也在激勵著我們去向他學習，我們要發願使眾生快樂，並度化他們。對於要精進修行的佛教徒而言，發願是很重要的。願是我們對行善的莊嚴承諾。有了願，在修行的路上，就如同有了地圖。
為了慶祝地藏菩薩誕辰，為了拜佛，今天許多人從很遠的地方趕來，還有的人參加了整個地藏七。要緊的是真要發菩提心；發菩提心就是要行菩薩的善行。我們應該看出，在世間上沒有什麼事物是值得留戀的。不論你現在多麼富有，生死大限一到，你能帶走什麼呢？最好還是趁著有生之年，將財富拿來做些有意義的事以積功累德。如果能善加利用自己的財富，你的一生就沒有完全浪費。這也是一種報恩的途徑。由於佛菩薩的加持，你的生活就會順利。
人應該從夢幻中醒過來。不要等老了才修行。沒聽說「孤墳盡是少年人」嗎？
如果留意世界時事，你會注意到當前處處都是可怕的災禍，既有天災，又有人禍。這所有一切，都是由人的惡行所感之共業而引起的果報。就美國而言，你知道東岸有可怕的龍捲風，佛羅里達州有持續兩週的大火、水災、土崩和種種奪人性命的災禍。我們也注意到最近在中國發生的有史以來最人的水災，成千上萬的人因此死亡，蒙受巨大的損失。還有在（加拿大）Nova Scotia 海岸的飛機失事，二百一十九人全體罹難。我們念聖號，發菩薩般的大願，就能幫助這個世界免除這些災難與痛苦。
今天值此因緣，我們要問一問自己：「我有沒有發願，讓自己更好地作人；讓我們所生活的這個世界更加快樂；讓自己不要浪費生命，因為一旦世上緣盡，我們甚麼也不能帶走。」
明年於聖城再相會時，我們將回味自己所發的願，考察修行的進展。謹祝大家回家時，旅途平安！
阿彌陀佛！
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Today is a special day at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas as we gather here to celebrate the birthday of Earth Store Bodhisattva. In Sanskrit, his name is Kshitigarbha, meaning "Earth Repository" or "Earth Store". Like all Bodhisattvas, he aspires to save living beings wandering in the six paths of rebirth, but he specializes in saving them from the hells. He is second only to Guanyin Bodhisattva in popularity among Asian Buddhists.
One distinct feature that you see in any picture of Earth Store Bodhisattva is that he carries a tin staff with nine rings on top. In the past, people who had left the home-life would carry the staff when they walked, and with every step, the nine rings made a sound warning all tiny insects to get out of the way so that they would not be stepped on. Earth Store Bodhisattva always carries a tin staff and uses it as a key to open the gates of hell. For those who have fallen into the hells, Earth Store Bodhisattva will go there to speak the Dharma for them and wipe away their offense- karma so that they can be born in the heavens or among human beings.
Earth Store Bodhisattva has great vows, great conduct, great wisdom, and great compassion. His vows are deep because he will go the deepest hell to save living beings; his vows are wide because until he has saved all beings and the hells are empty, he will not become a Buddha. His vows should motivate us to do the same: that is, to vow to bring happiness to living beings and to save them. As Buddhists who aspire to cultivate diligently, it is important that we also make vows. Vows are solemn promises to ourselves to do good deeds. With vows, we have a kind of map of where we are going in our cultivation.
Many of you have come a long distance today to celebrate Earth Store Bodhisattva's birthday here and to bow to the Buddhas, while some of you have attended the entire seven-day recitation of the
Earth Store Sutra. The important thing is to truly bring forth the Bodhi resolve—the resolve to do the good deeds that Bodhisattvas do. You should see that there is nothing so extraordinary or desirable about anything in this world. No matter how wealthy you are, when the time comes for you to die, how much of it can you take with you? It is better to take advantage of your lifetime to do useful things with your wealth and thereby accumulate merit. If you put your wealth to good use, then your life will not be a total waste. Since the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are helping you so that everything about your life is going easy, this is one way you can repay their kindness.
People should wake up from their dreams. Don't wait until you are too old to cultivate the Way. The lonely graves are filled with those who died young.
Those of you who follow the world news will notice that there are horrendous disasters everywhere; some are natural calamities, and some are man-made. All these disasters result from the collective bad karma that people have created. In the U.S. alone, you have heard of terrible hurricanes on the East Coast, fires in Florida that lasted two weeks, floods, landslides, and all kinds of disasters that cause deaths and suffering. We've also heard of the recent big flood in China, causing deaths and tremendous suffering to hundreds of thousands of people—the worst flood in China's recorded history. We also heard the recent plane crash off the coast of Nova Scotia in which all 219 people onboard were killed. By reciting the name of Earth Store Bodhisattva and making vows like this Bodhisattva, we can help this world avoid such disasters and sufferings.
Today is a good time to ask ourselves: "Have we made any vows to make ourselves better human beings? Have we made vows to make this a happier world to live in? Have we made vows to not waste our lives away knowing that we cannot take anything with us when our time is up on this planet?"
When we meet again at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas next year, we can then review our vows and our progress in cultivation. May you have a safe journey home. Ami-to-fo.
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