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白玉堂老居士，東北雙城縣人，宣公上人俗家的三哥。1992年來萬佛聖城定居，人人尊稱為「三老爺」。今年4月8日以九四高齡捨壽往生，遺體於5月15日火化，得舍利牙13顆，黑色舍利子十餘顆，還有白綠相間的舍利花。
三爺一生清廉耿介，不佔便宜，上人特別稱許他年輕時看人騎自行車，車後載了一大匹白布滑到地上，那人揚長而去。三爺坐在布旁看著；最後物歸原主，失主歡喜得叩頭致謝。1961年鬧糧慌，大家餓得受不了就偷東西吃。三爺這時犯傷力吐血，不能工作時還拿不到糧，還告誡家人說：「餓死也不准偷東西吃。」那年幸好野菜長得特別茂盛，聊以充饑；熬了三年，終於度過難關。
三爺不願女人碰他，今年跌傷了腿住院，還推開女護士。子女幫護士忙時，三爺就說：「你們還幫著人來欺負我！」法師們到醫院探望時，三爺說：「錢不是好東西，有了錢麻煩就來了。」
三爺沒讀過書，怎會識字呢？原來當時上人在家時有一個書房，不准旁人進去打擾；三爺總會溜進去聽上人背書，上人也當做不知道，就這樣二十幾歲後也能讀書識字了。上人曾說三爺前生是一方丈和尚，偶動凡心想要有孩子，所以今生就結婚生子，他的徒弟就成了他的子女。往生前一天，三爺要二兒景學拿筆寫下「頂天立地白玉柱，珍珠佛沙南馬蓮」的對聯。這也可說是三爺一生的寫照。
註：「南馬蓮」是三奶奶的別名。
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Elder Upasaka Yutang Bai was the third elder brother of the Venerable Master Hua in his lay household. He was a native of Shuangcheng County, Manchuria. He moved to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas in 1992. Everyone revered him as "Third Lord." He passed away at the age of ninety-four on April 8 this year. His remains were cremated on May 15. Thirteen tooth relics and over ten black sharira seeds were found. There were also sharira clusters of variegated white and green colors.
All his life, Elder Bai was upright and incorruptible. He never took advantage of anyone. The Venerable Master praised him, saying that when Elder Bai was young, he once saw a bicyclist drop a large bolt of white cloth as he rode past Elder Bai. Elder Bai sat down beside the cloth and waited. Eventually, the cloth was retrieved by the owner, who was so delighted that he bowed in gratitude. During a famine in 1961, many people resorted to stealing due to unbearable hunger. At that time, Elder Bai was injured and vomited blood. He could not work and received no provisions. Yet, he admonished his family members saying, "Even if you starve, you should not steal food to eat." Fortunately, many wild vegetables grew that year, and they sufficed to assuage their hunger. The crisis finally ended after three years.
Elder Bai did not want women to touch him, so when he was hospitalized for a leg injury earlier this year, he pushed away the female nurses. When his children helped the nurses, he said, "You help others to bully me!" When Dharma Masters visited him at the hospital, he told them, "Money is not a good thing; once you have money, trouble comes."
Elder Bai never received any schooling, yet he knew how to read. How did he learn to read? While the Venerable Master was at home, he had a study room, and no one was allowed to disturb him. Elder Bai would always slip in to listen to the Venerable Master recite from books. The Venerable Master acted as if he did not know. In this way, Elder Bai learned to read in his twenties. The Venerable Master said that Elder Bai had been an abbot in his past life. As a result of one worldly thought— the wish to have children, in this life he married and had children. His former disciples became his children. The day before he passed away, Elder Bai asked Jinxue, his second son, to jot down this couplet:
The white jade pillar stands upright between heaven and earth.
The Buddhist disciple South Horse Lotus is as precious as pearls.
This can also be construed as the sketch of the life of Third Lord.
Note: Nan Malian, literally South Horse Lotus, is the name of Elder Bai's wife.
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