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1975年8月20日星期二晚
來參加佛七的人每一個人都應該拿出真心來唸佛，免得累其他的人受苦。你如果不拿出你的真心來唸佛，那麼天就會下雨，把真心唸佛的人也跟著受苦了。我們真心唸佛的人要多，當然就不會下雨；沒有真心的人多就會下雨，這是一定的道理。下雨，路途就不好走，尤其在晚間，所以我們這三天沒下雨，這是有大感應。
還剩四天了，看看怎樣。所有的人應該用至誠懇切心來唸佛，不要躲懶偷安，不要沒有事情不參加念佛。我們這麼遠來的，如果馬馬虎虎好像玩似的，那就沒有意思了。所以無論哪一個來參加唸佛的，來參加法會的，都要忍受一切的苦來唸佛。無論如何要真心唸佛，唸的聲音也不要太高，也不要太低。不要在唸佛的時候好像要睡覺似的；在不唸佛的時候來了精神了，很多話講。不要這樣，要用整個精神來念佛，來觀想阿彌陀佛。
你們哪一個有什麼感應，有什麼瑞相？瑞相就是祥瑞的感應，或者見到阿彌陀佛來給你摩頂，或者見到阿彌陀佛用他的衣來把你遮上，這都是瑞相。或者見到佛放光，或者聞到異香撲鼻；平時沒有聞到的這股香味，這也叫瑞相。或者見到蓮花，或者你晚間做夢夢到唸佛，這種種的瑞相，都包括在這打佛七之內。你有這種感應就證明阿彌陀佛來愛護你，來攝受你，有種種好的吉祥的相。
明天你們每一個人要是有什麼瑞相，有什麼感應，可以提出來對大家來講一講。我也願意知道知道。你看，我們感動得天地都不下雨了，那其餘的瑞相更會有的。你們無論哪一個，見到觀音菩薩或者阿彌陀佛，都可以說一說。這個果童，你在打佛七的時候有沒有看見什麼菩薩啊，佛啊，有什麼情形，可以對大家說一說。無論哪一個，小果芳，妳要是有什麼境界也可以說一說。我們這兒的人，不論大小都可以提出自己所見所聞的來說一說，因為我們這兒是公開的，是民主的；我們這所有一切，都是可以叫大家知道的。
你不要把唸佛的法門看得簡單，十方諸佛都是從唸佛法門而產生的。現在就是觀音菩薩、大勢至菩薩、文殊師利菩薩、普賢菩薩，他們時時刻刻都在念佛呢！在以前有一位永明延壽禪師。這一位禪師他先是參禪的，以後就開悟了；開悟了之後，他才知道這唸佛法門是最妙的，所以他就唸佛－－唸南無阿彌陀佛。他唸一聲南無阿彌陀佛，就有一道光在他口裡現出來；在這光裡頭就有一尊阿彌陀佛化出來。所以說：
「一念彌陀，一念佛；
念念彌陀，念念佛。」
這個唸佛法門，它的妙處說不能盡，所以釋迦牟尼佛才不問自說，說這個念佛法門。在經上說：「末法眾生，一億人修行，罕一得道，唯以念佛得度。」但是你要是能唸佛，那就能得度，就能了生死，脫輪迴。所以這個唸佛法門是最妙的一個法門。你不要當面錯過，交臂失之。你不要到了寶山空著兩手而去。我們現在的唸佛七，就是一個寶山；你到這個寶山裏頭，最低限度要得到寶貝。什麼叫寶貝呢？這個寶貝也就多了：金子也是寶貝；銀子也是寶貝；琉璃也是寶貝；硨磲也是寶貝；赤珠也是寶貝；瑪瑙也是寶貝，那麼人參也是寶貝；何首烏也是寶貝；黃精也是寶貝，看你得到或得不到。
這個人參怎麼稱寶貝呢？人參，要是九個ounce（盎斯），就是人參；要是十一個ounce呢，就變成寶貝了。所以你們看這個山裏頭很多人參，誰要能得到十一個ounce的人參，你回去就無災無病，壽與天齊，壽命和天那麼長；天有多長，你壽命有多長。這個何首烏要一千年才有效，要一千年才是寶貝。你們西方人盡是白頭髮，一出生就像老頭子似的，把頭髮都白了；男的也頭髮白了，女的也頭髮白了。你有辦法吃多一點何首烏；何首烏一吃頭髮就黑了，鬍子也黑了，那麼何首烏也是寶貝。
古來修道的人在山上就吃黃精。他因為離得人遠不能買米買東西吃，就在這個山裡吃天然的這種藥材。他們離town（城）很遠的，也沒有汽車，也沒有飛機，也沒有motorcycle（摩托車）。黃精也是一種藥材，對人是最有營養的；吃了黃精也能延年益壽。在〈本草備要〉上說，這個黃精吃了會在空中飛的。〈本草備要〉上說以前有個小姐，like Guo
Fang（像果芳）；這個小姐有個母親，是個後母，就給她氣受。她就從家裏跑了，跑出去到山裏頭，也沒有油吃也沒有鹽吃，就吃黃精。那麼她吃吃，就會飛了。以後她在天上飛，一般人看見她在天上飛，就又拿點東西給她吃－－a
piece of candy（一塊糖）。她一吃人的飲食，在火上煮的有油鹽的東西，就不會飛了。所以這黃精也是寶。
那麼我們這回發起唸佛的居士，叫什麼名字，我不會說。這一位居士，他提倡大家聚會到一起來唸佛。他是種中藥的，研究中藥，所以你們到這兒參加唸佛七，都要得到他這個寶貝。今天我聽他告訴我說，給你們大家參精茶喝，不知道你們會不會喝；喝了唸佛應該精神多一點，不要像睡覺似的。等一等大迴向的時侯，打起精神來唸佛。這一聲「佛」，叫它通天徹地；叫天上的人聽到唸佛了，他們那裏也都隨著唸佛；地獄裏的眾生，聽到我們這兒唸佛聲音那麼響亮，他們那兒也發菩提心了，那他們有大感應了。
（上人對翻譯者：）黃精是一種藥材，是仙人吃的東西，吃了能延年益壽，所有的人吃了就會飛的。修仙的人就吃那個東西，要九蒸九曬。蒸，把它蒸熟了，然後用太陽曬乾了它，再蒸；九蒸九曬，然後吃。
你想：「要翻譯，又來了一個麻煩。」
偏偏改了你翻譯，我就講這麼多生的東西！我這也沒有想；我要想，我不會講這個了。
翻譯者：如果我想，我就不翻譯了。
上人：那你不翻譯，就叫果芳翻譯了嘛！果芳是很聰明的。
My hair be came white. I didn't eat he shou wu it turned again.（我的頭髮曾經變白過。我沒有吃何首烏，它也黑了，所以我這個不是何首烏，是自首烏。）You work hard translating like this.
Hope everybody works hard on大迴向。（你這麼樣努力地翻譯，希望大家也一樣地努力來做大迴向。）
果芳，不要回去睡覺；果童 too！
待續
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Wednesday, August 20, 1975 (evening)
All of you participating in this session should earnestly recite the Buddha's name so that other people will not have to suffer just because of you. If you don't recite sincerely, it will rain, and those who are sincere will be forced to suffer because of you. If the majority of people are sincere, of course it won't rain. There's no question about it. When it rains, the paths are hard to walk, especially at night. It hasn't rained now for three days, and that is a great response, but there are still four days left. We'll have to wait and see what happens. Everyone should be mindful; be extremely earnest and sincere as you chant. Don't be lazy and sneak off to rest, and don't neglect to join the recitation. You've come from such a long distance; to be careless and flippant at this point would make the experience meaningless. So it doesn't matter who you are, all participants in the Dharma assembly must endure the bitterness and recite the Buddha's name. Be patient, no matter what happens, and continue to recite sincerely.
You shouldn't sing too loudly or too softly. When it's time to recite, don't sing like someone asleep and then suddenly wake up and energetically babble to your friends. Don't be like that. You should put all of your energy into reciting the Buddha's name and visualizing mitabha Buddha. Then you may obtain a response or observe an auspicious sign. For instance, you may see Amitabha Buddha come to rub you on the crown of your head; he may draw near and cover you with his sash; you may see Amitabha Buddha emitting light. These are all auspicious signs. You may also smell a very strong and fragrant incense, and extraordinary scent, or you may see lotuses. At night you might dream of reciting the Buddha's name or other various portents. If you obtain such a response, it proves that Amitabha Buddha has come to watch over you, to take care of you.
There are other types of favorable signs. Tomorrow, if anyone has experienced such a sign or evoked a response, they can tell everyone about it. I want to know about it. We've managed to move heaven and earth and stop the rain, so you can expect more portents. No matter who you are, if you see Guanyin Bodhisattva or Amitabha Buddha, tell us about it. Guo Tong, have you seen any Bodhisattva or Buddha during this recitation session? If you have had any such experience, you can tell everyone. Little Guo Fang, you can speak up, too, if you have had some special state. Anyone can speak up. Young and old can relate what they've seen and heard because everything we do here is open and democratic. Everyone can know everything that's going on.
Don't assume that the Dharma-door of Buddha Recitation is a trivial matter. All the Buddhas of the ten directions were born from this practice. At present, Guanyin Bodhisattva, Great Strength Bodhisattva, Manjushri Bodhisattva, and Universal Worthy Bodhisattva all continuously recite the Buddha's name. There was once a Dhyana Master called Yong Ming Shou. He started out as a cultivator of Dhyana meditation and later he became enlightened. After his enlightenment he understood that the Dharma-door of Buddha Recitation was most wonderful and so he began to chant the Buddha's name. Everytime he recited "Namo Amitabha Buddha," a ray of light flashed out of his mouth. What's more, this was no ordinary light. Within the light was a transformation body of Amitabha Buddha! So it is said,
One thought of Amitabha,
One thought is the Buddha;
Every thought of Amitabha,
Every thought is the Buddha.
Shakyamuni Buddha taught this Dharma-door without having been requested to do so, because its wonders are manifold, ineffable, and uncountable. The Sutras say, "Of all the living beings in the Dharma-ending Age, if a billion cultivate, rare will it be for even one to obtain the Way. They shall be taken across only by relying on Buddha Recitation." However, if you recite the Buddha's name, you can end birth and death, and be released from the spinning wheel of rebirth. That is why we call it the most wonderful of Dharma-doors. You shouldn't mistake what is right in front of your eyes. Don't let it slip through your fingers. Don't go to the mountain of jewels and return empty-handed. You see, the recitation session itself is a mountain of treasures. When you come to the mountain, you should take some treasures back with you. What do we consider to be gems and treasures? There are many kinds of them. Gold is a treasure, silver is a treasure, lapis lazuli is a gem, mother-of-pearl is a gem, red pearls are gems, carnelian is a gem. Ginseng is a treasure! So are
he shou wu (Polygonum multiflorum Thunb.) and huang jing, but you may or may not be able to get them.
How does ginseng become a treasure? If it weighs nine ounces, it's called ginseng. If it weighs eleven ounces, it's called a "gem." Look carefully, because there's a lot of ginseng in these mountains. Whoever finds a root weighing eleven ounces will live without disasters, without sickness, and have a lifespan as long as that of the gods. As for
he shou wu 何首烏 ("Mr. He's Hair Blackener") a one thousand year-old piece is considered a gem. Many Westerners have white hair, and the moment they are born they look like old men and women with frosty temples. But there is hope for all of you. Eat a little he shou wu and your hair will turn black and so will your beard. Therefore, we consider it a treasure.
Huang jing 黄精 (Solomon's Seal) was eaten by cultivators of old who lived deep in the mountains. Because they were far away from civilization and had no car, plane, motorcycle, or other means to get to town to buy rice or other staples to eat, they subsisted on whatever herbs they could find growing in the mountains. It is a very nutritious herb that can prolong your life. In the
Ben Cao, a book on Chinese herbs, it says that if you eat
huang jing, you can fly. The Ben Cao Bei Yao (Treatise on Herbal Medicine) tells of a young woman—like Guo Fang—who ran away from home after she had been scolded by her stepmother. She ran into the mountains where there was no food for her to eat, no oil, no salt, nothing. She survived by eating
huang jing and before long she was able to fly through the air. People saw her flying around in space and coaxed her down with some food to eat—a piece of candy—but once she ate their cooked food, with its oil and salt, she lost her power of flight. Thus, we consider
huang jing a treasure.
The layman who is sponsoring this Buddha Recitation Session—I can't pronounce his name—has given everyone this opportunity to gather here to recite the Buddha's name. This layman plants and studies Chinese herbs. So all of you who've come to participate in the Recitation Session will obtain his treasures.
I was told that the kitchen served ginseng tea today. Did you drink any? If you did, then when you recite you should have even more energy. You'll have no excuse to doze off. In just a minute we are going to do the Great Transference of Merit Ceremony and you can strike up your spirits and sing so loud that each sound of the Buddha's name pierces the heavens and plows into the earth. I want you to sing so that the gods in the heavens will hear our sound and join in! The creatures in the hells will hear us recite the Buddha's name with such ringing clarity that they will all bring forth the thought of enlightenment. That will be a great response!
[Explaining to translator] Huang jing is a medicinal herb that immortals eat. It can prolong your life, and people who eat it can fly. People who are cultivating immortality eat it. They have to steam it and sun it nine times. They steam it until it is cooked, then dry it in the sun, then steam it again. After doing this nine times, they eat it.
Translation is really a troublesome affair, isn't it? Just when it's your turn to translate, I talk about so many things which are unfamiliar to you.
Well, I wasn't thinking. If I had thought about it first, I wouldn't have talked about this.
Translator: [in Chinese] If I had thought about it, I wouldn't be translating.
Venerable Master: Well, if you don't translate, we'll just get Guo Fang to do it. She's very intelligent.
My hair once turned white. I didn't eat any he shou wu but it still turned black again. I didn't use Mr. He's Hair Blackener, I used my own hair blackener.
You have been working so hard translating; I hope everyone will work just as hard when we do the Great Transference of Merit.
Guo Fang, don't go to sleep! That goes for Guo Tong, too!
To be continued
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