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早在1990年初，萬佛城傳三壇大戒時，上人總是請達瑪瓦拉老法師來傳戒。
1992年上人在洛杉機舉辦第一屆敬老節，老法師那時也以一百零三歲的高齡遠來參加，使敬老節增輝不少。老法師的致辭一向是虛懷若谷，對大家的禮請，他是感謝又感謝的，對服侍他的人，致意又致意，最後又以南傳方式唸咒迴向大眾。
老法師喜歡到處跑，足跡遍世界各地；不管是西方人，還是東方人，年輕的，或是老的，大家都很喜歡親近他。很多人都知道老法師會治病而不願讓人知道。被治的人不知不覺病就好了，妙在常有些人覺得，也許病本來就該好了，與老法師無關。
筆者一次有緣開車載老法師赴機場；老法師臨上機時，很多人擁往前去，筆者便遠遠地跟他禮別。只見他又唸咒加持前來送行的人，筆者頓時全身如觸強電一般，莫可名喻，感動得流淚滿面。令我想起很久很久以前，被加持的情景，有如同一轍的感覺。當時頓感世間的塵塵剎剎，真是如過眼雲煙。
去年萬佛懺期間，老法師又來聖城住約一個月。他已一百零九歲高齡，拖著疲憊多病的身體與侍者一起來。車子抵達時，天空無端地打雷下雨，他有點冷得發抖，侍者用毯子裏著他，抱進十六號房。見了他們兩人，彷如多年老友隔世相逢，感慨無比。住聖城期間，訪客不斷，而他的身體也時好時壞。也不知是真的，還是演戲，偶而見他，猶如即將往生似的，可是沒多久，又見他與訪客有說有笑，讓在旁的人不得不覺得世事如鏡花水月。
他的美藉醫生固定每星期來為他做檢查。一次醫生告訴他下星期無法來，也許以後都無法來了。問之，則說他自己好像得到癌症，必須要住院檢查等等。老法師一聽，即刻抓住他的手，默默加持了好陣子。突然鬆手哈哈大笑說：「好啦！你來看我的病，我一切都好多了。」明明是他幫人忙，卻反說被幫忙。那種不著痕跡的慈悲喜捨，也許這就是所謂的菩薩行為吧！
有關老法師弘法度生的事蹟，相信已有人寫。筆者就此打住；然打住前，又作麼生？聽吾說句：
百十高齡老Bhante 南傳北傳走透透
當陽舉示癡呆漢 飄然已隔萬重山
今聞老法師已火化荼毗，畢竟又作麼生？聽吾再說句：
火中紅蓮金身現 依舊是他老Bhante
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Ever since the early nineties, whenever a Threefold Ordination was held at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, the Venerable Master would always invite the Venerable Bhante Dharmawara to transmit the precepts.
When the Venerable Master held the first Honoring Elders Celebration in 1992 in Los Angeles, the Venerable Bhante, who was 103 years old at the time, came from afar to attend, gracing the occasion with his presence. In speaking, the Venerable Bhante always demonstrated the utmost humility. In response to everyone's greetings and courtesies, he thanked them over and over. Towards those who attended upon him, he expressed sincere gratitude. Finally, he would recite mantras to bless the assembly in the Theravadan fashion.
The Venerable Bhante was an avid traveler who visited all parts of the world. Westerners and Easterners, young and old alike, loved to be near him. Many people know that Bhante would cure people without wishing his deeds to be known. In fact, the patients would often feel as if their recovery was natural and had nothing to do with the elderly monk.
The author once had a chance to drive the Venerable Bhante to the airport. When Bhante was about to board the plane, many people went up to say goodbye so I bowed to him from a distance. I only saw that he was reciting mantras to bless those who were seeing him off. I suddenly felt as if jolted by an electric shock for no apparent reason. I was moved to the point of tears. The feeling reminded me of one time when I had received a blessing long ago—it felt exactly the same. At that time I felt that everything in the world was as ephemeral as clouds and smoke.
Last year during the Repentance before Ten Thousand Buddhas, the Venerable Bhante came to stay at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas for about a month. At the advanced age of 109, he was suffering from various ailments and came with an attendant. When his car arrived, there was a great storm and he was shivering from the cold. His attendant covered him with a blanket and then dashed into Cottage 16. Seeing them was like seeing old friends from many years ago. It was deeply touching. During his sojourn at the City, he had an endless stream of visitors. His health would worsen and then get better—it wasn't clear whether he was really suffering or only acting as if in a play. Sometimes he seemed to be on the verge of dying; yet later he would again be chatting and laughing with visitors; those beside him could not help feeling as if worldly affairs were no more real than flowers in the mirror or the moon in water.
His American doctor would come to give him a check-up each week. Once the doctor told him that he could not make it the following week or perhaps any of the times after that. When asked why, the doctor explained that he himself seemed to have contracted cancer and needed to stay in the hospital for check-ups and so on. The Venerable Bhante immediately grabbed the doctor's hand and silently blessed him for a while. Suddenly Bhante released the doctor's hand and laughed heartily, saying, "You're okay! Come and see me again. I'm much better now." Clearly Bhante was helping others, yet he would say that he was being helped. His practice of kindness, compassion, joy, and giving without attachment is probably what we would call the Bodhisattva conduct!
I believe the Venerable Bhante's biographical sketch has already been compiled, so I will stop here. However, before I stop, please listen to my verse:
The Venerable Bhante,
Over a hundred years old,
Fully experienced both the northern
And southern traditions.
Although he appeared to be a foolish old man,
He has already floated
Beyond ten thousand mountain ranges.
After hearing that the Venerable Bhante's remains have been cremated, what did I do? Listen to my other verse:
A red lotus in the fire—his golden body appears:
He is still the same old Venerable Bhante.
The End
老法師參訪聖城
Ven. Bhante during a past visit to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas
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