 諸佛菩薩，師父上人，各位法師，各位善知識：
我是張鳳竹，法名果鳳，來自臺灣，是第二次到聖城。我今天講一下我皈依上人的因緣和感應。
我本來從事幼教工作，現已離開崗位了。1990年上人到臺灣辦護國息災法會，第二天有學生媽媽打電話告訴我，前一天在中正紀念堂上人的法會中，天空出現瑞象，叫我－定要去皈依，所以我皈依上人幾乎是被動的。第二次見到上人，是在國立技術學院上人講法時。這次不知為什麼我哭得很傷心，好像見到久未見面的親人，哭泣不止。
皈依後我每期都收到《智慧之源》，得到上人的教化，我一點－點地接近上人。那次在技術學院見到上人，也是最後一次，因為隔天在板橋打三皈五戒，我找理由說工作忙，要開會寫聯絡本，下次再來，就這樣錯過了。
《智慧之源》中每一則消息我都看得很專注，知道上人會再來臺灣，我就等，發願上人再來時，我要參加義工行列。不久看到上人身體不好，不來了。隔了一段時間，我在郵局信箱中拿到《智慧之源》，厚厚一疊是上人圓寂的消息。我非常傷心，像失去了親人般，就坐在郵局的木箱上哭，之後很久很久拿起飯碗都吃不下。
後來在板橋舉辦追思大會，人很多，傳供時我也不顧自己脊椎側彎或脊椎移位，三天跪在那回想上人的恩澤。後來我去花蓮彌陀聖寺參加彌陀七，法會莊嚴殊勝，大家很精進。在第三天止靜時我聽到上人的聲音－－「樓梯邊的門，要關起來。」連續兩次。當時我不曉得是什麼門，開靜後張開眼，看見我旁邊那個門就是沒關。佛七頭兩天本有兩位義工在止靜時會把門關起來，第三天他們回臺北上班了，就沒有人關門。
這次我來，是因為萬佛城傳授菩薩戒。從知道時，我每天早晚禮拜上人時都求上人加被，讓我無障礙滿願到聖城受菩薩戒。起飛前一天，南部兒子生重病，我沒時間思考，匆匆忙忙走了；到了聖城我有著錐心的傷痛，我求上人作主讓我能滿受菩薩戒的願，也救度兒子好起來。那時剛好打地藏七，我將所有功德迴向給兒子，每天求上人慈悲加被，求觀世音菩薩。
前些日子兒子電話中說：「好多了，不要擔心了！妳九月以後再回來好了。」
我想到上人十八大願裡有「願一切求願必獲滿足。」上人的感應說不完，今天就講到這裡。阿彌陀佛！
上人語錄
修行一定要慈心下氣。「慈心」對誰都有慈悲心。「下氣」沒有貢高我慢，沒有四相的執著，把這一切執著都破了，才能行菩薩道。 |
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All Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, Venerable Master, Dharma Masters, good advisors:
My name is Feng-chu Chang (Guo Feng) and I'm from Taiwan. This is my second time visiting the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. I'm going to relate to you the story of how I took refuge with the Venerable Master and the responses I've had.
I used to be a kindergarten teacher, but I have now retired. The second day that the Venerable Master came to Taiwan to hold the Dharma Assembly for Protecting the Nation and Quelling Disasters, the mother of one of my students called to tell me about an auspicious portent seen in the sky on the first day of the session at the Chung-cheng Memorial Hall. The mother strongly urged me to go take refuge. Thus, my taking refuge was basically a passive act. When I saw the Venerable Master for a second time, speaking Dharma at the National Institute of Technology, I wept sorrowfully and could not stop. It was as if I had been reunited with a long lost relative.
After I took refuge, I received the Venerable Master's Dharma teachings in every issue of the Source of Wisdom, thus growing closer to the Master little by little. I never saw the Master again after his Dharma lecture at the National Institute, because I was too busy with meetings and correspondence to attend when the Master transmitted the Three Refuges and Five Precepts at Banqiao the next day, and I rationalized that the Venerable Master would come again. Thus, I missed my opportunity.
I paid close attention to every article in the Source of Wisdom and waited for the Venerable Master to return to Taiwan, vowing to join the volunteer team when he came. Soon I noticed that the Venerable Master was not well and would not come again. Some time later, I went to the post office and found a thick issue of Source of Wisdom containing news of the Master's passing into stillness. I was numbed with grief, feeling as if I had lost a close relative. I sat on the wooden mailbox and wept. I had no appetite for a long time afterwards.
Many people attended the Memorial Ceremony held in Banqiao. During the Ceremony for the Passing of Offerings, I knelt for three days recalling the Venerable Master's kindness, not caring whether I twisted or dislocated my back. Later I went to Amitabha Monastery in Hualien to attend an Amitabha Session. The Dharma assembly was sublime and wonderful, and everyone was very vigorous. During the silent sit on the third day, I heard the Master say twice, "The door by the stairs should be shut." I didn't know what door he meant, but when I opened my eyes at the end of the sit, I saw that the door beside me was ajar. Two other volunteers had been responsible for shutting the doors during the first two days, but on the third day they had returned to Taipei.
This time I came to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas for the transmission of the Bodhisattva Precepts. When I first heard about the transmission, I prayed to the Master each time I bowed to him in the morning and evening, asking him to help me come to the City to receive the precepts. The day before my departure, my son in southern Taiwan became seriously ill. I left in a rush, without time for consideration. When I arrived at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, I felt a deep pain in my heart. 1 prayed to the Venerable Master to take care of things so that I could receive the precepts and my son could get well. There happened to be an Earth Store Session going on, and so I transferred all the merit to my son. I prayed daily to the Venerable Master to bless my son.
A few days ago my son called to tell me that he was better, not to worry, and that I could stay until September. I am reminded of one of the Venerable Master's Eighteen Great Vows, which says, "I vow that all wishes will be fulfilled." I have had endless responses from the Venerable Master, but I'll stop here for today. Amitabha!
Venerable Master's Dharma Words
Two requisites of cultivation are compassion and humility. We must be kind and compassionate to everyone. We must also be humble, not arrogant and not attached to the Four Marks (self, others, beings, life span). We must destroy all attachments before we can practice the Bodhisattva Path. |
