胡愛蓮居土：
師父上人、各位法師、各位佛友！
我叫胡愛蓮，從蒙特瑞來，在三藩市南邊一百多哩。這是我第一次參加觀音七，今年禪七我也在萬佛城，覺得沒留得夠久。
我相信每個參加觀音七的人都會得到一種感應，無論好壞或無記的感應，就看各人多用功，還有業力。在我的經驗我第一天就有感應，很可惜不是「好」的感應。當我念《普門品》念到觀音菩薩會布施珍寶給人時。我就想起「哦！我真希望有個新的工作，有比較好的薪水，我現在的薪水很低，信用卡裡還有很多債要付。」當時就被人罵貪心。這是自己的錯，為什麼沒錢還要花那個錢？我不應該用信用卡來花那個錢的。
第二天有第二個感應，也是「不好」的。那時我想我不該想這些世間的事，我應該求一個比較清淨的東西。因為我只會單盤，所以我想如果我可以雙盤的話，那該多好！我的腿已經很痛了，因為我當天早上拜了三步一拜，是我第的一次。我從來沒想到水泥地會給我很軟的感覺，可是當我拜完有泥沙和石子的馬路後，真覺得水泥地很軟了。我不習慣單盤，我腿外邊因為三步一拜痠痛，腿裡面因為單盤痠痛。所以我想如果觀音菩薩可以拿點甘露水灑在我膝蓋上，讓我不那麼痛，那多好！可是我沒有得到感應。
我又打了一個妄想，我可以像孫悟空到普陀山那樣，到觀音菩薩的甘露池裡面洗個澡。
我又被罵必須要有耐心，必須要自己修行，才能雙盤。
所以現在我很怕感應，因為第一次我被罵有貪心，第二次被罵沒耐心。聽師父開示說每個人心裡都有觀音菩薩，我打坐觀想這個題目，就想起來一個故事。
這故事是一個美國人叫阿兒拿廷克兒講的，題目是「鑽石田。」說在南非有個窮的農夫，他聽說有很多人在各地找到很多鑽石。他一生都是農夫還很窮，於是他把地賣了也各處去找鑽石。他找了一輩子，後來死了一分錢也沒有，地也沒了。那個買他地的農夫很高興地在家耕作，就在地後小溪裡找到了一塊很漂亮，有很多顏色的石頭，他就放在客廳裡。
一天來了一位訪客，進人客廳，很驚訝地看著那塊石頭。他問農夫知道這是什麼嗎？農夫說，「哦！這是一塊很漂亮的石頭，我在我的小溪裡找到的，那裡還有很多塊，可是比較小。」那訪客對他說，這麼大的鑽石是他一生見過最大的。農夫說看起來不是鑽石。訪客就說那是因為還沒有雕琢，剛找到的鑽石原石就是這樣子。
上人講我們每個人的心裡都有觀音菩薩，我相信我們每個人心裡都有塊鑽石，有的鑽石已經磨得很光亮，有的還很粗糙。我的那塊「鑽石」是很粗糙的，但是我很幸運，因為在這個觀音七裡我發現我有這塊鑽石，一定要經過多年勤勞修行，我才能把這塊鑽石分享給全人類。阿彌陀佛！
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Eileen Hu:
Venerable Master, Dharma Masters, and fellow cultivators:
My name is Eileen Hu. I'm from Monterey, California. That's about 125 miles south of San Francisco. This is my first time participating in a Gwan Yin Recitation Session. However, I was here this winter participating the Chan Session and I felt that I didn't stay long enough.
I firmly believe that everybody who participates in this recitation will get some type of response. Whether good, bad or indifferent depends on the person, their efforts and their karma. I was surprised I had a response on the first day. Unfortunately, it was not a good response.
While reading the Universal Chapter, it states that Gwan Yin Bodhisattva will give people a precious jewel. I thought, "Wow! I really need a new job, a better paying job. My current job does not pay enough and I also have credit card debts." I was scolded, " I am just being greedy. That was my own fault, how come I spent the money when I didn't have it? I shouldn't use the credit card if I don't have money."
On the second day, I had another response. Unfortunately, it wasn't a good one either. I thought I better not think of worldly things. I should think about something a little bit more pure. I can only sit in the half lotus, so I thought, "Wouldn't is be nice if I could sit in full lotus?" My legs hurt a lot from practicing the Three Steps and One Bow, which I had never done before. I didn't think that cement could feel soft, but after bowing on the gravel road, the cement walkway felt very soft. In addition, I don't like to sit in half lotus. My legs hurt from the Three Steps and One Bow and from sitting in half lotus. I thought, "Wouldn't it be nice if Guanyin Bodhisattva could take a little bit of his sweet dew water and sprinkle it on my knees? Then I would be very comfortable." I didn't get a response.
Then I had an idle thought, "Why don't I be like the Monkey King, Sun Wukong, and go to Potola Mountain and take a dip in Guanyin's pool of sweet dew water?" I was scolded again, "I need patience. I need to practice in order to be able to sit in full lotus."
Now I'm afraid of having responses. First I was scolded for being greedy, then I was scolded for being impatient. After listening to the Venerable Master's tape, when he talked about how Guanyin Bodhisattva is in everybody's heart, I tried to meditate on that topic. And that brought to mind a story I've heard from an American inspirational speaker named Earl Nightingale. It's called, "Acres of Diamonds." The story goes like this:
There was once a poor farmer in South Africa who heard that people were finding diamonds all over the place. He had been farming all his life and was still very poor. So he sold his land and went out looking for diamonds. He searched for his entire life, and he died broke and penniless. He did not find the diamonds and he did not have his little piece of land. The new farmer who bought his land was happily tilling the farm. In the creek at the back of the farm, he found a big, pretty- colored rock, and he put it on his mantelpiece.
One day, a visitor came by. He was very shocked to see the colored stone on the mantelpiece. He asked the farmer, "Do you know what this is?" The farmer said, "It's a pretty rock. I found it in the stream at the back of my farm. There is a lot more in the stream but they are much smaller." The visitor told him, "That is the biggest diamond I've ever seen in my life." The farmer said, "Well, this doesn't look like a diamond to me." The guest replied, "That's because it's not polished yet. It's a diamond in a rough."
When the Venerable Master said that each one of us has Guanyin Bodhisattva in our hearts, I believe that each of us has a diamond in our hearts. Some people's are polished and some are still in the rock. My diamond is still rough, but I'm very lucky because in this Guanyin Session I found that I have a diamond, a diamond in the rough within my heart. It's going to take years of diligent cultivation to polish that diamond before I can offer and share it with humanity. Amitabha.
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