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比丘恆實：
大家早安！各位已經誦過《華嚴經》，朝拜過萬佛城，也已看到太陽從妙覺山後升上來了。今天的節目是講感言，講各人有關萬佛聖城及身為上人弟子的一些記憶及感受。
現在第一位和各位分享他的意見的是湯姆•麥克米倫教授。他是孟都仙諾社區大學的一個創辦人，負責建立這個大學，他也是一位牧師。他在這個大學教導一些少年人，包括我們學校的畢業生，來發展他們自己的智慧及學識，所以多年來他在萬佛城參加了我們一些宗教活動。他接近上人很多年了，是我們的一個朋友。我覺得一位博士牧師能從山門三步一拜到大殿，是非常難得的，所以大家歡迎他給我們講幾句話。
湯•麥米倫教授：（比丘恆實中譯）
今天我非常榮幸，能參加萬佛聖城二十五週年慶祝會，並和各位分享一些故事及心得，同時也帶了瑜伽市各宗教團體，一起來向所有的法師、來賓及佛友們問候和感謝之意。
我很榮幸在過去二十五年中認識了上人，跟法總有些關係；有好幾次跟上人談話，都談到拜佛的好處，及給我們帶來的利益，可以增加我們的力氣。今天早上我拜了四百多呎，有四十幾分鐘的時間。過去恆實法師非常慈悲，三步一拜地拜了兩年零九個月；我還得拜兩年八個月二十九天，二十三個小時二十分鐘的時間，來體驗禮佛的好處，這種事能清淨我們的身心，使我們有很清明的智慧。今天早上我有機會參加朝山這個儀式，我覺得很高興。
過去多年來，我從萬佛城收到很多很多寶貴的禮物，有機會和孩子們談話。後來他們有些到孟都仙諾大學讀書，還有在柏克萊那裡，把他們的觸角延伸到世界上去。我們瞭解到他們在萬佛城所受的教育，奠定了他們良好的品德。萬佛城的教育是非常好的，培育了人性善良的一面。我很高興，在過去我有機會在法界佛教大學教課，也有機會來這裡講法，從這當中讓我建立了更多良好的基礎。
萬佛城在教育上跟宗教互相結合。現在也跟柏克萊的聯合宗教研究所（GTU）攜手合作，以一種學者的素質，一起用宗教的修行來領導各界人士認識佛法。現在恆實法師在柏克萊推行宗教的聯合，希望將來世界都能夠和平：同時也在萬佛城，本地瑜伽市這個地方，繼續推行宗教聯合的工作。
在這裡介紹一下，我是基督教徒，可是我看自己好像是住在萬佛城裡的一份子，但有一個特殊的責任。我希望大家都能常常思維－－「我到底是誰」，能以慈悲心待世人，彼此相互瞭解，共同攜手來服務這個社區，不但在這裡，同時在萬佛城以外，在世界各地我們都能夠攜手合作，促進彼此間之瞭解，以誠相待。
在這個紀念萬佛城成立二十五週年的日子，我重申對各位的承諾，我願意以代表萬佛城住眾的身份，不管是在知識、情感，或是心靈方面，盡一份責任。在過去二十五年中，無論是在建築工程方面，或者是對外界的溝通，我願意這樣做；在未來的二十五年，只要萬佛 城存在一天，我都願意這樣做。同時我也鼓勵大家都負起這個責任來。
比丘恆實：
上人是哪裡有道場，哪裡就是學校。上人覺得在這個國家，在這個時候，教育和修行是不可分的，所以把很多力量放在教育方面，小學、中學、大學、研究所都是上人對教育的抱負。
如果萬佛城的學校是一棵樹的話，那今天在教育方面，我們有一些果實已經成熟了。今天有不少的同學在場，有男生有女生，或者是直接在萬佛城讀書或者是在萬佛城教育的思想體系內受過一些訓練，我們想請他們說說對於過去所受教育的感想，還有將來，以及在這個月、下個月，有一些可以一起學習的活動，請他們自己講一講。
男學生一：
阿彌陀佛！我想稍微跟大家提一下，今天我們年輕人想跟大家分享我們自己本身的故事。首先是講一些我們在萬佛聖城上學長大的故事，以及我們的老師、校長是怎麼樣的。最後我們播放法界聖城佛教青年會，這一年來活動的錄影帶。
女學生二：
一九八六年我到萬佛城來，一來就上學了。今年暑假我會在這裡度過，我很高興，好像回到了家；來萬佛城就像回家，第一次來我就有這種感覺。今天我要跟大家講一講，我上學時的一個小故事。
萬佛城給我的教育是側面的，是非常有價值的經驗。（翻譯人：我一上來就知道完了，他們要我自己翻譯；我一回來就要給我考試，我的中文說得還不是很好，希望能幫我一下。）我九歲時有位中文老師，非常嚴格，所有的學生都認為她兇。這位老師要出家時，我心想：「啊！完了，以後每次看到她就要合掌恭敬她了。」在這位老師的中文課，我學了很多。那時我在校功課上遇到些困難，有時回家就哭，覺得在學習上好困難。尤其是數學，每堂課我都舉手問問題。
一次自修課時，這位很嚴格已出家的中文老師，把叫我過去講話。我很怕，心想不知自己做錯了什麼，她為什麼要跟我講話？是不是要罵我？結果她拿了一串念珠給我看，說：「妳看過這串念珠嗎？以前很粗糙沒有光澤，顏色也淡，可是現在很光亮，顏色比較深了。妳懂不懂？經過了很多年，手拿著念珠念，它才變得那麼光澤，那麼好看。」
我聽不太懂，不知她為什麼跟我講這個，是不是表示她修行好呢？那位老師看了我一眼，就叫我回位子上去，沒講為什麼提念珠的事。
慢慢地經過一段比較困難的時問，我十五歲時，才瞭解老師當年為什麼給我看念珠。我感覺老師是一直在對我說：「對什麼事都要珍惜，要堅持，要有恆心，有毅力。」
我最後要講的是：有人對你不好，兇你，跟你吵架；不管你有多麼的委屈，你不要用同樣的態度回報對方。我在這裡學到用忍耐心，用包容力的態度來面對事情，一旦你回心轉意時，事情就好過了。
待續
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BHIKSHU HENG SURE:
Good morning everybody! Now that all of you have recited the Flower Adornment Sutra, participated in the bowing pilgrimage, and seen the sun rising from Wonderful Enlightenment Mountain, our program today is to share our insights about the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas and the memories of the Venerable Master Hua.
The first person to share his experience is Professor Tom MacMillan. He is one of the people responsible for founding Mendocino College and guiding it as an administrator and teacher for all of these years. He is also a Baptist minister from Ukiah Valley and other places. He is personally responsible for teaching and training many of our young people... putting their minds into the critical analytical view of the world...preparing them to look at the surface and go below it...to try to find the truth underneath the superficial. Professor Tom MacMillan has been a friend of the Dharma Realm Buddhist Association for years. He received personal instruction from the Venerable Abbot and exchanged views on many different occasions. And whenever there is an interfaith gathering, Tom MacMillan is usually found in the center of it. I think it is rare for a Baptist minister to do a bowing pilgrimage from the Mountain Gate to the Buddha Hall, three steps, one bow. Thus, let us invite him to speak a few words.
DR. TOM MACMILLAN:
It is a great honor to be invited to share with you on this very, very auspicious observance of the 25th Anniversary of the founding of the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. The Venerable Abbot, Dharma Masters, honored guests and dear friends, I bring you the greetings of the religious community of Ukiah; of the city outside the gates of the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas this morning.
Over the course of the last 25 years, it has been my great honor and privilege to have become more deeply associated with the work of the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. It was my privilege also to have met and to have spoken with Master Hua on several occasions. We spoke of the relationship between bowing and helpfulness and growth and strength. This morning in the brief time that I spent taking three steps and bowing over a total of four hundred yards in perhaps forty minutes, my respect was deepened for the great accomplishment of my dear friend Heng Sure and his companion. That was a two year, nine month journey. So I believe that I probably have two years, eight months, twenty-nine days, twenty-three hours and twenty minutes to go to be able to strengthen and deepen my understanding of the benefits and what can be gained through the process of submitting oneself in this very clear manner of three steps and one bow. It was an honor to participate with you this morning.
It has also been my great honor to have received from you many gifts. The most important gift has been the gift of your children. As they have grown and matured, it has been my privilege to have taught some of them at Mendocino College...to see some of them complete their work here in our community and go on to Stanford and the University of California at Berkeley, McGill University, and to universities throughout the nation and the world, and to begin to distinguish themselves in productive ways, representing the foundation of education and most importantly the foundation of character that they have received here in the school system of the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. You have nurtured these youth for all of these many years.
The City of Ten Thousand Buddhas has combined religion and education together. Presently, it is working hand in hand with the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley. I have been extremely proud of the scholarship, of the quality of work, of the quality and character of those who continue to lead that educational venture. Heng Sure Shr has taken a visible leadership in the united religions initiative movement to improve and increase interfaith understanding and to make bridges of compassionate mutual understanding across the boundaries of religious faith and tradition. I'm looking forward to that initiative being extended locally as well, as we begin to work to establish an interfaith communication circle even in our own community, and to continue that work beyond the gates of the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas here in Ukiah and in Mendicino County.
Sometimes I am introduced as, and sometimes I think of myself as the resident Christian scholar to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. That's a place of unique responsibility, for it has always been my desire to represent my faith as honestly, as forthrightly, and as transparently as I see the practice and cultivation of Buddhism being presented to me. I have been so deeply enriched in my understanding, and continue to appreciate the opportunity to represent that same presentation (of faith) as we continue our dialogue of so many years. That is a challenge that I would continue to place before you, the challenge of interfaith dialogue. It is also important to be authentically who we are with mutual respect and deep regard; with compassion for one another and understanding of one another. To join hands and to serve our community, whether that community be envisioned as merely the one just outside the gate or the larger community of our nation and our world. We should join hands together and, in mutual understanding, be able to portray with honesty the traditions that we represent to one another and with one another as we speak for ethical religious force in the world.
Today on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the founding of the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, I renew my commitment to stand with you, to be an honest broker between the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas and the larger community of which you are a part, to extend whatever intellectual, emotional, and spiritual effort I can on behalf of the work that is being accomplished....whether in very practical ways, concerning building programs and representing the interests of the City before the county planning commission, or whatever way we can be of service. We renew our commitment, I renew my commitment to you, and we look forward to the privilege of standing with you in the next twenty-five years, in the twenty-five years beyond that, and the twenty five years beyond that, as the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas continues to flourish.
BHIKSHU HENG SURE:
For the Venerable Master, wherever there is a Way Place, there will be a school. He felt that now in this country, education and cultivation are inseparable, thus, he put a lot of effort on education. The elementary school, secondary school, university and graduate schools are his aspirations.
If the school at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas is a tree, then we have some fruits on education. Today, we have many boys and girls who had studied at the City or underwent some training before. We'd like to invite them to share their insights with everybody and talk about some learning experiences this month and next month?? (It's not really clear in Chinese either).
BOY STUDENT:
Amitabha! I just want to say that today, a few of us will share our stories. First of all, we will talk about how we learned and grew up at the City and our teachers and principals. In the end, we have a video tape about the activities we had this year for the Dharma Realm Buddhist Youth.
GIRL STUDENT:
I attended the school at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas when I came in 1986. This year, I'm going to spend my summer vacation here. I feel really happy like I'm going home. The City is like my home. I had that kind of feeling when I first came here. Now I'd like to share a little story that happened when I studied here.
he City of Ten Thousand Buddhas gave me an education, it was a really valuable experience. I had a very strict Chinese teacher when I was nine years old. All the students thought that she was so mean. When this teacher was about to leave the home-life, I thought, "Oh, no! Whenever I see her, I'll have to put my palms together and respect her now!" I learned a lot in this Chinese class. During that time, I had some difficulties in my academic work and sometimes I would cry at home because learning was hard for me, especially mathematics. In every math class, I would raise my hand since I always had problems.
Once during a self-study class, that strict Chinese teacher who had left the home-life called me and talked to me. I was quite afraid and wondered what I had done wrong that the teacher wanted to talk to me, "Is she going to scold me?" But the teacher just showed me a string of recitation beads and said, "Have you seen these beads before?
They were really rough and unpolished with a light color. But now, they are really bright and have a darker hue. Do you understand? It's after many years of handling them in my hands that the beads became polished and very nice to look at."
I didn't quite understand and thought to myself, "Why did she mention that to me? Is she telling me that she practiced a lot?" Then the teacher looked at me once and told me to go back to my seat. She didn't explain why she mentioned her recitation beads.
After a period of hard times, at the age of fifteen, I finally understood why the teacher wanted to transform me and showed me the beads. I realized that the teacher was telling me, "No matter what you do, you should cherish it and have a resolute mind."
The last thing I want to bring up is: when someone doesn't treat you well, scolds you or fights with you verbally, no matter how frustrated you are, don't use the same attitude toward that person. I learned how to be patient and tolerant. Once we have this attitude when facing different matters, everything will become smooth.
To be continued
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