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師父上人、各位法師、各位蓮友：
弟子朱建和，今晚上臺作心得報告，如來寺的法師希望講題是「宣公上人圓寂五週年的感言」。我大概就兩方面講，一方面是感念上人的恩德，報上人恩：另一方面就個人所見所聞，讚頌上人的菩薩悲願，及智慧的風範。
我們都知道上人是在西方建立三寶正法道場的第一人，上人的悲願之一，就是把佛法帶到西方來，特別是建立萬佛聖城，讓有心修行的人，有安身立命的正法道場；上人用種種善巧方便教化我們，讓我們能夠在正法道場安心辦道，不止救我們的生命，也救我們的法身慧命。有人也許會問：「我從來沒有過上人，怎麼知道上人對我有恩？怎麼去報答上人的恩？」即使從來沒見過上人，但是大家有緣來到萬佛聖城，不管是出家在家、學生教師、義工家長，或短期訪客，這都是與上人有緣。萬佛聖城建立不易，一草一木，每寸土地，都是上人的願力與心血所成就的。
上人的願力好像在生死曠野的一顆菩提樹王，庇蔭著無量的眾生，萬佛聖城猶如上人遺留下來的一顆大樹，我們來這裡安身立命，修習佛法，應該知恩報恩。即使從世間法來講，我們也要飲水思源，所以我們在此緬懷上人的德澤，紀念上人圓寂五週年，不論與上人見過面與否，我們都應該共同勉勵，以實際行動來報答上人的恩德。
怎麼實行呢？在紀念法會的時候，我們辦了傳供儀式，但傳供只是誠心的表現，除此之外，我們還應該在日常生活中持之以恆，照顧好自己份內工作 -- 學生照顧好功課，教師照顧好學生，知客組照顧好客人，清潔組照顧好環境，乃至念佛的人照顧好六字洪名，參禪的人照顧好話頭；避免好高騖遠，要從眼前最基本的功課做起，認清自己的職事，守住自己的本份，各盡所能，擁護道場。這也是上人教導我們的「凡事不要貪多，貪多嚼不爛。」進而才能自覺覺他，利益眾生。
有關上人慈悲喜捨的風範，許多同修都很熟悉。今晚在此報告幾則簡短的故事，說明上人處處以身作則，以道感人，以德服人。譬如上人經常在金山寺與萬佛聖城講經說法，來回奔波勞頓。每次在萬佛城總是抽空為弟子們上對聯課，時間排在清晨五點十分，也就是早課後。在妙語堂上人教完對聯課，又坐車回舊金山；為省兩塊錢過橋費，還特地詢問何校長或其他人同行，並安排車子在上午九點以前過金門橋。
另一則有關上人不願意命令人去做事的故事。一次上人經過聖城的大齋堂，看見廚房附近好久沒清理，臺階也長了青苔。他沒指派別人去做，而說，「今天下午我要到齋堂前面去掃掃地，那邊的青苔長得很多了，我需要一支掃把去清理清理。」弟子們聽了非常慚愧，趕緊在一、兩小時之內把它清理乾淨。
一九九二年法界佛教總會訪問團訪問臺灣時，當地信眾對上人非常恭敬，上人所到之處都有很多人前呼後擁，誠心接待。上人搭電梯時，樓下有人代按電梯門鈕；上樓又有很多人在出口等候，這是大家恭敬上人的表現。一次上人從電梯口走出來時，對大家說：「假如你們對其他的老人家，能夠像對待我這樣子的話，我就會很歡喜。」這是上人對弟子們的機會教育，希望我們以平等心，恭敬對待天下所有的老人。
後來，萬佛城的法界佛教大學為準備參加評鑑，把福居樓重新整修，經辦的弟子們違背了節儉樸實的道風，花了太多經費，將福居樓裝演成萬佛城最好的地方。上人在嚴厲責備後，問弟子該如何運用這個地方？弟子建議作為上人的辦公室，上人不接受，說：「要把最好的地方留給年紀大的住眾使用。」可見上人是以身作則，非常照顧老人。假如我們能做到老吾老以及人之老，也是報答上人的方式之一。
上人一再強調，凡皈依他的弟子一定要先成佛道，上人才願意成佛。受持菩薩戒是成就佛道的根本，今年（2000）八月底萬佛城將傳菩薩戒，這是難能可貴的機會，也是報答上人的方式之一。
謹此與蓮友們共勉之，以上報告有不如法的地方，懇請不吝指正。阿彌陀佛。
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Venerable Master, Dharma Masters, and all Dharma friends:
My name is John Chu. Tonight it's my turn to share my experiences. The Dharma Master from Tathagatha Monastery hoped I would say something related to the fifth anniversary of the Master's entering Nirvana. Tonight, I shall first discuss why we should remember and repay the Venerable Master's kindness. Secondly, I would like to praise the Master's compassionate Bodhisattva vows and exemplary wisdom, based on what I have heard and seen.
The Venerable Master is the first Buddhist monk to establish a Way-place of the Proper Dharma in America. One of the Master's vows of compassion is to bring the Buddha's teachings to the West. In particular, he founded the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas (CTTB) as a Way-place where sincere practitioners can live and study the Proper Dharma. By giving us such a place to dwell and practice in peace, the Master has not only saved our life in a mundane sense, he has saved our Dharma body's wisdom life. Some people may say, "But I never met the Venerable Master. How do I know of his kindness to me, and how can I repay it?" Even if you have never met the Master, the very fact that all of us— whether we are monastic or lay disciples, students, teachers, volunteers, parents, or visitors— have come to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, is in itself an affinity with the Master. The establishment of the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas was not an easy task. Every blade of grass, every tree, every inch of ground here is a result of the Master's vows and tireless dedication.
The Venerable Master's vows are like a giant Bodhi tree in the wilderness, giving shade and shelter to countless beings. The City of Ten Thousand Buddhas is akin to a huge tree planted by the Master, under which we can live out our lives and practice the Dharma. Therefore, we ought to remember and repay the Master's kindness. From a mundane point of view, we ought to remember the efforts of the one who founded this spiritual community. Regardless of whether or not we personally met the Master, let us appreciate the Master's kindness and virtue through our actions on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of his entering Nirvana. Of course we performed the ceremony of passing offerings, but that was just a token of our sincerity. In addition to the ceremony, we ought to diligently fulfill our responsibilities. For example, if I'm a student, I should make sure I complete my homework assignments. If I'm a teacher, I should take good care of all my students. The guest prefects and their crew should take good care of the guests. The cleaning crew should tend to the grounds and environment. Those reciting the Buddha's name be constantly mindful of the six syllables, "Na-mo A-mi-to-fo." Chan meditators should concentrate on their meditation topic. Instead of seeking afar, we should start from the most basic work that needs to be done, know our responsibilities, and fulfill our duties, doing our best to protect the Way-place. As the Venerable Master said, "Don't bite off more than you can chew." That way, we will be able to enlighten ourselves and others, and bring benefit to all beings.
I'm sure many of you are familiar with the Venerable Master's kindness and joyful equanimity Tonight I'd like to share some anecdotes that show how the Master always taught by example and influenced others by his virtue. For example, even when the Venerable Master was in his seventies, he commuted frequently between Gold Mountain Monastery in San Francisco and the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas (CTTB), giving Dharma talks and explaining Sutras. Whenever he came to CTTB, he would find time to teach his disciples matching couplets— right after morning ceremony (5:10 a.m.) in Wonderful Words Hall. After the class he would travel back to San Francisco. In order to save the two-dollar Golden Gate Bridge toll, the Venerable Master would always ask Chancellor Ho or others to ride with him and make sure to cross the bridge before 9 a.m. [when car pools could cross toll free].
Another anecdote illustrates the Master's unwillingness to order others around. One day when the Master passed by CTTB's large dining hall, he saw that the area outside the kitchen had not been cleaned for some time and that green moss had grown on the steps. Instead of ordering someone else to clean it up, he said, "This afternoon I'm going to sweep in front of the dining hall where the moss has grown thick. I need a broom to sweep with." Of course we disciples felt ashamed and quickly cleaned up the entire area in a couple of hours.
In 1992 when DRBA sent a delegation to Taiwan, the disciples there treated the Master with great respect. There were always many people waiting on the Master. When he wanted to take the elevator, someone would call the elevator for him. When he got out upstairs, people would be waiting at the elevator door to receive him. That was how reverent they were. One day when the Master came out of the elevator, he told everyone, "If you can treat other elders the way you treat me, I'll be very happy." The Master took that opportunity to teach us we ought to respect and take care of all elders equally.
Later, in order to seek accreditation, Dharma Realm Buddhist University (located at CTTB) renovated the hospital building (Tower of Blessings). The disciples in charge of the project broke the tradition of frugality and spent a great deal of money to renovate the building, making it the best facility in CTTB. After severely criticizing such extravagance, the Master asked his disciples how we should use the area. Someone suggested that it could be the Master's office, but the Master answered, "No, we should let the eldest residents have the best quarters." Thus, the Master taught by example that we ought to take very good care of elders. One way of repaying the Master is to truly treat others' elders the way we treat our own.
The Master always said that whoever took refuge with him had to become a Buddha before the Master would do so. Receiving the Bodhisattva Precepts is the basis for becoming a Buddha. This August (2000) the Bodhisattva Precepts will be transmitted at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. This is a rare and valuable opportunity, and it is one way to repay the Master. Thus, I would like to leave you with this encouragement. If I have spoken incorrectly, please do not hesitate to correct me. Amitabha.
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