|
比丘恒實：
大家都記得今天早上湯姆·麥克米倫教授曾說過，他發願一定要把瑜伽市、孟都仙諾郡，以及萬佛城，做一個合作圈，這是我們都聽到的。現在這位同修是邁可‧歐文(果開)
。 上人在一九七四年，為了使以前的金山寺的防震設備更堅固，需人幫忙造牆壁。邁可就帶來了一臺攪拌泥土的小機器，領著大家修改金山寺。
果開(邁可‧歐文)： 比丘恒實中譯
最初我住在金山寺，做加強防震的工作。那時常有機會親近上人，及比丘和沙彌；接觸了他們之後，就隨喜練習打坐。防震工作完畢，我就去旅遊。一九七八年上人叫我回來，我又開始做工，到現在還在聖城，沒離開。我做工，也交了很多朋友，覺得廟就像自己的家。上人也常鼓勵人把廟當作自己的家一樣看待。
我和我太太也是在這邊認識而結婚，已有兩個孩子。我也在一個藝術學院做油畫、貼布等教學工作。我聽莎麗說，我們的學生在鹽湖城表現得很活躍。
我很放心，
因為那些學生是我教他們美術，看著他們長大的。他們受上人的影響，上人經常鼓勵我們站起來，給大家講話。很多小孩在讀書時抱怨：「哎呀！這邊太嚴格，什麼什麼的。」不過到他們返校時，就可以看到他們長成什麼樣的大人了！是從自立、自強，學習正知正見的小
孩，變成有正知正見的大人了。
上人經常鼓勵我們上臺給大家講話，有時候有的人就不願意。我們有機會就該把握，所以今天鼓勵大家有什麼要說的，就盡量上來說。我在附近有幢房子，交了很多朋友，在福居樓認識了一些老比丘尼，在法界佛教大學認識了法大的教授們，還有君康、圖書館的人......，慢慢地萬佛城的人，差不多都認識了。這樣很好，能在萬佛城是我的光榮。希望大家盡量參加一切的活動。阿彌陀佛！
比丘尼恒持:
昨天你們聽到易校長說，他去臺灣一年，回來後去打坐那個晚，有對夫婦在那邊，那對夫婦是莎拉(邁可 ‧
歐文太太)的姊姊和姊夫，和他(易校長)三個人，所以莎拉很早就已經知道上人，現在她來講一些她和上人的因緣。
莎拉· 歐文:
持法師讓我上來講一些，本來我覺得不大舒服
﹣﹣不是藉口，是真的。後來持法師給了我一個主題，要我談談和上人的因緣，所以我就上來了。我想講講我第一次遇見上人，那時我十五歲，到三藩市去看姊姊、姊夫，他們到天后廟街那邊的一個佛教講堂去聽演講。
待續
|
|
BHIKSHU HENG SURE:
I'd like to say before we move on that Tom MacMillan,
sitting here on my right this morning, said some words. And
I said, "Please speak in the microphone. We want to record
what you're saying." He spoke into the microphone and he is
on record as having said that he wants to make a commitment
and investment and involvement of his life to take
leadership in United Religious Initiatives here in the Ukiah
Valley; particularly the city of Ukiah. We'll make bridges
for mutual understanding between the City of Ten Thousand
Buddhas and others locally. Tom has the status to say that
because he's a local Baptist Minister. So, that's the sign
of the future. I just want to make that point.
This is Michael Owen. I first met him as Michael the
mason, when he showed up with his truck towing a cement
mixer outside the door of Gold Mountain Monastery. With his
mud trowel in his hand he said, "You got a wall to build?"
So, in fact, we did.
MICHAEL OWEN:
Hello. That was in the spring of 1975 and my hod-carrier on
that job was Dharma Master Heng Sure, and he did a pretty
good job. We had many experiences here. I became involved
not only in the building project here, but in the art
projects as well. We created quite an art department with
Flory Chow, doing building and sculpture. I also met my wife
here. We got married and have two wonderful children. This
has been quite a place. I really want to just talk a little
bit about how the experience I gained has changed my life. I
came to depend on this temple and the Buddhist religion to
guide my life, taking the Three Refuges and learning to live
life the right way as far as I can. Shr Fu made quite a
difference in many of our lives and it's an honor to be
here. It's an honor to live here. I worked with the Abbot
for so many years and learned to communicate and to
understand how to do things.
The woman who just spoke before me related how many
people went to this conference and were able to just go for
it and speak and perform. That doesn't surprise me in the
least. I work with these young people; I've seen them grow
up. The art show up now has a history in it that they try to
show, and you'll see how they grew up. Young people here
always say, "Well it's a really hard place to go to school,"
and some of them say they don't like it. Then they come
back. You'll see what kind of people they have become. They
are self-reliant, they are able to speak and tell their
ideas, and they have good morals. It doesn't surprise me to
hear that. Shr Fu would always tell people, "Walk in, come
on, get up and speak, hurry, say what you have to say." And
nobody would. Then after awhile, some people would. But
people learned to speak because Shr Fu would. He got up and
said things and encouraged people to talk and express their
ideas. Even if you were wrong, it was OK to say what you had
to say. I think that being at the City of 10,000 Buddhas is
the most wonderful experience a person could have. I
encourage everyone. If you've got some stories to tell, you
should.
I'm glad to be here. Now I am involved with the painting
of all the buildings in the temple. That may seem like kind
of a mundane job, but you know, I met the elder nuns who
live on the other side when I painted that building, and
then I met the people who work for DRBU when I painted the
guest building. I met the people at the school when I did
that. I met the people who do the flowers when I painted
that building, and I met the people who run the restaurant.
I hope to go on and meet everybody because you eventually
get to see who's here. I appreciate every single bit of it
and I am proud to be one of your Dharma brothers. Thank you.
BHIKSHUNI HENG CH'IH:
Yesterday you all heard Ron Epstein say that after he came
back from his one year visit to Taiwan, he saw a couple when
he went to meditate at the Buddhist Lecture Hall. Those two
were Sarah's sister and brother in-law. Sarah knew the
Venerable Master for quite some time, so we'd like to invite
her to talk about her conditions with the Master.
MRS. SARAH OWEN:
When Heng Ch'ih asked me to speak, I told her I wasn't
feeling very well. It is true. It wasn't just an excuse.
Then she gave me a topic to talk about, so I thought maybe I
could say something. I am going to talk about when I first
met Shr Fu, which was when I was very young. I think I was
15.
~ To be continued
|
