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這是一篇我對加州達摩鎮萬佛聖城的感言。我的姐姐李果北，已經在聖城道場住了十七年。每年夏天，當她回密西西比州家中探望母親的途中，都會先到德州與我同住一星期，留一些書給我看；除了偶爾翻翻之外，我從沒有真正對那些書感興趣。當初她搬進萬佛城時，我們全家都很驚慌，以為她要加入什麼教派。這多年來，我們一直很關切她所選擇的新生活是什麼樣子。以往她所過的日子多彩多姿，足跡遍全球；如今卻落腳在這個樸實的地方，一個迴然不同的環境。於是我想該去看看她了，藉此了解她為何做下這個決定，然後才能回去向母親報告。
見到她之後，我鬆了一口氣，對母親的報告則是，「我們不用擔心，她有很多食物可吃，住的地方也很舒服，而且每件事都合法......沒有教派，也沒有奴隸。」
過去幾年，每次我到聖城看她時，都跟著她一起參加法會、做工，盡量不讓人覺得自己有什麼不恭敬的地方。這裏的講經、這個地方，和這裏的人，每次都讓我有賓至如歸的感覺，可是我來聖城主要是看姐姐果北。但是上一次的拜訪，給我的感受就和以往很不一樣了。
那次法會後，我隨著大眾離開佛殿；人群緩緩移動著，然後停了下來。當時我正站在三尊很高大的銅製佛像中的一尊的腳跟前。我注意到佛像衣袍下擺都雕刻成流線形，給我一種很舒服的感覺。我的目光落在第一尊佛像的臉上，我注意到佛像的嘴唇被刻成好像在微笑；我又盯著另外兩尊佛像的臉，也都掛著同樣的微笑：以前我從沒注意過佛像也有笑容。我帶著幾分訝異，目不轉睛地直視著面前這些慈祥的笑臉。
周圍的人交談著，在我身邊不斷穿梭，我只感到一陣寧靜，時間，忽然停止了。 我明白了。
艾拉 · 哈佛 敬上
2002年2月19日
註：我必須解釋一下，為什麼我說聖城的住宿很舒服：我們生長在密西西比州的一個小農場上，生活僅能自給自足，沒有享受。相較之下，聖城內的生活對我來說是舒服的；對那些從都市來的，或中產階級的人，他們也許可能會把聖城形容成樸素，或是很美吧！
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This is a story of my experiences at the
City of 10,000 Buddhas in Talmage, California.
My sister Rebecca has lived in the
monastery for 17 years. Every summer, en-route to our
mother's home in Mississippi, my sister would stop over in
Texas and spend a week with me. She'd leave literature and
books; I read some of them, but they never really interested
me except as an education. When Rebecca moved to the City,
our family went berserk and feared that she'd joined a cult
of some sort. For many years, her newly chosen life was of
great concern; her life that had always been one of glamour
and worldwide travel now changed to something alien and
austere. I thought I should visit her in the City try to
understand why she had chosen this path of life, and so I
could report back to my mother.
Relieved, the report to my mother was
that we should not be concerned-there was abundant food,
comfortable accommodations and everything was legitimate...
no cults, no slavery.*
Over the years, when I visited Rebecca at
the City, I followed her around participating in the
ceremonies and helping her work, trying not to do something
that would be considered disrespectful. Although I enjoyed
the visits-the lectures, the place, the people-my purpose
for coming to the City was to see Rebecca. The last visit
was different from the rest.
After the ceremony, I was leaving the
temple hall, moving slowly with the crowd toward the exit.
The crowd slowed to a stop and I was standing at the foot of
one of the three grand and very tall bronze Buddha images. I
noticed that the bottom of their robes was carved to emulate
them as flowing gently, and it gave me a feeling of comfort.
My eyes followed the first image to the face and I noticed
the lips were carved into a smile; I gazed at the faces of
the other two images-likewise, they were smiling. I had
never noticed before that Buddha images have smiles. I
stared in wonderment at the kind, smiling faces staring
straight ahead.
With people talking and moving all around
me, there was total silence. Time stood still. I
understood.
Respectfully,
Ella Havard
February 19, 2002
*I have to explain my description of the
accommodations as being comfortable: we grew up on a small
farm in Mississippi and our livelihood was completely
self-sufficient with no luxuries, so my comparison of the
living conditions at the City would be one of comfort,
whilst a person from the city or from current middle class
values, would likely describe the conditions as austere or
ascetic.
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