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上人說，「為什麼一發菩提心就退轉了呢？為什麼往前精進一下又退了呢？就是不懂得金輪的意義；若真懂得金輪的意義，菩提心就不退轉了。」
又曾說，「菩提心就是大道心，修這個大悲法，菩提大道心就不退轉。為什麼外面妄想這麼
多？修什麼法也沒有耐心，也沒有恆心，也沒有誠心呢？沒有堅固的心呢？就是沒有明白金輪的緣故。我們現在知道毛病在哪裏
，就不要忽略了它！」
上人說，地藏菩薩跟洛杉磯特別有緣，金輪寺是地藏菩薩的道場，於是寺裏每天誦一部《地藏經》。上人又要求法輪常轉，每天固定講經兩次：午齋後與晚間各一小時半，或聽錄音帶，或法師輪流講。
1978年9月12日，金輪寺舉行藥師法會，上人特作偈讚：
藥師法會降吉祥，洛杉磯市免災殃。
善信檀越同精進，人天護法各奔忙。
至識感應增福壽，喜捨慈悲保安康。
驚天動地春雷震，暮鼓晨鐘化十方。
1979年夏，道場遷至鷹石市，不久場地不敷使用，1982年初金輪寺再遷移至洛杉磯市中心第六街，上人並書法語匾額，由萬佛城請玉佛一尊。
次年(1983) 1月2日正值彌陀誕，上人特率萬佛城廿餘位比丘、比丘尼南下，高懸法幢，為金輪寺舉行開光典禮，並撰門聯：
轉大華嚴法輸，入不思議境界，
履踐文殊普賢智願。
行深般若多時，升妙高寶樓閣，
學習觀音彌勒慈悲。
是日上午10時，為金色輝煌的接引阿彌陀佛像舉行開光典禮，上人開光時說偈：
阿彌陀佛壽無量，接引眾生常寂光。
一句洪名超三界，萬佛聖號化十方。
金輪寺曾兩次依古制，鳴鐘擊鼓，禮請上人上堂說法：
第一次在1985年3月10日，金輪寺護法胡建國醫生(果實)
、陳果貝、果皋等三位居士，持香禮請，態度虔誠，恭請上人上堂說法；上人遂登座說法：
法王智水利萬物，醫生藥水解眾毒。
諸佛本原光明藏，勤加拂拭莫染污。
佛性本體，在聖不增，在凡未減；抵緣一念不覺，三細遂成，流浪五趣，輪轉六道，倒瀉千里，散為萬端；如海崩堤，若山爆發，比原子之威力，等電腦之神奇；彌漫而無章，不可收拾，不知伊于胡底。故吾輩應知時代之染污，潮流之混濁，回頭猛省，發菩提心，用般若智，認清目標，向前邁進，聖域賢關，何患不至乎？今有本寺護法，胡建國醫生、陳國貝、果皋居士，來寺禮請山僧上堂說法，即今說法一句，應作麼生道？
無法可說強說法，有誰覺悟又悟誰。
返本還原歸家路，運轉三車念法華。
第二次在1985年4月28日，金輪寺三位護法居士林果希、周頌棠、魏德貞(現比丘尼恒懿)
，恭請上堂說法。上人憫其求法心切，遂登法座，作獅子吼，說法如下：
一粒微塵含法界，萬象森羅即真身。
諸佛無心說經典，菩薩有智化群生。
五濁不濁，因煩惱等而得名。八苦非苦，破執著相自解脫。 三心末了，步步荊棘。五欲若空
，處處蓮花。不爭、不貪、不求得，不存自私自利心，再能誠實不妄語，日久功深性自真，諸仁者會得麼？念茲在茲，勿忘勿助；踢倒乾坤，打碎葫蘆；此時千足萬足，極樂世界眼底收，何須向外求？」
待續
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The Master said, "Why do some people
retreat right after they have brought forth the Bodhi mind?
Why do they make a little progress and then quit? It's
because they don't understand what "gold wheel" means. If
they understood, they would not retreat."
He also said, "The resolve for Bodhi is
the great resolve for the Way. If one cultivates the Dharmas
of great compassion, one's great resolve for the Bodhi Way
will become irreversible. Why do we have so many false
thoughts and lack patience in our cultivation of any Dharma,
being deficient in perseverance, sincerity and firmness of
mind? The reason is our failure to understand the Gold
Wheel. Now that we realize where our error lies, we can no
longer neglect it!"
The Venerable Master said, "Earth Store
Bodhisattva has special affinities with Los Angeles. Gold
Wheel Monastery is a temple for Earth Store Bodhisattva."
Hence people in the monastery recite the Earth Store Sutra
once everyday. The Venerable Master also requested that the
Dharma Wheel turns all the time and that there are two
lectures daily, one hour and a half each after lunch and in
the evening. It could be listening to the tapes or Dharma
Masters taking turns to give talks.
On September 12, 1978, the Venerable
Master wrote a special poem of praise at Gold Wheel
Monastery's Medicine Master Dharma Assembly:
The Medicine Master Dharma
Assembly brings auspiciousness, Freeing the city of Los
Angeles from catastrophes.
The faithful laity vigorously cultivate together
The human and heavenly Dharma protectors are all busy.
Utmost sincerity evokes a response,
increasing blessings and longevity.
Joy, renunciation, kindness and compassion
bring peace and good health.
A thunder-clap in spring startles the whole world
The morning bell and evening drum (of the monastery)
transform the ten directions.
In the summer of 1979, the temple moved
to Eagle Rock Soon the facility could not meet its demands,
so Gold Wheel Monastery again moved to Sixth Street in
downtown Los Angeles. The Venerable Master had written words
of Dharma in frames and requested a jade Buddha from the
Ciyof Ten Thousand Buddhas.
During Amitabha Buddha's birthday on
January 2nd the next year (1983), the Venerable Master
personally led more than twenty Bhikshus and Bhikshunis from
the City to head southward and hung the banner of Dharma on
high. They went to host the Opening the Light ceremony for
Gold Wheel Monastery. He at the same time wrote a couplet
for the door:
Turning the great Avatamsaka
Dharma Wheel;
one enters the inconceivable state.
fulfilling Manjushri's and Universal Worthy's wise vows.
Practicing profound Prajna,
one ascends the wonderfully high jeweled tower,
learning Guanyin's and Maitreya's compassion.
At ten o'clock in the morning that day,
as the Venerable Master inaugurated the dazzling, golden
Amitabha Buddha statue, he composed this verse:
Amitabha Buddha's life span is
immeasurable
He leads living beings to the (Pure Land of) eternal,
still light. (Recite) a single phrase of his vast name and
transcend the Triple Realm; The holy names of the ten
thousand Buddhas transform the ten
directions.
Gold Wheel Monastery had observed the
ancient rites and struck the bell and drum twice to
respectfully request the Venerable Master to ascend the hall
and speak Dharma:
The first time was on March 10, 1985,
when the Dharma Protectors of Gold Wheel Monastery, Dr.
Wesley Woo (Guo Shi), Guo Bei Chen, and Guo Gao respectfully
requested, with incense in hand, the Venerable Master to
ascend the hall and speak Dharma. The Venerable Master
immediately spoke Dharma:
"The Dharma King's water of
wisdom benefits the myriad things. The good physician's many
medicines neutralize all poisons. Our original source is the
Buddhas' Bright Light Treasury. Diligently wipe it clean. Do
not let it be tarnished!
"The essence of the Buddha nature is no
more in sages and no less in ordinary people. But because of
a single thought that is not enlightened, the three subtle
marks come to be, and so there is turning and flowing in the
five destinies and revolving in the six paths.
"Once scattered, it spreads out for
thousands of miles, dispersing into ten thousand branches.
Like a dam bursting, like a volcano erupting, its strength
is even more fierce than that of the atom bomb, its wonders
more impressive than those of the computer. Once it is
dissipated however, we do not know how to rectify the
situation. No one knows how to unravel the chaos.
"Therefore, we must understand the turbidity of our times,
turn ourselves around, and wake up. We should bring forth
the Bodhi resolve and use Prajna wisdom We should clearly
recognize our goals and always push ahead. If we do that,
what we need is there to be afraid of not arriving at the
realm of sages and worthies?
"Today, Dharma Protectors of this
Monastery, Dr. Wesley Woo, Upasaka Stephen Tan, and Upasika
Guo Gao have requested this mountain monk to ascend the hall
and speak Dharma. But as for speaking Dharma, what is there
to say?
"No Dharma can be spoken, yet by
forcing it,
The Dharma has been spoken.
Who has awakened? What is there to awaken to?
Return to the origin, go back to the source- That is the way
back home.
Turn the three carts to one: Recite the Dharma Flower Sutra!
The second request was on April 28, 1985,
when three Dharma protectors, Guo-Xi Lin, Song Tang-Zhou and
Der-Jenn Wei (now Bhikshun Heng Yi) respectfully requested
that the Venerable Master speak Dharma. Sympathetic to their
earnest request for Dharma, he immediately ascended to the
Dharma seat, gave the lion's roar and spoke the following
Dharma:
"A single particle of dust
contains the Dharma Realm
The myriad scenes of nature are the Dharma-body
All Buddhas with no mind speak the Sutra treasury
Bodhisattvas through their wisdom transform living beings.
"The five turbidities are not turbid,
their names deriving from afflictions and the like. The
eight sufferings are non-sufferings-break attachment to
marks and naturally achieve liberation. Until the three
minds are ended, one meets brambles and thorns at every
step. If the five desires are emptied, lotuses bloom
everywhere. Do not contend; do not be greedy; do not seek
for anything; do not retain a selfish mind or wish for
personal gain. If you can also be honest and not lie,
eventually with deep merit, your nature of itself is true.
Do all of you Humane Ones understand? Pay heed to this at
all times. Do not forget it, but also do not aid it. Trample
on qian and kun [heaven and earth]; smash the bottle-gourd.
When you are totally perfect in every respect, you find the
Land of Ultimate Bliss right beneath you- what need is there
to seek outside?"
~ To be continued
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