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諸佛菩薩、上人、各位善知識﹕
前幾天是上人涅槃六週年紀念日，回想我在金輪寺時，有天有位日本女孩帶了一隻鸚鵡來皈依上人。在那以前我從不知動物也可以皈依三寶，只知道人可以皈依三寶，因此我就想：「這鸚鵡不知什麼因緣可以皈依上人？」
哪知上人打完皈依後即說：「臺下有人在打妄想，想知道這鸚鵡是什麼因緣可以皈依我。我告訴你們，牠往昔是位看風水、相命的先生，時常打妄語騙人，所以死後墮落畜生道做了鸚鵡。因為喜歡講漂亮話，你看，牠今生羽毛長得很漂亮的。」那時我在學「風水」與「相命」，正學得起勁。本想學好後掛牌，講些不實在的江湖話好賺錢。上人這麼說我才知道死後會轉畜生，嚇得我不敢再去學風水與相命了。
最近在萬佛寶殿傳四十二手眼，播放1979年上人在這裡傳法時講解的錄音帶。那時我正在睡覺，我母親來叫我：「師父在大殿傳四十二手眼。」我說我不知道什麼叫四十二手眼，就沒去理會，繼續睡；母親也忙著到廚房工作，所以那一次我倆都沒學到。1983年，我聽一位居士說：「上人去馬來西亞弘法時，我與上人握手，發現上人手上有眼睛……。」我想那太好了，回金輪寺後我要找機會跟上人握手，看看他的手上有沒有眼睛。所以等到上人來金輪寺時，我趕緊捧茶上樓。我一進門，只見上人板著臉，說：「把茶放在桌上。走開！打什麼妄想？」上人知道我的心意，把我不清淨的念頭打消了。
1990年傳戒，上人在戒壇內親自教我們《沙彌尼戒律》，並傳四十二手眼，滿了我的願。
1985年我搬來聖城常住，在學校教書，常因為學生不聽話，氣得生病。上人告訴我，「妳沒什麼大毛病，但小毛病很多，一定要修行，慢慢就會好。」我因多病無法勝任教書之職責，於是轉到廚房管理倉庫。有一次送來很多米，先是二十五磅一包，後來是五十磅，最後來了好幾包一百磅的。當時旁邊站了很多人，都等我開口請他們幫忙；而我卻想等他們自動幫忙，所以大家都閒在那裡沒動。
上人出現了，從高爾夫球車子裡下來說：「果能，要不要幫忙？」大家才過來幫忙把米搬進倉庫裡。上人回頭用英文向我說，「Your being so stubborn is stupid！」中文意思是，「妳的倔強就是愚癡。」我以前以為上人不會英文，那次上人以英文跟我講話，我才知道上人是會英文的。難怪幫他翻譯的人稍慢了一點，上人就會責備他們，真是奇怪！
我很佩服持師兄，我看到她在金輪寺替上人翻譯時，稍微慢一點，上人就講她。她很能忍，換了我，是受不了的，還好上人沒那樣教我，上人教化弟子是看根機，因人施教。
現在小學或道場如果需要幫忙，我必定盡力而為，因為上人說，「道場是大家的，不要袖手旁觀。」
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Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, Venerable Master, Dharma Masters and good advisors:
It was the 6th anniversary of the Venerable Master’s nirvana a few days ago. Thinking back to the time when I was in Gold Wheel Monastery, one day a Japanese girl brought a parrot to the Monastery and asked the Master to let the parrot take refuge with the Triple Jewel. Before that incident, I did not know that animals could take refuge with the Triple Jewel. I thought only human beings could. So I was wondering what causes and conditions had allowed this parrot to take refuge under the Venerable Master.
Surprisingly, after the Master gave the refuges to the parrot, he said, “Someone is wondering what causes and conditions allowed this parrot to take refuge with me. Now I’ll tell you. In its past life, this parrot was both a geomancer and a fortuneteller. Since he liked to tell lies and use pretty words, as you can see, he fell into the animal path and became a parrot with very beautiful feathers.” At that time, I was diligently studying geomancy (fengshui) and fortunetelling. I was also planning to open a business after completing my studies and say pretty words to earn money. But after the Master told the story of the parrot, I dared not study these subjects anymore.
Recently, there was a transmission of the Forty-two Hands and Eyes in the Buddha Hall and the tape of Master’s explanation given in 1979 was played. Back in 1979, I was at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas (CTTB). I remember I was sleeping. My mother came to my bedroom and told me, “The Master is transmitting the Forty-two Hands and Eyes!” I said I didn’t understand what the Forty-two Hands and Eyes were and went back to sleep. My mother went to the kitchen to help, so neither of us went to the Forty-two Hands and Eyes transmission. In 1983, I heard from a layperson say, “When the Master went to Malaysia to teach the Dharma, I shook hands with the Master, and there was an eye in his hand!” After hearing that I thought, “Great! When I go back to Gold Wheel Monastery, I’ll find a chance to shake hands with the Master and see if there are eyes in his palm.” When the Master came to Gold Wheel Monastery, I hurried over and brought tea to him. As soon as I entered the room, the Master said to me with a stern expression, “Leave the tea on the table. Go away! What idle thoughts are you having?” The Master knew of my intention and got rid of that impure thought.
In 1990, the Master taught us the Shramanerika Precepts and also transmitted the Forty-two Hands and Eyes to us. My wish was fulfilled.
In 1985, I moved to CTTB and taught at the school. I frequently became sick because I was so upset about students not listening to me. The Master told me, “You don’t have any serious illness, just a lot of minor ailments. You have to cultivate, and then you will gradually get well.” Since my illnesses made it impossible for me to handle the teaching job, I was reassigned to manage the kitchen storeroom. The rice at that time came in 25-pound bags. Then there were 50-pound bags and later there were even some 100-pound bags. There were a lot of people around, waiting for me to instruct them. I, however, was waiting for them to help automatically. So everyone stood there and didn’t move.
Later the Master appeared. He got out of his little golfcart and asked, “Gwo Neng, do you need help?” Then everyone rushed over to help move the rice bags into the storeroom. Master turned around and said to me in English, “Your being so stubborn is stupid!” I used to think the Master didn’t know English. At that time when he scolded me in English, I finally realized that Master knew English. No wonder when people were translating for him, he scolded them if they translated too slowly.
I really admire my Dharma sister, Heng Chih Shi. I saw her translating for the Master at Gold Wheel Monastery. If she translated just a little bit more slowly, the Master would tell her to hurry up. She had great patience. I wouldn’t be able to bear that. The Master didn’t teach me the way he taught Heng Chih Shi, because he knew that every disciple has different roots. He taught every one of us in different ways.
If the school or Way-place needs a hand, I will try my best to help, because the Master said, “This Way-place belongs to all of us, so don’t just stand by and watch when there is work to be done.”
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