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今年五月十八日下午三時，在西沙加緬度法界聖城舉行的「陳毓襄鋼琴獨奏會」，吸引了五百多名聽眾參加。這場演奏會是為了籌建萬佛聖城「國際哲學倫理研究院」而舉行的義演，演出十分成功。
陳毓襄當天彈了蕭邦、舒伯特、布拉姆斯、巴拉基烈夫等名家的十首樂曲，她不僅琴藝高超，而且在詮釋樂曲和彈法方面都有獨到之處，彈起琴來時而有雷霆萬鈞之勢，時而如小語呢喃般輕柔，她的音樂中所流露的情感使得許多聽眾情不自禁流下眼淚。在安可曲部分，陳毓襄別出心裁彈起台灣民謠「望春風」，簡單的旋律配上豐富的情感，陳毓襄飛舞在琴鍵上的手指彷彿具有魔力似的，使得美國朋友聽了讚不絕口，台灣來的聽眾則興起思鄉之情，頻頻拭淚。
演奏會結束後，全場五百餘位來賓全部起立報以熱烈的掌聲，久久不歇。本身學習音樂，聽過許多鋼琴演奏會的西沙加緬度警察局長夫人凱柔李歐娜德表示，陳毓襄的獨奏會，是她有生以來所聽過最優美動人的鋼琴演奏會。西沙加緬度的一位當地居民泰瑞戴維斯說，陳毓襄的演奏會十分令人感動，有機會聽她演奏，真是一大福氣。
代表舊金山經文處處長李世明參加這場音樂會的國府僑務委員陳榮良，欣賞古典音樂已有三十多年的歷史，這次陳毓襄彈的多首樂曲他都很熟悉，因此格外感受到陳毓襄的鋼琴造詣深厚。陳榮良表示，他聽得都流淚了，並認為陳毓襄是美國最好的鋼琴家之一，他為在美華人有這麼傑出的鋼琴家感到與有榮焉。十多年前，陳榮良經常前來法界聖城所在地的前身，一座連鎖渡假休閒旅館進晚餐。這回舊地重遊，陳榮良很驚喜的看到，法界聖城將渡假休閒旅館改為修行場地，是很好而且很有意義的使用方式。陳榮良也認為法界佛教總會法界聖城主辦的這場音樂會水準很高：「沒想到你們這個佛教團體辦活動辦得這麼好，以後有需要幫忙的地方，請儘管告訴我，我一定會盡力。」
陳毓襄在演奏會後說，她舉行過的演奏會不下五百場，這回是她最滿意的演出之一。她很謙虛的歸功於為這場演奏會進行準備工作的五、六十位義工。他們來自法界佛教總會在加州的各分支道場，包括柏克萊的法界宗教研究院、達摩鎮萬佛聖城、舊金山的金山聖寺、聖荷西的金聖寺、洛杉磯的金輪聖寺、加上西沙加緬度法界聖城的護法居士。陳毓襄說他們起早趕晚，辛苦籌備，沒有人抱怨，也沒有吵架、衝突。「每個人都認真得好像是他們自己，而不是我，要上台表演似的。從來沒看過哪一場演奏會有這麼熱誠的工作人員！」陳毓襄認為這批義工給她很大的精神支持，是她這次演出成功的重要動力。她曾經參加過一些演奏會，感覺不到工作人員的支持：「很多人支持和沒有人支持，有很大的不同。」
陳毓襄在一九九三年參加當時鋼琴界獎金最高的波格瑞利曲國際鋼琴大賽，這項比賽規定，必須在其他國際鋼琴大賽中得過獎的人才有資格報名。總共有兩百多名各國鋼琴好手報名角逐，都是三、四十餘歲，琴藝與人生經驗相當成熟的鋼琴家，其中還有多位國際知名的鋼琴演奏家。唯獨陳毓襄以二十三歲初生之犢的姿態，在柴可夫斯基國際鋼琴大賽中獲得第五名的資格參賽。為了平息內心的緊張，當時陳毓襄開始每天誦持「楞嚴咒」五到六遍，並且拜地藏菩薩、拜宣公上人法相、觀想十方諸佛。在這樣用功的情況下，陳毓襄練琴從專心而達到渾然忘我、與音樂合一的境界。
有一天，在頂禮宣公上人法相時，她忽然靈光一閃，覺得這次比賽期間練琴，已練到忘掉自我的境界，早已超越平日的水準，何須去跟別人爭名次、分高下？因此，在決賽時，陳毓襄說：「我真正覺得不是參加比賽，而是上台演奏。我關心的不再是名次，而是我是否在演奏中，將琴藝灌注在每一個音符裡。」她當時發願：「要將琴聲供養十方三世諸佛菩薩，並與法界所有眾生結緣，讓所有聽到我琴聲的人，都能離苦得樂。」將名次置諸腦後的結果是，她和澳洲籍的鋼琴名家麥克哈維共同獲得這項大賽的首獎。
陳毓襄在獲獎之後，遠離媒體的包圍，前往西沙加緬度法界聖城皈依宣公上人，更把將近十萬美元的獎金全數捐給宣公上人辦教育。上人當時勉勵陳毓襄在琴藝上沉潛努力，繼續進步；同時教她要拜《法華經》。
陳毓襄以驚人的毅力，在忙碌的演奏行程中，依照上人教導，儘量抽空拜《法華經》。一字一拜，歷時十個多月，終於將這部六萬餘字的《法華經》全部拜過一遍。拜完以後，她發現自己彈琴可以達到：「不是身體在彈，也不是心在彈，而是周圍的一股氣在彈。這種境界很難形容，但是彈完琴也不累，反而覺得輕鬆愉快。一旦感覺到自己的身體在彈時，就彈不好了。」
除了彈琴之外，陳毓襄在學習語文方面也從佛法中得到受用。九三年七月，她到莫斯科演奏，順便參加莫斯科音樂學院的五週暑期俄語進修課程。當時她的俄語基礎淺薄，但每天念六十遍到七十遍的《心經》，外加兩百遍到三百遍的往生咒。無論走在路上，或在琴房的休息時間，她都充分利用，嘴裡忙著誦經持咒。專心誦持《心經》和往生咒，使她得到制心一處的妙用，很快就學會了困難的俄語。離開莫斯科之前，她已經能和莫斯科的知識份子對談：「好像忽然就通俄語了，我自己也沒想到會學得那麼快。」
這些年來，陳毓襄不曾忘記上人給她的功課：拜《法華經》，她總是抽空拜或念誦這部經中之王。目前在北美和歐洲，她每年有二、三十場演奏會。每回出門演奏，身邊的行李箱總少不了《法華經》。這項功課幫助她在琴藝上不斷突破，更能夠從容的面對人生。在這次的演奏會之前三個多星期，陳毓襄夢見宣公上人帶領她去拜菩薩。醒過來後，她更加緊念經的功課。
在這次演出前一天，原本要租一架九呎的大鋼琴，但最後只租到七呎的琴。陳毓襄在練琴時，對琴聲效果並不滿意，但也無可奈何。沒想到週日演奏會當天再度試琴，她很驚喜的發現，琴聲居然變好了，即使坐在最後一排的聽眾，也能聽到她所彈的最輕的琴音。「七呎的琴居然有九呎鋼琴的效果，真是不可思議。」她覺得在道場演奏，感受很不一樣，希望下次還有機會再度在道場演出。不過，這回在法界聖城的演奏給她帶來了新功課：恆實法師建議她不僅能拜、能念，還要能背誦整部《法華經》。恆實法師相信，《法華經》和音樂結合，將能帶來最美的音樂。恆持法師則建議陳毓襄還要多多念誦《地藏經》。陳毓襄笑著說：「功課不少喔！」
在陳毓襄的演奏會之後，緊接著是招待茶會，介紹萬佛聖城「國際哲學倫理研究院」興建計劃。現場並有畫家余春明的畫展，以及法界佛教青年會一手策劃佈置的「國際哲學倫理研究院」展覽和幻燈片。這所研究院預定將座落於萬佛聖城東邊發展新區，佔地約十四英畝，建築總面積三十三萬二千平方呎。包括妙覺寶殿、宣公上人紀念圖書館、教室、齋堂、寮房、廚房、辦公室及其他週邊設備。目前正在徵求建築、工程、法律、會計等多方面的專業人才。詳情請洽(707)391-5939，或上網www.drba.org，電子郵件：project@drba.org。
國際哲學倫理研究院的宗旨是希望藉著各宗教、哲學、倫理、文化之間的學習與交流來促進人類的相互了解，走向世界和平。這是宣公上人生前的理想，也是法界佛教總會多年來各分支道場默默努力的目標。例如：恆實法師住持的柏克萊法界宗教研究院就經常參與各宗教間的對話交流活動。今年初恆實法師參與的宗教聯合國組織邀請天主教舊金山教區韋斯特主教以及多位神父修女前往萬佛聖城，和佛教各宗派的代表人士進行對話。韋斯特主教也在萬佛聖城內發表公開演講，並主持望彌撒儀式。
西沙加緬度前任市府經理喬戈登，對於國際哲學倫理研究院的宗旨非常讚賞，認為十分切合當前時代的需要。他甚至希望西沙加緬度法界聖城將來也能成立國際哲學倫理研究院的機構，來幫助當地的民眾。
這次鋼琴演奏會的主要籌辦人恆貴法師很欣慰的表示，我們以世界級的鋼琴演奏來籌款，為國際哲學倫理研究院的興建掀開序幕。希望未來完工後，這座研究院將是一座世界級的研究院。而在那兒的修行人，更是世界級的修行人。
從洛杉磯金輪聖寺前來支援籌備工作的恆是法師，也談到籌備過程中遇到的種種困難，包括現場的通風問題，竟然奇妙的在演出當天自然而然的解決了。恆是法師微笑道：「一切都是最好的安排！」
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The piano concert by Gwhyneth Chen was held at 3:00 p.m. on May 18th at City of the Dharma Realm. It attracted more than five hundred people. This benefit concert to raise funds for the International Institute of Philosophy and Ethics (IIPE) was a great success.
That day, Gwhyneth played ten pieces by famous composers such as Chopin, Schubert, Brahms and Balakirev. She displayed supreme piano playing skills and a unique way to express the music. Sometimes her playing was as powerful as thunder. At times, the music was as soft and gentle as a whisper. Her performance moved many people to tears. During the encore, Gwhyneth creatively played a Taiwanese folk song called ‘Awaiting the Spring Breeze.’ Playing this simple tune with great expression, Gwhyneth’s fingers danced across the keyboard creating a certain magic for the audience. That Taiwanese folk song stirred the many Taiwanese people in the audience to tearful nostalgia.
The audience gave her a standing ovation. Carol Leonard, the wife of the West Sacramento Chief of Police, who is knowledgeable about music, said that this was the most beautiful and touching concert she had ever attended in her entire life. A Sacramento local, Terri Davis, said that the concert was very moving and a great blessing to attend. Overseas Chinese Commissioner Jong Chen, who was attending the concert on behalf of Director General Lee of the Taipei Economic and Culture Office in San Francisco, has listened to classical music for more than thirty years and was very familiar with many of the pieces Gwhyneth played. Hence, he could especially feel Gwhyneth’s deep understanding of the piano and was moved to tears by her performance. He considers Gwhyneth one of the best pianists in the United States and feels very honored to have such a talented Chinese pianist in the United States. More than ten years ago, Jong Chen used to go for dinner at the Hotel El Rancho, which is now the City of the Dharma Realm. When he visited this time, he was surprised to see that the resort hotel was now a monastery and felt that this transformation of the former resort was very meaningful. He also thought that the concert sponsored by the City of the Dharma Realm was of the highest quality. He commented, “I never expected a Buddhist organization like yours to sponsor activities so well. If you need my help in the future, please let me know. I will try my best to assist.”
After the concert, Gwhyneth said that out of the more than five hundred concerts she has played, this is one of the concerts that gave her the most satisfaction. Very humbly, she gives all of the credit to the sixty volunteers who prepared for the event. These volunteers came from our branch temples throughout California, including the Institute for World Religions & Berkeley Buddhist Monastery in Berkeley, the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas (CTTB) in Talmage, Gold Mountain Monastery in San Francisco, Gold Sage Monastery in San Jose and Gold Wheel Monastery in Los Angeles in addition to the Dharma protectors and laypeople from the City of the Dharma Realm in Sacramento. Gwhyneth said that these volunteers rose early, retired late and worked hard to prepare for the event. Not a single person complained or quarreled with one another. “Everyone acted as if they were going to play on stage themselves instead of I.” She had never seen such enthusiastic staff. She said that these volunteers gave her a lot of spiritual support and were the main reason for her success in this performance. She had participated in some other concerts in the past where she did not feel such support from the staff. She said, “It makes a big difference whether or not people support you.”
One of the prerequisites for participating in the 1993 Ivo Pogorelich International Piano Competition in which she won first prize was that one must have won awards in other international competitions. More than two hundred people applied. Most applicants were in their thirties or forties with a lot of experience in piano and in life. Many of them were well-known international pianists. Only Gwhyneth Chen, at the age of twenty-three, was a relatively new contestant who had qualified by placing fifth in the Tchaikovsky Solo Piano Competition. In order to soothe her nerves, Gwhyneth began reciting Shurangama Mantra five or six times a day, bowing to Earth Store Bodhisattva and the Venerable Master Hua’s picture and contemplating all the Buddhas of the ten directions. Through diligent and singleminded practice, she became one with the music and forgot her own existence.
One day while bowing to the Venerable Master’s picture, she suddenly realized that the practices she had undertaken for this competition had far exceeded her usual practices. Since she had attained the state of forgetting her own existence while playing, there was no need to compete for fame and prizes. Hence, in the final round of the competition, Gwhyneth said, “I did not feel that I was playing for the competition but rather performing on stage. I no longer cared what place I would take. Rather, I cared only about whether or not I poured my skills into every note I played in the performance.” At that time, she made a vow: “I wish to offer this piano music to all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in the ten directions and develop affinities with all beings in the Dharma Realm. May everyone who hears my music leave suffering and attain bliss.” As a result of not caring about fame, she, together with Michael Harvey, a welll-known Australian pianist, jointly won first place.
After her success, she eluded the press and went to take refuge with the Venerable Master Hua at the City of the Dharma Realm in Sacramento. She also donated the cash award, close to one hundred thousand dollars, to the Venerable Master Hua for use as education funds. At that time, the Master encouraged her to persistently apply her effort and continue to improve herself. At the same time, he advised her to bow to the
Dharma Flower Sutra.
With amazing perseverance, Gwhyneth took time out of her busy performance schedule to bow to the Dharma Flower Sutra as instructed by the Venerable Master. She bowed once to each word of the sutra for a period of about ten months, finally completing her bows to the sixty thousand characters of the
Dharma Flower Sutra. Subsequently, she discovered that when she played the piano, neither her body nor her mind were playing, but rather a stream of energy. Such a state is difficult to describe. She did not even feel tired after playing. On the contrary, she felt happy and relaxed. Whenever she felt that she was using her physical body to play, the music would not turn out well.
Besides piano playing, Gwhyneth also benefited from the Buddhadharma when learning foreign languages. In July 1993, she went to Moscow to perform and took a five-week Russian language class in the Moscow Music College. She had very little background in the Russian language. However, every day she would recite the
Heart Sutra sixty to seventy times and the Rebirth Mantra two to three hundred times. Whether she was walking or resting in the piano practicing room, she used her time well. Her mouth would be busy reciting the mantra or the sutra. Concentrating on reciting the
Heart Sutra and the Rebirth Mantra, she gained the wonderful effect of singlemindedness. Very soon, she mastered the difficult Russian language. Before she left Moscow, she was able to converse with Moscow’s intellectuals. She felt that she suddenly knew how to speak Russian and was surprised that she was able to learn so quickly.
All these years, Gwhyneth never forgot the assignment the Venerable Master Hua had given her – bowing to the
Dharma Flower Sutra. She always makes time to bow or recite this King of Sutras. So far, she has twenty to thirty concerts to perform every year in North America and Europe. Every time she leaves for a performance, she always packs the
Dharma Flower Sutra in her luggage.
This assignment helps her keep improving her piano playing and face the various pressures in life. About three weeks before this concert, she dreamed that the Venerable Master Hua took her to bow to the Bodhisattvas. After she woke up, she worked harder on reciting the sutra.
Originally, Gwhyneth wanted to rent a nine-foot-long grand piano for the concert at the City of the Dharma Realm. However, the day before the performance, she was only able to get a smaller seven- foot one. While practicing on the seven-foot piano, she was not very satisfied with its sound. However, she could not do anything about it. When she tried the piano on the day of the concert, she found to her surprise that the sound from the piano turned out great. Even the people sitting in the very last row could hear the lightest note she played. “A seven-foot piano sounds like a nine-foot one. Inconceivable!” She felt very different playing in this concert. She hopes there will be opportunities in the future to play for a Wayplace again. Nevertheless, the piano performance at the City of the Dharma Realm brought her a new assignment. Dharma Master Sure recommended that she not only bow to and recite the
Dharma Flower Sutra, but also memorize the entire sutra. Dharma Master Sure believed that combining the
Dharma Flower Sutra with music would produce the most beautiful melody. In addition, Dharma Master Chih suggested that Gwhyneth Chen recite the
Earth Store Sutra as well. With a smile, Gwhyneth commented, “Quite a few assignments!”
The concert was followed by a reception that introduced the Institute of Philosophy and Ethics (IIPE) at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas (CTTB). Selected paintings by artist Chun-Ming Yu were on display, as well as a special IIPE exhibit and slideshow set up by the Dharma Realm Buddhist Youth. The plan is to build the institute on the eastern side of CTTB. It will occupy about fourteen acres of land. The total building area is 332,000 square feet which includes the Wonderful Enlightenment Hall, the Memorial Hall for the Venerable Master Hua, a library, classrooms, a dining hall, bedrooms, a kitchen, offices and other peripheral facilities. The project is currently seeking talented individuals with knowledge in architecture, engineering, law, accounting and other professions. For details, please contact us at (707) 391-5939, visit our website
www.drba.org or e-mail us at
project@drba.org.
The mission of IIPE is to promote understanding among human beings by the exchange and study of religions, philosophy, ethics and cultures so as to advance towards world peace. This was the Venerable Master Hua’s ideal and the goal towards which the branch temples of Dharma Realm Buddhist Association (DRBA) diligently and quietly work. For example, Dharma Master Sure, the Abbot of the Institute for World Religions & Berkeley Buddhist Monastery, frequently participates in various interfaith activities and dialogues. This year, the United Religions Initiative in which Dharma Master Sure is involved invited the Auxiliary Bishop of San Francisco, John Wester, and many priests and sisters to dialogue with representatives of various Buddhist traditions at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas (CTTB). Bishop Wester also gave a sermon and held Mass in CTTB.
Mr. Joe Gordon, the former City Manager of Sacramento, spoke very highly of the mission of IIPE as being very appropriate to the needs of the current age. He even wished that the IIPE could also be established in City of the Dharma Realm in Sacramento for the benefit of local residents.
Dharma Master Heng Gwei, one of the organizers of the concert, delightedly expressed that since we have sponsored a world-class piano performance as the prologue for the IIPE, she hopes that after the IIPE is established, it will be a world-class institute with world-class cultivators. Dharma Master Shr , another organizer from Gold Wheel Monastery in Los Angeles, also talked about all kinds of difficulties encountered in the planning including the concert hall’s ventilation problem, which was resolved wonderfully on its own on the day of the event. Dharma Master Shr smiled and said, “Everything turns out for the best!”
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