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［本刊訊］中華民國立法院長王金平今年七月底陪同家人赴美西度假時，特別安排行程前往北加州達摩鎮萬佛聖城參訪。王院長表示，他每次到舊金山，都會抽空到萬佛聖城。這趟是特別祈求台灣能夠安全、安定、兩岸問題和平解決。雖然在國民黨主席選舉當中失利，但王金平透露，選前就已經向佛菩薩祈求，如果要他負起這個擔子，就讓他選上，否則就不要選上。而選舉結果顯示，佛菩薩並沒有要他一肩負起這份重擔，因此王金平表示，他是心平氣和地接受這樣的結果，並且決定今後專心做好國會的工作。
七月三十一日當天，王金平院長在夫人、兒子、妻舅，以及舊金山經文處官員等人的陪同下前來萬佛聖城。王金平院長在萬佛殿以及供奉宣公上人舍利的無言堂，都拈香祝禱良久。王金平院長表示，他藉這個機會為台灣祈福。這一年多來，每天都誦一部《金剛經》的王金平院長指出，他是在十多年前皈依宣公上人，從上人那裡學到的精神就是要利益眾生，因此他會秉持這樣的思想做好他在國會的工作。他也強調，兩人爭路，必有前後，但非勝負；走在前面的要領軍，走在後面的也要一起努力。 人生路上雖有前後之別，但不要用勝敗來看，就不致於有強烈的得失心。
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The Speaker of the Taiwan Legislative Yuan (Congress), Mr. Wang Jin-Ping, paid a special visit to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas (CTTB) in Talmage, California, while vacationing on the West Coast with his family at the end of July this year. Speaker Wang said that he always arranges some time to go to CTTB every time he comes to San Francisco. On this visit, he prayed for safety and order in Taiwan and for a peaceful resolution between Taiwan and China. Even though he did not win the election for the Chairperson of the Nationalist Party, Speaker Wang revealed that he had prayed to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas before the election day that if they wanted him to carry the responsibility, then they would allowed him to be elected, otherwise he would lose. The results of this election showed that the responsibility was not to be imposed on him so he accepted the outcome serenely. He also decided that he would focus on his work at the Legislative Yuan.
Speaker Wang came to the CTTB in the company of his wife, son, brother-in-law, and various officials of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in San Francisco on July 31, 2005. He prayed for a long time with an incense stick in the Buddha Hall as well as in the No Words Hall where the
sharira [relics] of Venerable Hua were displayed. Speaker Wang said that he took this opportunity to pray for Taiwan’s blessings. Speaker Wang had been reciting the
Vajra Sutra on a daily basis for over a year. He took refuge with Venerable Master Hua over ten years ago. He learned from Venerable Master the principle of benefiting living beings. He said he would uphold this principle to do his work at the Legislative Yuan. He also stressed that when two people fight for the right of the road, there must be one in the front, the other in the back. However, it doesn’t mean that there is victory or defeat. The one in the front should take the lead, the one left behind should also apply effort. Although on the path of life, front and back positions are differentiated, if one doesn’t look at it from the angle of victory or defeat, one will not be strongly affected by winning and losing throughout one’s life.
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在參觀宣公上人住過的無言堂時，王金平院長對上人留下的墨寶「應如是住而生其心」特別有所體會。王院長個人認為，這句話比金剛 經中的「應無所住而生其心」還更積極。王金平的夫人陳彩蓮則表示，每次選舉過後，她就希望王金平院長不要再參選，因此十多年前在王金平還沒當上立法院長時，陳彩蓮曾經請教過師父宣公上人，王金平甚麼時候才能退出政壇？當時宣公上人表示，王金平會等到不能為國家社會服務時才會退下來。如今看來果然如此。陳彩蓮也是虔誠的佛教徒，過去因為類風濕性關節炎而一度以輪椅代步，不過在誦持多部《藥師經》之後，情況顯著改善，這次在萬佛聖城就完全是自己步行，不再需要仰賴輪椅。
宣公上人座下的大弟子恆實法師和王金平夫婦認識多年，七月三十一日當天正預備前往奧瑞岡州佛根地打禪七，在上路前恰好接到電話，得知王金平夫婦希望在萬佛聖城跟他會面。恆實法師和王金平夫婦共進午餐之後表示，這次王金平院長具體實現了學佛做人的道理。
陪同王金平院長前來萬佛聖城的舊金山經文處處長廖偉平也是一位受過戒的佛教徒，約兩年前皈依三寶。王金平夫婦特別在萬佛聖城請了一套上人講解的《六祖法寶壇經淺釋》送給廖偉平處長。
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When viewing the No Words Hall where the Venerable Master had resided before he passed away, Speaker Wang especially inspired by the Vnerable Master’s calligraphy, which said: “One should dwell thus and bring forth one’s mind.” Speaker Wang’s personal belief is that this phrase is even more proactive than the phrase from the
Vajra Sutra, “One should dwell nowhere and bring forth one’s mind.” Speaker Wang’s wife, Chen Tsai-lien (literally, ‘colorful lotus’), expressed that following every election, she would hope that Speaker Wang would not run again, so before Wang was elected to the Speaker of the Legislative Yuan, she asked the Venerable Master when her husband would finally leave the political arena. The Venerable Master replied that Wang would leave only when he could render no more service to the nation and society. Looking back, the Venerable Master’s words were prophetic. Chen Tsai-lien herself is also a devout Buddhist. She had suffered from rheumatoid arthritis to the point of being confined to a wheelchair. However, after reciting the
Medicine Master Sutra many times, her situation improved significantly. She walked all by herself this time during the visit to CTTB, and didn’t rely on the wheelchair at all.
Dharma Master Heng Sure, a senior disciple of the Venerable Hua, had known Mr. and Mrs. Wang for many years. He was about to leave for Buddha Root Farm, Oregon, for a Chan session when the phone rang. Learning that Mr. and Mrs. Wang wanted to meet him at CTTB, Dharma Master Heng Sure had lunch with the Wangs and said that this time Wang was applying the principles of Buddhism into his life in a substantial way.
Speaker Wang was also accompanied on this visit by the Director General of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in San Francisco, Mark Liao, who is also a precept-upholding Buddhist who took refuge around two years ago. Speaker Wang and his wife purchased a set of
The Sixth Patriarch’s Dharma Jewel Platform Sutra with Venerable Hua’s commentary
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