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不怕念頭起，只怕覺照遲；
懂得珍惜，切莫失去之後再來懊悔！
無論人生哲理如何豐厚，在實際生活經驗裡，若沒有當下的覺知覺照，很難領會真諦；就好比有人知道理，卻難落實。在自己驗證「因地果報論」後，才求懺悔，有用嗎？
人生再長也不過百歲，但是有的人一生奉獻犧牲，將愛散播在人間；不像我，一生渺無目標，終致身陷囹圄。
「生、老、病、死」是人生必經過程，每個人都避免不了；當人真正面臨死亡時，不管你如何抗議、逃避、否認等，都無法改變自己生命過程。
正如佛教有句話：「不怕念頭起，只怕覺照遲。」佛教幫助信仰者樹立正確的生活態度和延續慧命；就算沒有佛教信仰的人，也該為自己學習與訓練，才不枉過一生。
我在自己一日之生活裏，常給自己一點靜慮的時間，不管什麼時間，都可來禪坐調心，來化焦慮、煩躁為平靜，讓我有清醒的頭腦。經早晚禪坐，久而久之，心性變得無憂無慮；因為信佛後，阿彌陀佛永遠都沒讓我失望過，常常注入我心中，我哪能任意糟蹋因緣？我怕時機一過，因緣又不一樣；因為人生短暫，我懂得珍惜。
禪坐是一種心地功夫，自己初探佛教禪門的路徑，舉目望去，一片汪洋，無有邊際。我不敢狂妄企盼「頓悟空理」，只不斷自己耳提面命：要老實禪修，能在「靜」保任、於「動」觀照，此即是自己禪修的本分事。
我特別感謝法界佛教總會的法師們，也慶幸我能有機會在花蓮看守所中，參加萬佛城法師們的皈依法會，成為佛弟子。謝謝各位善知識，讓我自己能真正放下一切，念佛經以獲得內心的平靜。
本人是死囚，沒有明天，從此就要消失於人間。自陷入江湖後，天天刀光劍影，只因當初一時邪念，以致闖下殺人大禍，幾經纏訟，被判死刑；我非常懊悔，怎麼愚痴到這樣？我日夜難眠，心焦如焚，以前常常午夜夢醒，自嘆命苦；我感覺天花板快掉下來，又看到無數黑白無常。經由法師與居士開導後，經過幾番折磨，我找到信仰做出路，入佛門修持。我願放下一切，致力修行，生生世世常隨佛學、護持三寶。我可以很自信地說，我只要根除罪性，必能消弭罪行。
我今日成了何等的人，這一切都是阿彌陀佛的恩典；只有阿彌陀佛能知道我的感恩有多深、只有阿彌陀佛，能陪我走過黑暗，得到平安的路，阿彌陀佛永遠是我們大家的老朋友。他的慈悲感化，使我重生、向前直奔。曾是滿身的罪惡、滿身的過錯，是他牽起我的雙手，寬容我無知的罪行。南無阿彌陀佛！
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Fear not that thoughts arise,
but only that one wakes up from them too late!
Remember to cherish everything;
do not regret an opportunity only after losing it.
There is plenty of philosophy about life, yet without mindfulness of the present moment in real life, it is very unlikely that one can understand the truth. This is like someone who understands some principle, yet finds it hard to practice in daily life. Does it help to seek repentance after one has seen the law of causes and effects at work?
One’s life rarely goes beyond 100 years. Some people devote all their lives to rendering selfless service to the world and brightening others’ lives with loving-kindness. In contrast, I have been drifting aimlessly in my life and eventually wound up in jail.
Birth, aging, sickness, and death are processes of life that everyone has to go through. When facing death, no matter how a person may try to protest, run away, or deny the reality, he won’t be able to change the course of his life.
As a Buddhist saying goes: “Fear not that thoughts arise, but only that one wakes up from them too late!” Buddhism helps believers develop right attitudes in life. Even if one may not be a Buddhist, one should study and practice it for one’s own good so that life is not wasted.
I often give myself a little bit of time everyday to meditate and regulate my mind, thereby transforming worry and stress into peace and clarity. After a period of practicing regular meditation in the morning and evening, I became worry-free and stress-free. Since I became a Buddhist, Amitahba Buddha has never let me down and is always in my heart. How can I not cherish this good opportunity? I am afraid once the opportunity has passed, causes and conditions will be different. Realizing how fleeting life is, I have learned to cherish it.
Sitting in meditation is a practice of the mind. When I first explored the practice of Chan meditation, I felt as if I were drifting in a vast boundless ocean. I dared not wish for any sudden awakening to true emptiness, but just constantly urged myself onward saying: truly and honestly practice meditation. As a meditator, my duty is to remain unmoving in stillness and to contemplate in movement.
I am grateful to the Dharma Masters from DRBA and feel so fortunate to have participated in the Three Refuges Ceremony and become a Buddhist disciple in the Hua-Lien Prison. I thank all my good advisors who helped me to truly let everything go and gain peace of mind through Sutra recitation.
I am a convict on death row. I have no tomorrow and will soon be gone from this world. Ever since the day I got involved in crime, I have been treading a path infested with violence and treachery. It is all because of my deviant thoughts in the beginning that I ended up a murderer sentenced to death after the ordeal of being in court. What deep regrets I have: “How could I have been so stupid?” I have gone without sleep and been full of anguish. I often woke up in the middle of the night, pitying myself and bitterly bemoaning my fate. I felt as if the ceiling was about to drop and I saw countless black and white ghosts of impermanence appearing in front of me. After being counseled by Dharma Masters and lay people and undergoing some drastic struggles in my mind, I found the way out through faith in Buddhism and thus entered the Dharma to cultivate myself. I vowed to let go of everything and devote myself to cultivation with the wish that life after life I will follow the Buddha’s teaching to cultivate, and will always help and protect the Triple Jewel.
It was all because of Amitabha Buddha’s kindness so I have been able to change. Only Amitabha Buddha knows the depth of my gratitude. I could never finish expressing my gratitude to Amitahba Buddha: for his kindness in leading me out of this dark, treacherous road, and helping me find a safe and secure road. Transformed through his kindness and compassion, I have had a new rebirth and gone full-speed onto the right track of life. Even though my life has been full of evil and mistakes, he held my two hands and forgave all of my offense karma committed out of ignorance. Namo Amitahba!
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