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一天早上，在夢裡我正在梳洗，聽到師父在我的門外叫：「要懺悔的人，快點出來！」我趕快跑出去，上人旁邊有一位年輕的出家男眾。我說：「師父！我要懺悔！」師父說：「跟我來！」我跟他走到了上人在聖城的房間…房裡很簡單，一張單人床、一個小茶几，他就坐在那邊。我跪下，正要說我的罪過，上人說：「妳不用說了！」我莫名其妙。
第三次，是做完早課，回去睡回籠覺時。夢中有人叫：「不要睡了！妳們師父在講經呢！快點起來！」我就趕快起來跑到大殿，看到上人坐在裡面講經。以後有空我就聽上人的錄音帶和看上人的書，不看任何人的書，也不看電視劇、小說。
95年開始我持《金剛經》，剛開始，一部經分兩天才念完，後來就念得很熟，上人講經念經文時，我都可以跟著背。我每次念經，好像覺得以前都念過；念了前面，就知道後面是什麼。
「忍辱波羅蜜」是我念這部經的心得。有位朋友因故誤解我，打電話把我臭罵一頓，很難聽的，當時我也很生氣，可是因為「忍辱波羅蜜」，我就忍下來。當晚就夢到上人，他說：「來，來！這付眼鏡妳拿去！」哇！這眼鏡這麼漂亮！大理石的邊！「師父這眼鏡好漂亮，可是跟我度數不合！」他說：「妳拿去帶！」什麼原因呢？就是教我交友要有「擇法眼」。
又一次，我希望朋友能讀上人的開示錄，而在聖城請了上人的法相給他們供奉，還跟他們說：「沒有關係！不用供水！」當晚，夢到自己和很多信徒朝拜後，坐下來休息的時候，上人就指著我說：「妳給我去拿一杯水來！」這是我第五次夢到上人，第二天起，我就拿淨杯裝水供上人。
90/91年我們公司給員工有準備午、晚餐，某天上班時，我剛讀完了一本〈畜生輪迴記〉，就對同事說：「今天吃晚飯，你們都不要叫我！從此以後，我都不吃肉了！」真的，從那天開始我都不吃肉，到現在十多年了！
講到不吃肉，我又夢到什麼呢？在夢中來到聖城，外子愛吃雞，我在清理車內他的便當，上人就走過來了。我知道在聖城不可帶肉食進來的，很不好意思地說：「師父，他要吃雞的啦！」師父很慈祥地回答我說：「他要吃肉，妳告訴我！」我就醒了，夢境好清楚；師父很慈悲，他沒有不高興，也沒有派我不是。第二天，外子又要吃豬扒，他到店裡買回來，我就到上人相片前面合掌說：「他要吃肉！」然後我就去弄。過了兩次，他竟對我說：「我不要吃這個肉了！」
以前住在佛萊斯諾，也是在拜佛的時候，一想找工作，就找到了！我到一家老人院，也沒人介紹，就被雇用了。「是男子皆是我父，是女人皆是我母。」這是上人的教誨。我招呼打理這些男男女女，把他們都看作是我自己的父母，我還自動幫他們剪指甲，噓寒問暖。因為他們都沒有兒女在身邊，我每天去工作的時候，他們看到我都很高興。
以前我的廁所有佣人洗，現在老人院二個房間中間就有個廁所，一天要洗十幾間。我在洗的時候，自念：「師父說的對，享福就是消福；吃苦就是了苦。」我洗廁所的時候很坦然、很舒服，因為這就是我了苦的機會！
為了外子工作的關係，我們後來遷往佛羅里達州。外子上班，我在家自修、做自己的功課。有一天，也是念完〈大悲咒〉，我突然覺得應該出去找工作做；一出去，就找到工作了，很奇怪！我跟人說：「我不能端肉食，我可以打雜、收錢、點菜、聽電話！」人家也雇用我了。
後來某種因緣，被介紹去Wall-Mart上班，憑我的學歷與英語程度，怎麼可能？這真的是觀音菩薩和朋友拉拔我！大約師父看我也很能刻苦的。每天工作，我不和周圍的人講話，把各種產品擦亮、排列整齊，擺一條牙膏就念一聲「阿彌陀佛」，希望購買的人歡喜自在。有一天，經理叫我去辦公室：「妳來這裡已經三個月，妳的記錄很好！」因為有電視器監督，他知道誰對待顧客最好。
後來我們搬到聖地牙哥，為了買房子，外子和我有爭執，他擔心工作不穩定不想買。那次，也是早上夢見師父，師父帶我騰雲駕霧去看地；師父指著一塊山坡地說：「那塊地的主人，不會用地。」我一看那房子階層而下，後面有塊地；一個年輕中國女孩打開門，師父就進去了，我就跟隨。師父去點香，然後師父就拜一拜，我就醒了。事情也真巧，次日外子就說：「我們去看房子！」看了幾個房子，後來就到了夢中那個有斜坡房子。我就馬上對先生說：「其實師父早就給我看好了，也帶我來看過，景觀好美！」這個屋主真的不會用地，後面空地什麼都沒有，還把兩棵大樹都砍掉了。後來我才知道，這是一個女居士的地產，我曾經介紹她在聖城做過一年義工，夢裡開門的就是她女兒；我們在佛萊斯諾結識，搬遷後失去聯絡，現在正巧又遇上了！也許有人不喜歡聽我說這麼多夢話，但這些都是我的真實經歷，我相信佛菩薩的境界是在夢裡也能教化人的。
本文完
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One morning in my dream, as I was washing my hair, I heard the Venerable Master calling outside on my doorstep, “She who wants to repent, come out!” I rushed out and noticed that the Venerable Master was accompanied by a young Bhikshu. I said, “Venerable Master, I want to repent!” The Master said, “Follow me!” I followed him. We came to the Venerable Master’s room at CTTB. It was a very simple room with a twin-size bed and a small tea table. He sat down by the wall, and I knelt down. As I was about to start my confession, he said: “No need to talk.” I was confused.
The third time was after I finished my Morning Recitation and had gone back to sleep. I heard someone calling, “Don’t sleep. Your Master is lecturing on the Sutra now. Get up.” I rushed to the Buddha Hall and saw that Venerable Master actually lecturing in the Hall. Since then, whenever I get a chance, I listen to the tapes of Master’s Dharma talks or read his books. I refrained from reading other books, novels, or watching entertainment shows on TV.
In 1995, I started to regularly recite the
Vajra (Diamond) Sutra. It used to take me two days to finish the Sutra. In time, I became quite familiar with this Sutra. I was even able to memorize along with the Master when he was lecturing in the tapes. Every time I recited, I got the impression that I have read the Sutra before—as soon as I read the beginning, I knew what followed.
The paramita [perfection] of patience is a virtue I gained through reading the
Diamond Sutra. One day, a friend, with whom I had a misunderstanding, called me on the phone to vent her anger. I was quite upset, but with the
paramita of patience in mind, I held back my anger. That same night, I dreamt of the Venerable Master. He said, “Here, take this pair of eyeglasses” Indeed they were very nice ones with marble trim on the sides. “Master, this pair of eyeglasses is beautiful, but it is a different prescription. He said, “Just wear them.” What was the reason to wear them? I think that the Venerable Master wanted me to have a “Selective Eye” in making friends.
Another time, I tried to convince my friends to read the Dharma talks. I brought them some of the Venerable Master’s poster-size pictures for them to make offerings to. I told them, “Don’t worry, it’s not necessary to offer water.” On the same night, I dreamt that many other laymen and myself were bowing in a pilgrimage. When we sat down to take a break, the Venerable Master said to me, “Bring me a cup of water.” This is the fifth time I dreamed of the Master. I filled a clean cup with water and offered it to the Master the next morning.
Around 1990-1991, I became vegetarian. My company offered lunches and dinners to all employees. One day, after I finished reading “The Cycle of the Animal Realm,” I told my colleagues, “No need to call me when you eat dinner. I am not eating meat anymore.” Since that day, I have not had any meat, and it has been over ten years.
Speaking of not consuming meat, what else did I dream of? My husband liked poultry. I came to CTTB, and as I was cleaning his lunch box, I saw the Master come by. Being well-aware that meat is not allowed in the City, I was embarrassed and reported to the Master, “Master, he really likes chicken.” The Master said, “If he likes to eat meat, just let me know.” Then I woke up, and I vividly remembered what was in the dream. The Master was very kind and did not express any displeasure about the matter, nor did he criticize me. The next day, my husband wanted pork chops and bought them back from a store. I went to the altar and put my palms together saying in front of the Master’s picture: “He wants to have meat.” Then I went to prepare the meat. Two times later, my husband told me, “I don’t want to eat this type of meat anymore!”
It was when I lived in Fresno that I started to bow to Buddhas as well as look for a job. Whenever I went to look for a job, I found one. I came to a nursing home. Without submitting any recommendations, I was hired. “Treat every man like your father; treat every woman like your mother.” This is the teaching of the Master. I cared for these elderly men and women as if they were my parents. I even volunteered to manicure them and make sure they were warm. Since they did not have any close relatives nearby, they were very happy to see me every day I worked there.
I used to have a maid clean my own bathrooms. The nursing home had a bathroom between every two bedrooms. I had to clean about a dozen of these bathrooms a day. While I was cleaning, I recalled that: “When you enjoy blessings, you use up your blessings; when you endure suffering, you put an end to suffering.” With that in mind, I felt at peace while cleaning the bathrooms—it gave me a chance to end my suffering.
Due to my husband’s job relocation, we moved to Florida. When he was at work, I did my personal cultivation at home. One day after I finished reciting the Great Compassion Mantra, all of a sudden I felt that I ought to look for a job. I went to look for one, and I found one as soon as I went out. It was that strange. I told people that I could not handle dishes or plates containing meat, but could do all other miscellaneous jobs, such cashier, order-taker, waitress, or receptionist, and they hired me.
I was introduced to work at Wal-Mart. With my educational background and my low proficiency in English, how could that be possible? It really was because Avalokiteshvara Boddhisattva and friends helped me. Perhaps the Venerable Master saw that I was a hardworking person as well. Every day at work, I did not chat with people. As I dusted and brushed the merchandise and lined them up neatly on the shelf, I said “Amitabha” every time hoping that the customers would like it. One day, I was called to have a conversation with my manager. “You have been here for three months, and you have done an excellent job.” There were TV cameras monitoring the employees, he knew who treated customers the best.
Later we moved to San Diego. I had an argument with my husband over whether to purchase or rent a house. His concern was job stability. I thought it through later and dropped the argument. That time, I also dreamt of Venerable Master. In the dream, we were riding on clouds looking for property. He pointed at a hill and said, “The owner of the property did not know how to make use of the land.” I saw a piece of land behind the house. A young Chinese girl opened the door and Venerable Master went in; I followed behind him. The Venerable Master lit the incense, then bowed. And I woke up. Coincidentally, the next day my husband said, “Let’s go look at houses.” We checked out a few, and none fit our requirements. Then we finally came to the hill that appeared in my dream. I immediately said to my husband, “The Venerable Master already picked this out for us. We have been here, and the landscape is just wonderful”. The owner really did not know how to make use of the land, as it was just open land. He even cut down two big trees. I realized afterwards that this was the property of a laywoman whom I had referred for a volunteer job at CTTB. The young Chinese girl who opened the door in that dream was her daughter. We knew each other from Fresno, and conincidentally we met again!
Perhaps there are those who don’t like me talking so much about dreams. However, these have been my actual experiences. I believe that a Bodhisattva has the ability to teach and transform beings in dreams.
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