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2002年7月，我第一次到聖城參加禪三；同年10月，又來打觀音七。時間飛快，這是第七次打觀音七。
我一直以來對禪修比較感興趣。當初也沒有想到為了要學打坐，而跟觀音法門結下這麼大的因緣。2002年10月，我第一次誦〈普門品〉，當念到偈頌部份時，不知為什麼就開始掉淚，一直到十二大願裏面的『造法船遊苦海』這一觀音菩薩度盡眾生願時，淚水幾乎一發不可收拾。那一次，是我第二次來聖城，跟聖城住眾並不很熟，所以覺得很不好意思。第二天我就學乖了，早上帶了兩張面紙，一張早上用，一張下午用。我每次來參加觀音七的時候，我都會有這麼一個準備。因為我發現，就是念〈普門品〉，或者持觀世音聖號，或是在佛殿繞佛，或是聽到別人誦持聖號，或是看到一些媽媽帶孩子的景象，都會忽然間非常感動，而且每次都是難以預料的。每次打觀音七，都有機會聽到很多非常感人的故事。
回顧我兩年的學佛心路，菩薩冥冥中幫過我很多忙。
2000到2002年間，我到香港工作，那時父母剛退休，我家是做生意的，早上八點一直開到晚上九點，每個星期工作六天。家父為了孩子，投資金做生意，大概已有三、四十年。所以我就為他們的退休做一些金融投資，並為他們購置一輛舒適新車。2001年911事件發生之後，我工作的公司裁員，我失去了工作。我個人的積蓄與投資，也在那場風暴裏全盤泡湯。之後，因為要供父母那輛車，經濟上有些困難。可是，發現有一個很奇怪的現象，每次這分期付款日期快到的時候，我為我父母安排的一些投資都會有一些分紅出來，甚至是到前個星期，我正在為下一期付款在煩惱的時候，就有一張支票進來了。
今天下午我在佛殿時，看見有兩位母親抱著孩子，那位年輕的白人女士，她抱著一個不到半歲的嬰兒。看到孩子很安祥、很幸福地睡在媽媽的懷裏。那一刻，我覺得非常的感動，因為我看到那個孩子將全部的身心性命都交給他的媽媽。我之所以這麼講，是因為在誦〈普門品〉和念菩薩聖號掉淚那一刻，我感覺如同一個迷失很久的孩子，突然間醒過來，發現自己就在媽媽懷抱裏?也不講話，她就默默地、無條件地、全心的接受我！我生命裏曾經有過很多起伏，我覺得過去就像在大海裏面一條迷失很久的船，現在終於找到一個可以停駁的海港。也祝願所有打七的人都如我一樣，找到一條歸家之路。
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I came to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas (CTTB) for the first time in July 2002 to attend the 3-day Chan session. In October of the same year, I came to participate in the Guanyin Session. Time flies and this is my seventh time attending the Guanyin Session.
Personally, my interest has always been in Chan. I never expected to develop such a deep affinity with Guanyin’s Dharma. The first time I recited the
Universal Door Chapter in October, 2002, tears welled up in my eyes when we recited the verses. I kept shedding tears, and as it reached the climax, tears rolled down almost uncontrollably when we chanted one of the Bodhisattva’s twelve great vows which states that Guanyin Bodhisattva builds a Dharma-boat, sails it on the sea of suffering, and saves all sentient beings. That was the second time I visited CTTB.
I was still not familiar with the people here and felt uncomfortable and embarrassed to be so tearful. On the second day, I prepared two napkins—one for the morning, and another for the afternoon. I did the same for all subsequent Dharma sessions. No matter how well-prepared I was, I would always be suddenly deeply touched during the recitation, whether I was reciting the Bodhisattva’s holy name, sitting or circumambulating in the Buddha Hall, or seeing or hearing others reciting, or even seeing mothers who took their children to participate in the sessions. All of these touched me every time, unexpectedly. Also whenever I came for the Guanyin session, I had the opportunity to listen to others share their stories.
For the past two years, I have received a lot of invisible yet evident help from the Bodhisattva.
Between 2000 and 2002, I worked in Hong Kong. My parents were just retiring. We had owned a retail business in Malaysia, and for thirty to forty years my parents worked six days a week, from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. They worked hard to provide for their children. When they retired, I did some financial investments on their behalf, and also bought a comfortable new car for them. But, after the “911 incident” in 2001, my company laid off some of its staff and I lost my job and all my investments in the turbulent time of the economy. As I still had to make payments on the car, I really ran into a difficult time. However, strangely enough, every time the installment was due, my investment gains and the money showed up. Even last week as I was worrying about how to pay the installment, my sister wrote saying that a check came from my investment, which was sufficient for this month’s installment.
Today, in the Buddha Hall I saw two mothers, each carrying a child while reciting Guanyin Bodhisattva’s name. A young American lady was carrying a baby of less than one year old. In the mother’s arms, the baby looked so calm and secure. In my eyes, the baby had put his entire life and his entire soul into the good hands of the mother. I related this story because at the moment I shed tears, I felt as if I were a long-lost child waking up who suddenly found himself in the arms of his mother. Although neither the mom nor the son said a single word, it was evident that the mother accepted her child wholeheartedly and unconditionally.
I have been through many ups and downs in the life. I always felt like a lost boat and now finally I have found a safe harbor to steer into. I sincerely wish that everyone who recites Guanyin Bodhisattva’s holy name, like myself will also find their way home.
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