I met a Buddha
A name card led me to Master Hong Sheng. I first met Onion - a follower of Master Hong Sheng, several years ago. She was an English teacher then and has been teaching in a kindergarten. At that time, I was nearly fifty and just started my new career running a cram school. Before that I studied English extensively and became an English teacher. I devoted myself to teaching English and continued to improve my fluency. Alongside my teaching, I also sold some English materials which helped students memorize vocabulary. One day, I had an appointment with Onion at a coffee shop and prepared to introduce the English materials to her.
At first, we did not know each other very well and I did not know how to start our conversation, either. We still had a nice chat, though. A few minutes passed by and I had hardly focused on my business; she had been so talkative. Suddenly, she mentioned a painting which cured her grandmother’s illness. I could not believe what she said and I was really curious about that. “Such a miracle painting！”, “Who is the painter？”, “How can it heal patients？”, “It must be very expensive.” I asked. At that time, I had a narrow vision so that I just concentrated on the price. Onion explained that the painting had special power, which can influence whoever stands in front of it. I was surprised but also dubious what she had said, so I asked again who the painter was. Onion took out a name card from her bag and gave it to me. I took a look at the name card half-heartedly. Unexpectedly, I had a strange feeling and burst into tears the moment I got it. How come？ I wondered and felt embarrassed. However, I had to know what happened to me. So, I asked Onion if I could visit Master Hong Sheng. Soon after, a meeting was arranged at his place.
At that time, Master Hong Sheng still lived in the Fang Liao Art Village, a small town in southern Taiwan. My husband drove me there. On the way to visit the Master, I felt excited and nervous. Could he help me？ I had no idea. Tired of praying at the private temples, they had little effect. Over the past few years, I had been both uneasy and unhappy. I looked forward to the possibility of the opposite. Perhaps, Master Hong Sheng would be a real Master. As soon as I met him, I was surprised that he was young and handsome. I had thought that he might have been older and like a monk. However, I was impressed by his gentle manner and felt joyful at the first sight. While I was thinking of what to say, the Master began singing a song that we had never heard before. We did not understand the lyrics, but we were touched and shocked by his voice. I felt sad and burst into tears again just like the first time that I got the name card of his. In the same breath, my husband also cried like me. I glanced at him and found him trying to stop his tears. Yet, he could not. The Master’s voice proved too powerful. After the singing, we gradually calmed down as well. The voice seemed to clean our mind. Then we listened to Master’s teaching. His teachings were like medicine – they soothed my pain. That day, both of us felt reborn and before leaving, we were wearing a smile on our faces.
I have been listening to Master’s teaching for a few years, but sometimes it went in one ear and out the other because of my ignorance. For this reason, I did not make much progress compared to other followers. I often felt deeply ashamed. Nevertheless, our Master is so kind that he never blames me. On the contrary, he always supports me with limitless patience and compassion.
The beginning of 2012, on an early morning, I got an unexpected call from my younger sister in an anxious voice. She told me that my father was seriously sick and was sent to the hospital. On hearing the news, I became tense and rushed to the emergency room. Seeing my father lying in the blood because of a perforated ulcer, I could not prevent myself from bursting into tears. The doctor said that only a surgery could save my father’s life but he was too weak to accept the operation. I realized his implication that he could not perform it for my father. The answer hit me like a ton of bricks so that I fell into an extreme frustration and could no longer hold back my tears. Abruptly, I thought of Master Hong Sheng and turned to him for help. The Master asked me to chant Buddha for my father. I knew I should be calm and collected and did what I was taught. In the meanwhile the doctors and nurses gave me a lot of paper to sign in order to give special treatments to my father. They annoyed me and I could not concentrate on chanting Buddha. I felt deeply frustrated again. Yet, all of a sudden, the doctor told me that my father could do an operation right now and rushed him to the surgery room. Finally, I was relieved and I believed that my father would be getting better. The surgery was a success and I believe it was because of the Master’s blessing.
During the period of staying in the ICU, I played the Impermanence CD, which was sung by the Master for my father. It was a miracle that it only took a short time for my father to recover from the bad illness. I was very appreciative of what Master had done for my father, so much so, that I was beyond words. I also felt ashamed of myself due to ignore his teaching. After my father left the hospital, the first thing I did was accompanied him to our Master saying thank you. I think the best thing I should do is to fulfill his teaching: cultivate my moral character and nourish my inborn nature. From now on, I promise to myself to follow the Master’s teaching without hesitation.
Monica
April 30, 2012
遇 佛 記
憶及與 弘聖師父上人相識的過程得從一張名片談起。話說數年前初識雅聰師姐，當時的她任職於幼稚園擔任英文老師，而我則是初出茅蘆的補教新手，那時的我年屆半百，遊手好閒了好一陣子，唯一做的一件有建設性的事情便是苦K英文。當時投入英語教學行列，打得是「教學相長」的如意算盤，期盼自己「做中學，學中做」，藉以精進自己的語文能力。除了設立補習班，我進而經銷了某種英語背單字系統，為此，我擔任教師兼業務，招兵買馬尋求同業加盟因而結識了雅聰師姐。兩人相約星巴克咖啡相談，沒想到因此開啟了一段我意想不到的同修之緣，更沒想到我竟然有幸拜入 師父上人門下學修。現在來看，能與 師父上人相識真的是自己莫大的福報。
話說，兩人咖啡廳坐定，初識不深，寒暄後一番言不及義，話題仍未進入主題。莫名地，雅聰師姐話鋒三轉四轉，忽然談起她當時新買的一幅畫作，我的藝術細胞不多，本擬虛應幾句，卻被她後續的一句話勾起了濃濃的好奇，「這幅畫可以治療我阿嬤的病。」「什麼？治病？」這下我眼睛一亮，倏忽清醒，好奇心一發不可收拾，趕緊問道：「什麼畫作如此神奇！」雅聰解釋是為了生病的阿嬤而買，蓋因此畫非比尋常、能量殊勝，故而目睹之人皆能神奇感應。哇塞！如此「神畫」著實令人好奇，當時的我現實短利，忙問價格幾何？雅聰師姐說了一個數字，我咋舌連連，因為不識貨，言語也有所唐突，後來結識 師父上人，方知福緣無價、師恩無價，有形價格好說，無形的價值難論，我以世俗數字論價覺者無量功德，真真褻瀆了！現在每思及此便愧煞不已！繼續話題，我一邊咋舌一邊忙問畫家是誰？這時雅聰拿出了 師父上人的名片，我接過手一看，咦？不相識的名字，奇怪的感觸，突然眼眶一陣溫熱，鼻頭一酸，眼淚便撲簌而下，我莫名其妙、十分尷尬，怎會如此？咖啡喝著喝著，怎麼流起了眼淚來了呢？心中那股莫名的酸楚從何而來？這下，顧不得喝咖啡也不用談生意了，我連忙拜託雅聰師姐相約前往拜見 師父上人。
那時，師父上人尚在枋寮藝術村，我跟先生一同前往，一路上，我的心情有點雀躍卻也有一點惶然。雀躍的是，前方似乎為我燃起了希望；惶然的是，心中那股難以排解的幽暗仍沈沈地壓在心頭，連自己也不知所以地沈重。如願見到 師父上人後，我心中訝然！當時約見時不及先細問 師父上人長相，本以為當是年高德劭、仙風道骨之人，沒想到 師父上人竟是一位俊秀斯文的年輕帥哥，儒雅氣質有著超乎年齡的穩重。當下頗為好感不疑有他，我與先生雖年長許多，感受 師父上人威儀，便也欣然恭敬屈膝。坐定後，師父上人並未發言，而我們也靜默以待，不一會兒，音聲長揚而出，時而高亢、時而宛轉，輕吟流瀉，我的眼淚不由自主地奪眶而出，抽抽搭搭地與音聲慢和，彷彿深藏的酸楚正一點一滴地傾洩。偶然，我瞥眼向先生看去，見他面色潮紅、兩肩微顫，極度強忍不讓眼淚掉下來，想來他臉皮極薄，不曾有過如此經歷。然而，他終究也敵不過 師父上人的音聲洗滌，元和妙音之下，眼淚也如潰堤一發不可收拾，隨著 師父的音聲漸緩，我們也跟著恢復平靜，如同一陣大雨沖刷了心中的積垢，我倆頓覺心中輕安不少。心情平撫之後，虔誠靜聽 師父上人開示，先生與我頻頻頷首十分相應，那天，我們帶著「含淚的微笑」回家。
爾後，經常前往聽法， 師父上人的睿智法語常令我茅塞頓開，撥開了我對信仰的重重迷障，也糾正了我諸多的錯知錯見。數年來，聽過 師父上人的開示無數，可惜我資質愚鈍，某些縈繞在耳、某些漏網而去，相較於其他同修，我進步有限，然而 師父上人卻也不慍不怒、不離不棄，一份理解、一份寬容、無盡慈悲，我道業不精，僅管表面從容，其實心中愧疚心虛。
年初，83歲的老父忽然發病，嚴重的腸潰瘍血流不止，於血泊中緊急送醫，急救數小時猶不見好轉，用盡最好的藥物仍止不了血，唯一的方法只有開刀，又因風險太高，醫生不敢執行，婉言要我們辦理後事。我茫然失措、慌了手腳，心中閃出一念──請求 師父上人幫忙，於是急電小妍師姐，師父上人要我靜心念佛，切莫慌亂。我勉強靜心，但被醫院一張又一張的切結書搞得心亂如麻，傷心失望之際，突聞醫生宣佈可以開刀，將老父急送手術房，我心中大喜，想必 師父上人威德加持，老父必可脫險。果然，手術順利轉危為安，更神奇的是，在加護病房的日子裡，我放「無住」音聲與老父相伴，老父恢復神速，傷口亦不感疼痛。出院後，我帶父親前往拜謝 師父上人，稱謝雖只三言兩語，其實我心中激盪感恩無盡，至恩無言，說不出口的感覺，我只能在那盈盈一跪中，表達我的感恩之情。師父上人常言，道業精進與否，生死關頭便見真章，這次父親病危我慌張失措，實在有愧 師父上人平日教導，經此試煉，從今爾後，追隨 師父上人腳步，進德修業不由分說。
Monica 敬筆
2012/4/30
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