序言 茲逢恩師
妙公老和尚聖誕紀念以及
澳洲靈巖山寺落成開光盛典，特編輯《靈 巖大導師》一書廣結淨緣。此書選錄靈巖 叢書《解惑叮嚀語》中「認識老和尚」單 元，又擷選恩師開示建大叢林、續佛慧命 的內容，合集成冊。 老和尚悲心無盡，於暗夜中起大燈塔 ，於苦海中駕大慈航，在末法邪說橫流中 ，高樹淨宗法幢，導歸眾生唯依念佛得度 生死；更發了永劫護念眾生的四十九大願 ，運載無量眾生航向極樂蓮邦。老和尚可 說是接引眾生離苦得樂之大導師，惟願見 聞此書者，皆能接受老和尚慈悲化度，同 種西方淨因，同願往西方！
Preface This book, The Great Teacher of Lingyen, is produced in commemoration of the birthday of our Teacher, the Venerable Master Miao Lien, and to celebrate the inauguration of the Lingyen Mountain Temple in Australia. It is compiled from the “Getting to Know Venerable Master Miao Lien” chapter of the Lingyen Mountain Temple ( LYMT ) publication, Unravelling Perplexities, and selections of the Venerable Master’s lectures on establishing forest monasteries and prolonging the Buddha’s lineage. With his boundless compassion, the Venerable Master lights our way in the darkest hours, and steers the vessel of compassion in the sea of suffering. In an age of Dharma ending and heresies, the Venerable Master relentlessly promotes orthodox Pure Land teachings, guiding sentient beings to grasp their
only means to liberation through chanting the Buddha’s name. He made his profound Forty-ninth Vow to protect sentient beings through infinite kalpas and transport them to the blissful land of Amitabha Buddha. He is our great teacher who will lead all sentient beings toward emancipation. It is our hope that all who have the opportunity to read this book may embrace the Venerable Master’s compassionate teachings and aspire to be reborn in the Western Pure Land. Together, we can plant our seeds in the Land of Ultimate Bliss.
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妙 蓮老和尚第四十九大願
老和尚為成就佛道、廣度眾生，悲心弘願 等如諸佛菩薩。其以阿彌陀佛四十八願為 基礎，更加發了第四十九願：
凡見過我的面，聽過我的法， 乃至聞過我名號的人， 我都要度他同生西方極樂世界； 如果他此生不能生西方， 我必定再來化度，直到他生西為止﹗
The Forty-ninth Great Vow of the Venerable Master Miao Lien As our Venerable Master strove to realize Buddhahood and guide infinite sentient beings to transcendence, his compassion and vows were one with those of the Buddhas and the Bodhisattvas. With Amitabha Buddha's forty-eight vows as his foundation, the Venerable Master made a forty-ninth vow:
I will help all sentient beings that have seen me or heard my sermons, or even just my name, to transcend to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss; for those who do not transcend in this life, I will continue my mission in future lives until all transcend.
諸位，我雖然凡眼沒有看到你們， 但我心鏡之眼不但看到你們， 連法界所有眾生都在我眼內。 凡見過我的面、聞過我的名， 乃至從我有生以來所見一切的人， 我都時時在念著他們、看著他們； 因為我有四十九大願啊！ 總是希望大家都能與老和尚同生西方！
Everyone, even though I cannot see you with my own naked eyes, through my spiritual eyes, not only can I see you, but all sentient beings in the Dharma Realm are also within my sight. I am always thinking of the people I have encountered in my lifetime. I constantly watch over them, as well as those who have seen me or heard my name. Because I have made forty-nine vows! I always wish that we can all be reborn in the Western Pure Land together!
Table of Contents 我們的導師 / 1 Our Teacher — the Venerable Master Miao Lien
認識老和尚 /25 Getting to Know Venerable Master Miao Lien
老和尚心 / 28 Venerable Master Miao Lien's Heart
創建道場 / 59 Building Monasteries
度人出家 / 77 Converting People to Monastic Life
恩師臨圓寂前開示法語 /95 Dharma Teachings from the Venerable Master Preceding his Passing
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我們的導師─ 妙 蓮老和尚 Our Teacher - the Venerable Master Miao Lien
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我們的導師 －－ 妙 蓮老和尚
老和尚，安徽巢縣人，九歲(1930年)童真入道 ，二十歲(1941年)於南京大寶華山隆昌寺受具 足戒。受戒後即前往印光祖師的道場–蘇州靈 巖山寺參學，接受正規叢林訓練。1949年，老 和尚二十八歲，為了弘化而至香港。慨生命之 苦短無常，慚愧道業未成，生死難了，又感福 慧不足，度生艱難，乃先後於大嶼山及青山閉 關潛修，達二十年之久。
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Our Teacher — the Venerable Master Miao Lien
Venerable Master Miao Lien was born in 1922 in Anhui Province, China. He entered monkhood at the age of nine and was ordained at the Long Chang Temple on Bao Hua Mountain in Nanjing at the age of twenty. After ordination, he went to the Lingyen Mountain Temple in Suzhou to receive orthodox monastic training as it had been introduced to that temple by the Patriarch Yin Kuang. In 1949, the Venerable Master went to Hong Kong to propagate the Dharma. While there, he reflected upon the impermanent and distressing nature of life and felt ashamed that he had not yet accomplished the goals of his cultivation. He sensed in himself a lack of blessings and wisdom which limited his ability to help relieve the suffering
of sentient beings. Consequently, he retreated to the Lantau Island and Castle Peak and remained in seclusion for twenty years.
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我們的導師 －－ 妙 蓮老和尚
掩關期間，除閱藏念佛，並虔修「般舟三昧」 二十次，每次九十天，不坐、不臥，日中一食 ，晝夜惟經行及禮佛，無有間斷，誓證念佛三 昧。老和尚長年閉關修持，日夜解行精進，終 於奠定一代宗師的偉大器識與崇高學養。二十 次般舟三昧，苦行超絕，更是廣受教界尊崇與 讚仰。
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Our Teacher — the Venerable Master Miao Lien
There, while studying the great Buddhist canon and reciting the holy name of Amitabha Buddha, he vowed to realize Buddha-recitation Samadhi, and worked towards that by completing twenty sessions of Pratyutpanna-Samadhi, a discipline in which the practitioner forgoes sleep, eats only one meal a day and is on his feet at all times, engaged in either walking meditation or prostrations for a duration of ninety days. Exerting these rigors without stopping, he laid the foundations for the great magnanimity, the profound wisdom and the noble character that he embodied as the Great Master of our generation. The Venerable Master's accomplishment of twenty sessions of Pratyutpanna-Samadhi demonstrated extraordinary asceticism and earned him the reverence and acclaim of Buddhists worldwide.
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我們的導師 －－ 妙 蓮老和尚
老和尚為倡印《大智度論》，分別於1975年及 1979年來到臺灣，於1981年留臺定居，常應南 北各地道場之請，主禮佛七，弘宣妙法。弘化 期間，老和尚深切體認：時值末法，僧伽命脈 凋零，佛法難以弘宣，出家人苦無大道場參學 ，遂改變原繼續閉關之念，發願創建大道場， 勸人念佛，度人出家。
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Our Teacher — the Venerable Master Miao Lien
The Venerable Master went to Taiwan in 1975 and 1979 to oversee the publication of the MahaprajnaParamita Sastra. He decided to settle there in 1981, and traveled frequently throughout Taiwan to conduct chanting retreats and lecture on the Dharma. While energetically propagating the Dharma himself, our Venerable Master became deeply aware that during this Dharma-Ending Age the Sangha lineage was withering away and the Dharma was becoming more and more difficult to disseminate. He saw that there were fewer and fewer Monks and Nuns available to propagate the Dharma because there were few forest monasteries where they could study and practice. He therefore changed his original plan of further seclusion and instead vowed to establish large-scale monasteries so that more people could learn to chant Buddha's name, and more guidance would be available for suitable individuals to become monastic disciples.
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我們的導師 －－ 妙 蓮老和尚
1986年，在眾善信大德護持下，於南投埔里鎮 創建了臺灣靈巖山寺。老和尚希望以昔日大陸 蘇州靈巖山寺叢林為模範，建立一個清淨莊嚴 、培育僧才、度眾共修，沿襲古德宗風，承續 印祖法脈的十方大叢林。使昔日大陸佛教重現 於寶島臺灣，將臺灣寶島轉成佛國，再發揚光 大於世界，轉世界為佛剎。
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Our Teacher — the Venerable Master Miao Lien
In 1986, with assistance and support from many devotees, the Taiwan Lingyen Mountain Temple was established in Nantou, Puli. The Venerable Master wanted to build a monastery following the example of Suzhou Lingyen Mountain Temple in China—a solemn, spiritually inspiring and truly majestic forest monastery, dedicated to training the Sangha and delivering sentient beings from suffering. He struggled to bring traditional Chinese Buddhism to Taiwan, so that this precious island could be transformed into a Buddhist country and lead the way to turn the whole world into a Pure Land.
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我們的導師 －－ 妙 蓮老和尚
自開山來，長年每月舉辦佛七法會，每年傳授 戒法、萬人朝山等大法會，已成為十方信眾朝 拜的聖地。老和尚亦常應邀至海內外各地弘宣 正法，開山來，正式對住眾、信眾之開示就多 達五千多場，法化遍及全臺、美國、加拿大、 澳洲、中國、日本、及東南亞各地。老和尚悲 心無盡，行願深廣，感動臺灣及海外佛子，紛 紛誠心祈請興建道場，積極發心捐地建寺。
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Our Teacher — the Venerable Master Miao Lien
Ever since its establishment, Lingyen Mountain Temple has held monthly Buddha-recitation Retreats, annual Precept-transmission Ceremonies, and large scale Dharma events such as The Pilgrimage of Thousands. It has become a sacred site for pilgrims from all over the world. The Venerable Master was invited to travel far and wide, both at home and abroad to propagate the Dharma. After the Temple's inauguration, he gave over 5,000 lectures to both monastic and lay disciples. His footsteps have covered Taiwan, the United States, Canada, Australia, mainland China, Japan, and many parts of South-east Asia. The Venerable Master's boundless compassion, his profound and all-encompassing practice and his vows have touched the hearts of followers so deeply that they have enthusiastically donated land and labor for the construction of temples not only in Taiwan, but in other countries throughout the world as well.
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我們的導師 －－ 妙 蓮老和尚
加拿大靈巖山寺於1994年舉行動土典禮，1999 年9月正式落成啟用。1999年美國加州靈巖山 寺也同時開始度生事業；2004年澳洲靈巖山寺 雪梨文化中心成立。海內外弟子團結一心，共 助道場成就，普化眾生共修念佛，功德難量。
加拿大靈巖山寺 Lingyen Mountain Temple(Canada)
12 美國靈巖山寺 Lingyen Mountain Temple(California)
Our Teacher — the Venerable Master Miao Lien
The Canada Lingyen Mountain Temple's groundbreaking ceremony took place in 1994, and the Temple was officially inaugurated in September of 1999. In that same year, the Lingyen Mountain Temple in California also began its Dhar ma mission. The Australia Lingyen Mountain Temple soon followed in 2004. These endeavors are made possible by followers uniting their efforts for the common goal of guiding sentient beings to recite the Buddha's name; the merits and virtues yielded are limitless!
澳洲靈巖山寺拜懺共修 Practitioners are participating in Repentance Service at Lingyen Mountain Temple(Australia)
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我們的導師 －－ 妙 蓮老和尚
1999年的臺灣九二一大地震，震毀了靈巖大慈 航！當時老和尚以七十八歲的高齡，面對慘烈 之災變，在至深至鉅的痛苦下，還是以無量的 悲心泣勉弟子們精進。為了千千萬萬人未度， 誓赴湯蹈火重建靈巖。老和尚殷勤囑付弟子們 「有道場才能成就僧寶自修用功，才能化導無 量眾生同修淨業」，所以靈巖山寺海內外各地 道場都要積極地同時建設，期能化五大洲為淨 土，十方眾生離苦得樂，共成佛道。
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Our Teacher — the Venerable Master Miao Lien
Heartbreakingly, the earthquake in Taiwan in 1999 crushed the Lingyen vessel of compassion. The Venerable Master, even at the advanced age of seventyeight, endured the heart-wrenching pain as he faced the horrific aftermath of that disaster. Yet, amidst the pain and tears, the Master with his inconceivable compassion continued to exhort his disciples to cultivate diligently, and vowed to reconstruct the Lingyen vessel regardless of how difficult the task would be. Multitudes of beings have yet to be rescued, so he tirelessly motivated his followers: "Only monasteries can provide the Sangha with places of cultivation and the means to guide infinite beings to follow the Buddhist way, so all branches of the Lingyen Mountain Temple must continue with their construction!" It was the Master's wish to transform this world into a Pure Land where sentient beings could escape from their suffering and attain Buddhahood.
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我們的導師 －－ 妙 蓮老和尚
老和尚戒德莊嚴，佛學精湛，日常生活樸實自 在，律己甚嚴，精進不懈！因不忍眾生苦，所 以勸人念佛；不忍聖教衰，所以度人出家。畢 生致力於弘揚淨土念佛法門，並為延續佛教僧 伽慧命而努力。悲心普度，法弘中外，實乃開 啟眾生菩提心門之大善知識，接引眾生離苦得 樂之大導師。
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Our Teacher — the Venerable Master Miao Lien
The Venerable Master represented purity and virtue, had a profound knowledge of Buddhism, and lived his life in the most simple and disciplined manner. He could not stand to see sentient beings suffer, and so he spent his life exhorting people to chant the Buddha's name. He could not bear the thought of the holy teachings decaying, so he led many people to forsake material life and dedicate themselves to monastic practice. He devoted his entire life to the propagation of Pure Land teachings, and exerted every ounce of his energy to build up and continue the Sangha lineage. His compassion was universally pervasive, and he spread the Dharma widely: he was truly a wise mentor who opened the Bodhi minds of all he touched; a great teacher who guided many towards the elimination of their suffering and to the attainment of true happiness.
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我們的導師 －－ 妙 蓮老和尚
惟願大眾同發無上菩提心，秉承老和尚的精神 、願力，成就化度法界眾生之神聖大業，俾十 方叢林早日遍佈塵剎，使佛法久住世間，中外 人士同登彼岸，早日圓成佛果菩提，庶不負老 和尚建寺之初衷，度生之悲願也。 May we all bring forth the Bodhi mind and carry on our Venerable Master's spirit and his vows! Only by working towards establishing forest monasteries in every corner of space, by ensuring the continuance of Buddhadharma, and by helping all sentient beings to transcend suffering and ultimately achieve Buddhahood will we be observing the compassionate vows of our Venerable Master, and continuing his legacy.
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Our Teacher — the Venerable Master Miao Lien 上
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妙 蓮老和尚於2008年6月25日，示寂於臺灣 南投埔里靈巖山寺。至心祈願老和尚早日乘願 再來，廣度眾生，圓滿菩提！
On June 25, 2008, our Teacher the Venerable Master Miao Lien entered Nirvana at the Lingyen Mountain Temple in Nantou, Taiwan. We pray that our Venerable Master will soon return to the Saha World in accordance with his vows to save infinite sentient beings and perfect the Bodhi!
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我們的導師 －－ 妙 蓮老和尚
我現在來向西方三聖請假， 也向諸位說： 我們暫時都不要再見面！ 你們好好用功， 就是時時刻刻同老和尚見面； 你不用功還有煩惱， 老和尚心裡也不會安啦！ 我希望你們有煩惱嚥下去， 嚥下煩惱即是菩提。
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Our Teacher — the Venerable Master Miao Lien
I am now requesting leave from the Three Sages of the Western Pure Land and also want to say to everyone: We will not see each other for a while! However, if you practice diligently, you will constantly be with me. If you are not diligent and let vexations overcome you, my heart will not be at ease. I wish you would all forbear your vexations, because by doing so, you can turn your vexations into Bodhi. 21
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我們的導師 －－ 妙 蓮老和尚
你們安心念佛， 到時候阿彌陀佛來接引， 我也跟隨來接引！ 你們一定要求生西方， 不生西方， 我到時候要是看不到你們， 我就要回來找，要把你們接回！ 聽明白了吧？
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Our Teacher — the Venerable Master Miao Lien
If you recite the Buddha’s name with a calm mind, when the time comes, Amitabha Buddha will come to escort you to the Western Pure Land, and I will come with him to welcome you. You must strive to transcend to the Pure Land. If you fail to do so and I do not see you there at that time, I will have to come back to look for you and bring you back home. Do you understand? 23
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我們的導師 －－ 妙 蓮老和尚
你們好好把老和尚開示 深刻的融入心坎裡去， 每天多背老和尚開示， 依著開示真正去學好、做到。 這樣我其實還是同你們在一起， 沒有離開你們！
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If all of you can deeply integrate my teachings into your minds, spending more time memorizing them every day, earnestly learning the teachings and putting them into practice, then I am actually still with you, and have never left you!
認識老和尚 Getting to Know Venerable Master Miao Lien
認識老和尚 上
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妙 蓮老和尚出生於1922年，九歲童真出家， 經歷中國動盪不安、戰亂災禍的年代，對娑婆 之苦深有體會。苦難淬礪後，發憤苦修、精進 道業而有所成就。益加悲憫眾生，心繫眾生， 如母憶子，大慈悲心等同佛菩薩，故以虛空之 心量，發廣大之悲願，要與阿彌陀佛、觀世音 菩薩爭，爭什麼呢？請大家靜心的恭閱。
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Getting to know Venerable Master Miao Lien
Venerable Master Miao Lien, born in 1922, took up monastic life at age nine. During a time of war, chaos, and calamity in China, he experienced, and gained a deep understanding of, the sufferings in the Saha World. Molded by this trying period, he resolved to practice diligently, and consequently made great achievements in learning the Dharma. He became even more compassionate and mindful of sentient beings, just like a mother who constantly holds her children at heart. His loving-kindness and compassion are as great as those of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. With a heart as big as the universe, he made great, compassionate vows to compete with Amitabha Buddha and Avalokitesvara (Guan Yin) Bodhisattva. What is he competing for? Read on to find out.
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認識老和尚
老和尚心 Venerable Master Miao Lien’s Heart 問：請問老和尚，您要和誰爭一口氣呢？ 答：我要和觀世音菩薩爭一口氣，觀世音菩薩 有三十二應身，我將來也要有三十二化身 、無處不應；觀世音菩薩大慈大悲、救一 切苦難，我也要大慈大悲、救一切苦難。 阿彌陀佛發四 十八願，我更 要發四十九願 ，攝受一切眾 生到我的佛國 土。做父親的 總希望兒子勝 過他嘛！彌陀 慈父也希望我 好過他呀！ 28
Getting to know Venerable Master Miao Lien
QďźšVenerable Master, who do you want to compete against?
AďźšI want to compete against Guan Yin Bodhisattva. Guan Yin Bodhisattva can manifest thirty-two transformations; in the future, I would also like to have the same ability and be able to respond to calls everywhere. Guan Yin Bodhisattva has great mercy and compassion, and saves all from suffering; likewise, I would like to have the same great mercy and compassion to save all from suffering. Amitabha Buddha made forty-eight vows. Taking one step further, I made forty-nine vows, embracing all sentient beings and welcoming them to my Buddha Land. Fathers naturally wish that their children achieve more than them! I believe that our compassionate father, Amitabha, also wishes that I surpass him!
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認識老和尚
問：老和尚！阿彌陀佛最歡喜您發什麼願？ 答：阿彌陀佛發四十八大願，老和尚還多發了 一願，將來成就的國土當然比極樂世界還 要好，更能廣度眾生。彌陀是慈父，虎父 生虎子，做父親的多麼高興！大家要向佛 陀學，佛陀才會歡喜。
Q：Venerable Master, which one of your vows makes Amitabha Buddha the happiest?
A：Amitabha Buddha made forty-eight vows. Because I made one additional vow, the Buddha Land that I will create in the future will certainly be even better than the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, and it will be able to deliver more sentient beings. Amitabha is our compassionate father; how happy he must be to see his son take after him. We should all learn from the Buddha. This way, he will be delighted.
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Getting to know Venerable Master Miao Lien
問：老和尚！聽說您比阿彌陀佛的四十八大願 還多了一個大願，那是什麼大願呢？ 答：我的第四十九大願是：凡是見過我的面， 聽過我的法，乃至聞過我名號的人，我都 要度他同生西方極樂世界；如果他此生不 能生西方，我一定再來化度，直到他生西 為止。
Q：Venerable Master, I heard that you made one more vow than Amitabha Buddha’s forty-eight vows. What is that vow?
A：My forty-ninth vow is: “For those who have seen me, heard my Dharma teachings, or even just heard of my name, I will help them transcend to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. For those who do not reach the Western Pure Land in this lifetime, I will return and continue my mission until all have transcended.”
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認識老和尚
問：老和尚！您為什麼會發第四十九願？ 答：阿彌陀佛發了四十八大願，我之所以會發 第四十九願，是因為看了《彌陀經》的常 精進菩薩有無盡之大慈悲心，菩薩自利固 然是不休息，度他也是不休息；為了度一 個眾生，跟著到天上、地獄，經百千劫依 舊不捨，直至度脫為止。由這因緣的啟發 ，於是我就發了第四十九大願。
Q：Venerable Master, why did you make the forty-ninth vow?
A：Amitabha Buddha made forty-eight vows. I made
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the forty-ninth vow because I read that Bodhisattva Constant Diligence, mentioned in the Amitabha Sutra, has great, boundless compassion. The Bodhisattva works constantly not only for his own sake, but also for the sake of others’ transcendence. In order to help one being transcend, he follows the being to heaven and hell without fail for hundreds and thousands of kalpas until the being has transcended. I took inspiration from this Bodhisattva and made the forty-ninth vow.
Getting to know Venerable Master Miao Lien
問：請問老和尚，有沒有什麼事情是讓您放不 下的呢？ 答：你們來山上，我很歡喜，可是你們一下山 ，我就放不下了。希望你們還要來，更要 度無量的眾生來；眾生度盡，我的心才放 得下。
Q：Venerable Master, is there anything that causes you concern?
A：I am very joyful when you come to the temple, but concerned when you leave. I hope that you will visit again and bring innumerable sentient beings with you. When all sentient beings have transcended, I will be free from worries.
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認識老和尚
問：老和尚！您為什麼要學「長舌婦」呢？ 答：我要說的話太多了，即使說得口乾舌燥， 仍然要說；就算遍身毛孔都是口也難以道 盡啊！就算你們嫌我囉嗦，我還是要說。 我要說！我要說到你們能依教奉行才停止 ，我要說到阿彌陀佛來接引你們才罷休！
Q： Venerable Master, why do you want to be a loquacious person?
A：I have too many things to say, and I must continue to speak even if my mouth has run dry. I would not be able to finish all I had to say even if all the pores on my body were to become mouths. Even if you complain that I am too verbose, I still have to speak. I will continue to do so until all of you can practice according to the Dharma teachings. I will stop talking only when Amitabha Buddha comes to lead you to the Western Pure Land.
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Getting to know Venerable Master Miao Lien
我有好多話要說， 希望全身是口能通通說出來， 也希望你們全身都是耳朵 能聽老和尚這樣說， 說個百千萬劫， 說到你們覺悟而真正放下。 I have so much to say; I wish that my body were full of mouths so that I could vocalize all my thoughts. Thus, I wish that your bodies were full of ears so that you could listen to all my words. I want to speak for tens of thousands of kalpas, until you are all awakened and can truly let go.
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認識老和尚
問：老和尚！您苦不苦呢？ 答：告訴你們！比你們還要苦。你們看我拖著 這個老身子，現在還要同諸位講話。不過 我說苦，你們不要代我擔心喔！這苦我甘 願受、歡喜接受，我以這個苦為快樂。老 和尚說感覺苦，一看到你們回山來打佛七 ，我什麼苦也沒有了！非常之快樂！只要 你們來，我就快樂。你們不來，這念佛堂 空著怎麼辦？那太對不起發心建念佛堂的 人了。
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Getting to know Venerable Master Miao Lien
QďźšVenerable Master, do you experience suffering? AďźšLet me tell you; I suffer even more than you do. Look at me; I am lugging around these old bones and still preaching to you. However, do not worry about me! This suffering is something that I am both willing and happy to bear. I bear it joyously! When I see you participate in a seven-day retreat, my sufferings disappear, and I am content! As long as you come, I am happy indeed. If you do not come, what will I do with this empty Recitation Hall? The compassionate followers who built this Hall would be disappointed as well.
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認識老和尚
問：老和尚！您生了病，為什麼還要說法？ 答：我最近嚴重感冒，頭昏昏的，腳也站不穩 ，當然說法沒辦法說得好，但我還是要說 ，這叫「帶病行醫」。我不忍眾生苦、不 忍聖教衰嘛！病是苦，但菩薩道不修、法 不說，我更加苦！
Q：Venerable Master, you are battling illness; why do you still continue to spread the Dharma?
A：I recently came down with a serious bout of the flu, which made me feel dizzy. The illness hindered my ability to speak the Dharma well; however, I must continue my work in the spirit of “curing the illness of others while being ill myself.” I cannot stand seeing sentient beings suffer and Buddhism undergo decline! Illness is suffering, but if I do not cultivate the Bodhisattva Way, I will suffer even more.
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Getting to know Venerable Master Miao Lien
問：老和尚！您說法最感到苦的是什麼呢？ 答：這個世界苦難多，老和尚代佛陀轉法輪， 就是要令眾生離苦得安樂，但是有人偏偏 就聽不了。唉！老和尚越講越苦；倒不是 說得辛苦，是大家不能聽我的話，我就感 到好苦。
Q：Venerable Master, what is the biggest hardship you encounter when you speak the Dharma?
A：This world is full of sufferings. I turn the Dharma Wheel on behalf of the Buddha for the purpose of leading sentient beings away from suffering and towards inner peace and happiness. However, some refuse to accept my Dharma teachings! What a pity! The more I speak, the more hardship I encounter. Yet, I encounter hardship not because of the speaking, but because of people’s unwillingness or inability to follow the teachings. This is my biggest hardship.
39
認識老和尚
問：老和尚！為什麼您越忙越開心？ 答：老和尚忙著建道場度眾生，越忙得辛苦， 眾生度得越多；將來生西方的人越多，我 的蓮品就越高，所以老和尚越忙越開心。
Q：Venerable Master, why is it that the busier you are, the happier you are?
A：I am busy building monasteries to deliver sentient beings. The busier I am, the more people I can deliver. As more people enter the Western Pure Land in the future, I will attain a higher Lotus Grade. That is why the busier I am, the happier I am.
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Getting to know Venerable Master Miao Lien
問：老和尚！您最快樂的事是什麼呢？ 答：我的本願是要度全臺灣、全球，乃至所有 法界眾生都同生西方。所以，我想將來我 生西方時，阿彌陀佛一定來接我，跟我說 ：「妙蓮仁者，謝謝你！因為你的引導， 我的極樂世界多了很多菩薩，七寶池的蓮 花都快滿了！」那時是我最快樂的了！
Q：Venerable Master, what makes you the happiest? A：My fundamental vow is to deliver all sentient beings in Taiwan, the whole world, and also the Dharma Realm to the Western Pure Land. Therefore, when I go to the Western Pure Land in the future, I firmly believe that Amitabha Buddha will come to escort me and tell me, “Thank you, the honorable Miao Lien! Due to your guidance, there are many more Bodhisattvas in my Western Pure Land; the pools of the seven jewels are almost completely filled with lotus flowers.” That will be my happiest moment!
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認識老和尚
問：老和尚！您想到什麼地方遊歷呢？ 答：這娑婆世界有什麼好遊歷的？等我生到西 方極樂世界，有神足通，再遍遊十方法界 塵剎諸佛的道場，參禮諸佛、禮敬諸大菩 薩。到那時候，請大家浩浩蕩蕩地跟著老 和尚去！
Q：Venerable Master, where would you like to travel? A：In this Saha World, there is not a single place worth travelling to. I will wait until I have attained rebirth in the Western Pure Land and acquired the supernatural power to appear in any place at will. Then, I will travel to the monasteries of all Buddhas in the Dharma Realms of the Ten Directions, and pay homage to all Buddhas and great Bodhisattvas. At that time, everyone, please join me in my journey and we will travel together!
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Getting to know Venerable Master Miao Lien
問：老和尚！您的兩個大願是什麼呢？ 答：我有兩個主要的大願：一勸人念佛，二鼓 勵人出家。老和尚的勸人念佛，不是勸化 一國一世界的眾生而已，也不只是「願將 東土三千世界，盡種西方九品蓮」，老 和尚是要度盡虛空、遍法界一切眾生，皆 同往西方，共成佛道。
Q：Venerable Master, what are your two great vows? A：I have two main vows: The first is to encourage people to chant the Buddha’s name. The second is to encourage people to take on monastic life. My vow of encouraging people to chant the Buddha’s name is not limited to the sentient beings of one country or one world, nor is it just “planting the nine-grade lotuses of the Western Pure Land throughout the three thousand worlds.” I vow to deliver the sentient beings in the entire universe and in all Dharma Realms so that they can attain rebirth in the Western Pure Land and achieve Buddhahood.
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認識老和尚
問：老和尚！為什麼地藏菩薩也要感謝您呢？ 答：地藏菩薩發願：「地獄未空，誓不成佛」 。但菩薩從地獄救出眾生，眾生做壞事又 跑回去！所以我教人念佛求生西方，地獄 才會空，菩薩才有成佛之期。到了那時地 藏菩薩會說：「啊！妙蓮仁者！你把眾生 都度到西方，我地獄空了，謝謝你！」
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Getting to know Venerable Master Miao Lien
Q：Venerable Master, why does Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva also express his gratitude to you?
A：Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva made this vow: “As long as Hell is not empty, I vow not to attain Buddhahood.” But, although the Bodhisattva liberates sentient beings from Hell, they continue to perform bad deeds and subsequently return to Hell. For this reason, I teach people to chant the Buddha’s name to reach the Western Pure Land. This way, Hell will be emptied, and Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva can finally attain Buddhahood. When that time comes, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva will say, “Ah, the honorable Miao Lien! You have led all sentient beings to the Western Pure Land. Hell is now empty. Thank you!”
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認識老和尚
問：師父！請問您的招牌口頭禪是什麼呢？ 答：祝大家好，大家同生西方！
Q：Venerable Master, what is your motto? A：I wish you all well; may we all attain rebirth in the Western Pure Land!
問：老和尚！您可以給我一張去西方的保證書 嗎？ 答：你只要來靈巖山寺，老老實實的念佛持戒 、持戒念佛，老和尚就會帶你去西方。
Q：Venerable Master, can you guarantee that I will reach the Western Pure Land?
A：As long as you come to Lingyen Mountain Temple, earnestly chant the Buddha’s name, and uphold the precepts, I will lead you to the Western Pure Land.
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Getting to know Venerable Master Miao Lien
問：老和尚！您最大的本事是什麼呢？ 答：安愚守分、不怕苦，就是我最大的本事。 不過我怕世間之苦、怕輪迴六道之苦；出 世間之苦我不怕，還找著吃，吃得好歡喜 ！諸佛以苦為師，不吃苦怎能消業障增福 慧？又怎能成佛道？
Q：Venerable Master, what are your greatest abilities? A：My greatest abilities are being humble, content, and disciplined, and not being afraid of hardship. However, I am afraid of the hardship in the secular world and in the Six Paths of Transmigration. I will happily seek out and take on the hardship that will enable me to break free from the secular world. All Buddhas treat hardship as a way to learn. Without enduring hardship, how can you eradicate your karmic hindrances, enhance your blessings and wisdom, and attain Buddhahood?
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認識老和尚
老和尚常這樣希望你們、加持你們， 希望你們安愚守分、勉力精進！ 不精進消不了業障， 不安愚守分，狂妄心歇不了， 我這是真情實義的話。
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Getting to know Venerable Master Miao Lien
Your master often has this wish for you all, to support you: I hope that you are not too smart, stick to your duties and exert yourselves vigorously! If you don’t make a great effort, you won’t be able to eradicate karmic hindrances. If you are too smart and don’t do your duties, you won’t be able to suppress your wild and arrogant mind. That is what I truly want to say, from the bottom of my heart. 49
認識老和尚
問：老和尚！您對弟子最基本的期望是什麼？ 答：有智慧的父母並不希望兒女做官發財，只 要不危害社會就好！老和尚希望你們做安 分守己的佛弟子，將來同生西方就好了。
Q：Venerable Master, what are your fundamental expectations of your disciples?
A：Wise parents do not necessarily wish that their children become rich and famous. Rather, their only wish is that their children do not inflict any harm on society. I hope that you abide by the laws and perform your duties as Buddhists so that you will all enter the Western Pure Land in the future.
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Getting to know Venerable Master Miao Lien
問：老和尚！您為什麼也有恨呢？ 答：我恨無量諸佛早已成佛，我還是苦惱凡夫 。現在覺悟了，決定不再做人間事，要做 超人間成佛的事，此生決定要生西方！
Q：Venerable Master, why do you still have hatred? A：I hate that I am still a much afflicted secular being while an infinite number of Buddhas have already attained Buddhahood. Now that I have awakened, I am determined to never return to the secular path; I shall tread the path that surpasses the secular world and enables me to attain Buddhahood. I am determined to attain rebirth in the Western Pure Land in this lifetime.
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認識老和尚
問：老和尚！您怎麼也有貪心、瞋心呢？ 答：世俗人不能貪，老和尚可越貪越好，貪什 麼？貪廣度眾生；越貪，福慧才早圓滿。 你們若貪心去不了，就像老和尚這樣貪好 了。老和尚有沒有瞋心？告訴你：有！我 恨你們都不成佛！
Q：Venerable Master, why do you still possess greed and anger?
A：People of the secular world should not be motivated by greed; as for me, the greedier I am, the better it is. Why is that? It is because what I yearn for is the deliverance of all sentient beings. Therefore, the more I yearn, the sooner I will perfect my blessings and wisdom. If you cannot eradicate your greed, then make sure that it is for the same goal as mine. Do I have anger? Yes, I do! I am angry that all of you have not attained Buddhahood yet!
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Getting to know Venerable Master Miao Lien
問：老和尚！您最希望佛弟子做什麼事呢？ 答：沒有佛法的地方，就好像沒有天日，苦海 無慈航、黑暗無明燈。老和尚希望你們將 來是苦海的慈航、人間的明燈，你們的責 任是在此。如果不達到這個目的，辜負我 老和尚的心啊！
Q：Venerable Master, what do you most want to see Buddhists do?
A： A world without the Buddhadharma is like a world without daylight. It is like floating in the sea of suffering without the vessel of compassion, or being in darkness without any guiding light. I hope that in the future, you will all become the vessel of compassion in the sea of suffering, and the guiding light in the secular world. This is where your responsibilities lie. If you do not achieve these goals, all my efforts will be in vain!
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認識老和尚
問：老和尚！您怎麼幫人換心？ 答：只要你到靈巖山寺來念佛，老和尚就幫你 換心–將凡夫貪瞋癡三毒的心，換成佛陀 大慈悲覺悟之心，這樣才可以成佛道。
Q：Venerable Master, how do you help others transform their minds?
A：As long as you come to Lingyen Mountain Temple ( LYMT ) to recite the Buddha’s name, I will help you transform your mind－from a secular mind, which is filled with the Three Poisons ( greed, a n g e r, i g n o r a n c e ) , t o t h e e n l i g h t e n e d , compassionate mind of a Buddha. Only in this way will you be able to attain Buddhahood.
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Getting to know Venerable Master Miao Lien
問：老和尚！我們怎樣才能真正滿您的願？ 答：你們不成佛，我的願永遠不會滿。請趕快 步上佛道啊！所以我不但求觀世音菩薩加 被諸位，還要求諸位不要辜負自己，好好 念佛生西方，到西方與諸上善人在一起修 學，就能早成佛。
Q：Venerable Master, how can we truly fulfill your wishes?
A：If you all do not attain Buddhahood, then my wishes will never be fulfilled. Please quickly get on the path to Buddhahood! I pray not only for Guan Yin Bodhisattva to bless and protect all of you, but also for you to not let yourselves down. Chanting the Buddha’s name to reach the Western Pure Land and cultivating alongside the virtuous people there will help you attain Buddhahood sooner.
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認識老和尚
問：老和尚！您為什麼一再地積極勸人吃素？ 答：大家都知道，老和尚一有因緣總是勸人念 佛，若遇善根深厚者，就度化他們出家。 然而實際上，還有令老和尚念念不忘的， 就是希望全世界的人都要吃素才好！我教 人要吃素，固然是憐憫被宰殺的眾生，實 在是憐憫那吃的人啊！因為你吃了牠，現 在雖然快樂，但等到將來受報你就痛苦了 。所以為了挽救眾生將來的苦報，我一再 積極地勸人吃素。
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Getting to know Venerable Master Miao Lien
QďźšVenerable Master, why do you continue to actively encourage people to become vegetarians?
AEverybody knows that whenever I have the chance, I always encourage people to chant the Buddha’s name. If I meet people with profound virtues, I urge them to enter monastic life. However, one thing that is always on my mind is the wish that everyone in this world would become a vegetarian! Out of compassion for those being slaughtered, I teach people to become vegetarians; however, in reality, my actions stem from my compassion for those who eat meat! Although, in the present, you are happy when you feast on meat, you will endure suffering when you receive your retribution in the future. Therefore, to save people from receiving karmic retribution in the future, I actively encourage them to become vegetarians.
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認識老和尚
問：老和尚！您流的汗為什麼不會臭呢？ 答：因為我吃素六十九年了，不但血肉是素， 連骨頭都是素的，流的汗當然不會臭。如 果你們能長期吃素，流汗也不會臭啊！
Q：Venerable Master, why do you not have body odor when you sweat?
A：It is because I have been a vegetarian for sixty-nine years. Not only are my blood and flesh pure, but so are my bones. Thus, my sweat is not odorous. If you follow a vegetarian diet over a long period of time, you will also not have body odor when you sweat!
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Getting to know Venerable Master Miao Lien
創建道場 Building Monasteries 問：老和尚！您創建靈巖道場的主要目的是什 麼？ 答：我在臺灣創建靈巖山寺，最主要是希望度 有為的青年來出家，將來能住持佛法、續 佛慧命；把如來度眾生的家業荷擔起來， 將古祖所立的芳規傳承下去、發揚光大。
Q：Venerable Master, what is your main purpose in building Lingyen Mountain Temple?
A：My main purpose in building Lingyen Mountain Temple in Taiwan is to help promising youngsters to join the monastic order so that they can uphold the Buddhadharma and continue the Buddha lineage. Furthermore, it is to allow them to inherit the Buddha’s mission of delivering sentient beings, to pass down the righteous traditional discipline of past patriarchs, and to spread it far and wide.
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認識老和尚
問：老和尚！您如何報佛恩呢? 答：古人說：「若不說法度眾生，畢竟無能報 佛恩。」在我老和尚現在怎麼說呢？「若 不建寺度眾生，畢竟無能報佛恩。」如果 我不創建靈巖山寺，就不能成就人家來念 佛、來出家。不出家怎麼能解脫塵勞？三 世諸佛都是要出家，就是證個羅漢果也要 出家。出了家要造就他成為住持佛法的人 才，這都要靠道場。
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Getting to know Venerable Master Miao Lien
Q：Venerable Master, how do you repay the Buddha’s benevolence?
A：There is an old saying: “If you do not propagate the Dharma to deliver sentient beings, then you cannot repay the Buddha’s benevolence.” In the present, I would put it this way: “If I do not build temples to deliver sentient beings, then I cannot repay the Buddha’s benevolence.” If I had not founded Lingyen Mountain Temple, then I could not have facilitated those wishing to practice Buddhism or to become monks. Without leading a monastic life, how would they be able to free themselves from worldly afflictions? All Buddhas of the past, present and future must renounce family life. It is the same even for attaining Arhathood. Once an individual has renounced family life, we must foster him or her into a guardian of the Buddhadharma. We need monasteries to accomplish this goal.
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認識老和尚
問：老和尚！為什麼您要建大寺院？ 答：本來，我根本沒想過要出來開山建道場， 只一心想老實念佛求生西方，而後發願往 十方世界去度無量無邊的眾生。但為因緣 所牽，我也只好隨緣而住。我希望以昔日 大陸蘇州靈巖山寺大叢林為藍本，建立一 個道場廣大，僧才眾多，沿襲古德宗風， 承續印祖法脈的道場。
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Getting to know Venerable Master Miao Lien
Q：Venerable Master, why do you want to build big temples?
A：Initially, I never thought of coming out of my seclusion to build temples. I just wanted to diligently chant the Buddha’s name and seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land, after which I would dedicate myself to delivering the countless sentient beings in the worlds of all Ten Directions. However, various causes and conditions came together and opened a path, which I followed. Using the original Lingyen Mountain Temple in Suzhou, China, as a blueprint, I wanted to build a large monastery that would follow the traditional monastic disciplines, have many monastic practitioners, and continue the Dharma lineage of Patriarch Yin Kuang.
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認識老和尚
問：請問老和尚，什麼是叢林？ 答：眾草為「叢」，眾木為「林」，大山上有 千百棵樹才叫做林。叢林就表示這一個大 寺院最低限度都有數百僧、千僧。一個大 寺院就是所謂的選佛場，出家人千人萬人 在裡頭一起薰修，才能造就出人才。
Q：Venerable Master, may I ask what a “forest monastery” is?
A：A field of grass is a meadow; a group of trees is a forest. There must be hundreds or thousands of trees before we would refer to them collectively as a forest. Likewise, a forest monastery is a large monastery with at least hundreds, or even thousands of monastic practitioners. A forest monastery is also considered a venue for selecting Buddhas, because it is when there are thousands or tens of thousands of monastic practitioners cultivating together that real talents emerge.
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Getting to know Venerable Master Miao Lien
問：老和尚！您為什麼要造叢林？ 答：說到為什麼要造叢林，那就等於我們國家 為什麼要有高等學府、三軍為什麼要有他 們自己的學校來造就幹部人才。要想造就 僧才化導無量眾生，決定要有叢林道場； 佛教的叢林道場就好比國家的高等學府、 三軍學校一樣，有它重大的意義。
Q：Venerable Master, why do you want to build forest monasteries?
A：It is for the same reasons that a country needs to have institutes of higher education, and that the military has its own schools to train its future leaders and foster their talents. In order to produce talented members of the Sangha to deliver countless sentient beings, we have to build forest monasteries. A Buddhist forest monastery, like a university or a military school, has great importance.
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認識老和尚
問：老和尚！您建這麼大的寺院做什麼呢？建 這麼大有沒有人來住？ 答：其實建好沒多久就不夠住了。現在佛教是 到了末法時期，但我們要扭轉乾坤，把末 法轉為正法。我們要藉著種種因緣來使佛 教起死回生，那就一定要建大寺院，大寺 院才能容受百千僧眾來修行，眾僧團結就 是力量。
Q：Venerable Master, why did you build such a large temple? Does anyone actually come to stay here?
A：Yes! In fact, it ran out of space soon after it was built. Although we are in the Dharma-Ending Age, we have to reverse the cycle and turn it into the Proper Dharma Age. We must do what we can to revive Buddhism; to do that, we must build large monasteries. Only a large monastery can accommodate hundreds and thousands of Sangha members; and when members of the Sangha work together, there is strength. 66
Getting to know Venerable Master Miao Lien
問：老和尚！建道場這麼辛苦，您為什麼還要 創建靈巖山寺呢？ 答：創建道場，雖然我個人受點辛苦，也耽誤 了我自己的修持；但反想起來，能令千萬 人得福報、得解脫，這又何樂而不為呢？
Q：Venerable Master, building monasteries brings much hardship; why did you still want to establish Lingyen Mountain Temple?
A：I have endured some hardship and also delayed my practices as a result of establishing monasteries. But, looking at the other side, if doing this can enable millions of people to receive blessings and be liberated from suffering, why would I not do it?
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認識老和尚
問：老和尚！您將靈巖山寺建得這麼莊嚴，好 了不起啊！ 答：靈巖山寺能建得這麼好，是諸善信們看在 三寶的功德面子上，共同發心擁護才成就 的，並不是我老和尚自己有什麼了不起； 我只是守護這個靈巖山寺，保持它清潔整 齊，令眾生來享受。你們要回來享受喔！
Q：Venerable Master, you have accomplished an amazing feat! You have established such a brilliant Lingyen Mountain Temple.
A：The reason why Lingyen Mountain Temple is so great is not because I am extraordinary, but because of the support from the disciples and followers, out of their respect for the virtues of the Three Treasures. I am only guarding the temple, maintaining its cleanliness and orderliness for the enjoyment of sentient beings. You should all come and enjoy it!
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Getting to know Venerable Master Miao Lien
問：老和尚！您在國內外有好幾處道場，您好 有錢喔！ 答：我本一介貧僧，哪來這麼多的錢做這麼大 的事呢？但我一切深信觀世音菩薩必定會 慈悲護念我的一片丹心，助我滿意之力， 度有福慧大護法來助我。果然是廣大靈感 ，先後有許多福德善根深厚的居士護法， 合力促成了現在的靈巖山寺。
Q： Venerable Master, given the number of large temples you have built locally and internationally, you must be a wealthy person!
A：I myself am just a poor monk, thus how can I have so much money to accomplish such a big task? In all my endeavors, I deeply trust that Guan Yin Bodhisattva will definitely look after my dedication with compassion, mobilizing blessed and wise supporters to assist me in fulfilling my vows. The Bodhisattva is indeed responsive; many blessed and virtuous lay followers came to my assistance, and together we built the present Lingyen Mountain Temple.
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認識老和尚
問：老和尚！靈巖山寺要不要辦佛學院？ 答：我們靈巖山寺不辦佛學院，靈巖山寺念佛 堂就是生西方的研究所啊！我們是讀博士 班。不管你老年、青年，初學佛、老修行 的，你即使是佛學博士，最後還是要念佛 ，不念佛不能生西方、生死不能了。有的 人以為要讀佛學院才學得到東西，在山上 學不到什麼。哪裡沒東西學？在山上想學 ，處處都是、隨時都有。
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Getting to know Venerable Master Miao Lien
Q：Venerable Master, will Lingyen Mountain Temple establish an educational institute for Buddhist studies?
A： No, we will not. Lingyen Mountain Temple’s Recitation Hall is already a research institute for attaining rebirth in the Western Pure Land, and we are all doctoral students. Whether you are old, young, a novice, or a senior practitioner, or even if you have a doctoral degree in Buddhism, ultimately, you still have to chant the Buddha’s name; otherwise, you cannot attain rebirth in the Western Pure Land and break free from the cycle of birth and death. Some people believe that they have to study Buddhism at an educational institute in order to gain something, and that there is nothing for them to learn here at Lingyen Mountain Temple. Isn’t that nonsense? So long as you have the will to learn, you can learn anywhere and anytime at the temple.
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認識老和尚
問：老和尚！靈巖山寺為什麼是大醫院也是大 慈航？ 答：因為靈巖山寺能醫治你邪知邪見、貪瞋癡 的心病，所以是大醫院。只要你好好持戒 念佛，也能送你到西方，所以是大慈航。 要好好保護這大醫院、大慈航，在這裡奉 獻力量利益千萬人。
Q： Venerable Master, why is Lingyen Mountain Temple ( LYMT ) like a great hospital and a great vessel of compassion?
A：LYMT is like a great hospital because it can cure your unwholesome knowledge and views, as well as the greed, anger and ignorance plaguing your mind. As long as you earnestly recite the name of the Buddha and uphold the precepts, LYMT can also take you to the Western Pure Land. For this reason, LYMT is like a great vessel of compassion. We must protect this great hospital and this great vessel of compassion by dedicating our time and 72
effort at LYMT to benefit millions of people.
Getting to know Venerable Master Miao Lien
問：老和尚！靈巖山寺為何是人間的極樂世界？ 答：西方極樂世界七寶行樹、八功德水、天樂 鳥鳴都在宣說法音。回到靈巖山寺，大家 在念佛堂念佛，到了齋堂還是念佛，四圍 環山也都播放念佛的梵音。這裡雖不是西 方極樂世界，但在娑婆世界，此處就是人 間的極樂世界，大家要多多發心帶人來！
Q：Venerable Master, why is LYMT the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss in this world?
A：In the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, there are rows of trees with seven treasures, and pools filled with water of the eight meritorious virtues. Heavenly music and the singing of birds all preach the Dharma. When you come to LYMT, everyone chants the name of the Buddha in the Recitation Hall and even in the Dining Hall. The pure sound of the chanting of the Buddha’s name is broadcast all around the temple. This temple is not the Western Pure Land; however, in the Saha World, it is the pure land within the secular world. Everyone should encourage more people to come here.
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認識老和尚
問：老和尚！您化度五大洲的理想可能會實現 嗎？ 答：我敢稟告十方諸佛：「我只有一個心：要 創建大叢林度眾生，尤其要在臺灣度兩百 萬人出家。」有兩百萬出家人，才能化度 臺灣成佛國，乃至化度五大洲。不要認為 這只是理想，理想是對的就要照著辦。若 還顧忌它成不成，那有什麼勇敢來做？
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Getting to know Venerable Master Miao Lien
Q：Venerable Master, do you think you can realize your dream of delivering all the people in the five continents?
A：I can declare to the Buddhas of the Ten Directions: “I have only one objective－to build big forest monasteries to deliver sentient beings. In particular, I want to convert two million people in Taiwan and bring them into the Sangha.” We need to have two million Sangha members in order to transform Taiwan into a Buddha Land, and eventually spread Buddhism to all five continents. Do not think that this is just a dream! If this dream leads us down the right path, we must work towards realizing it. If we keep worrying about whether we will succeed, how will we ever have the courage to strive for our goal?
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認識老和尚
問：老和尚！您常跟觀世音菩薩說什麼呢？ 答：我唯一依靠的大慈大悲觀世音菩薩！我發 大願要建大道場，要度人出家續佛慧命、 住持佛法、廣度眾生；不久的將來要在臺 灣度兩百萬僧伽，化臺灣寶島為佛國、五 大洲為淨土，求菩薩加被我畢竟成就！
Q：Venerable Master, what do you usually talk to Guan Yin Bodhisattva about?
A：Guan Yin, the Bodhisattva of great mercy and
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compassion—the only one on whom I can rely! I made a great vow to build many big monasteries and to convert people to monastic life, thereby continuing the Buddha lineage, upholding the Buddhadharma, and helping all sentient beings transcend. In the near future, I want to convert two million people in Taiwan, lead them into the Sangha, and transform Taiwan into a Buddha Land, and the five continents into Pure Lands. I pray that the Bodhisattva will give me the strength to reach my ultimate goal!
Getting to know Venerable Master Miao Lien
度人出家 Converting People to Monastic Life 問：老和尚！聽說您也「貪」，但不知道老和 尚您貪的是什麼？ 答：老和尚也有好大的貪心–要度兩百萬出家 人！我就是要「貪」，希望你們都同老和 尚一樣貪，不要貪世間法，要貪出世法， 這樣佛果才會圓滿。
Q：Venerable Master, I heard that you are also “greedy”; what do you crave for?
A：I, too, am very greedy; I want to convert two million people to monastic practitioners! I have to be “greedy” in this regard, and I hope that you are as greedy as I am. Crave not for the things in the secular world, but for things that are beyond. Only then will you be able to attain Buddhahood. 77
認識老和尚
問：老和尚！出家的功德有多大呢？ 答：「一子出家，九族超升」，你看這功德多 麼大！如果同釋迦佛一樣出家成道了，那 千萬人都能超升，何止九族？釋迦佛若不 出家，就沒有佛法遺留到現在，我們都會 醉生夢死，在社會上不知怎樣為兒為女在 忙！我要不是仗佛加被而出家，現在說不 定也有家庭有兒孫罣礙，但是我今出家， 我深信我能度化千萬人！
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Getting to know Venerable Master Miao Lien
Q：Venerable Master, how great are the merits of becoming a monk?
A：It is said, “When one becomes ordained, all of one’s immediate and extended family members will benefit.” This is how great the merits are! If you become a monk and achieve enlightenment like Shakyamuni Buddha did, the benefits are extended to not only your family members, but also to tens of millions of other people. If Shakyamuni Buddha had not become a monk, the Dharma would not have been passed down to us; we would all be lost in a life of ignorance and indulgence, and be preoccupied with taking care of our children. If I had not been blessed by the Buddha and had not become a monk, I might have had my own family by now and be entangled in family obligations. Since I have, indeed, become a monk, I deeply believe that I am able to deliver tens of millions of people!
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認識老和尚
問：老和尚！您是獨子，您的父母怎麼捨得您 出家呢？ 答：當我在童年想出家時，父母若不是大慈悲 ，有超人的福德、智慧，怎捨得我一個獨 子出家？我若不出家，今天又如何創建靈 巖山寺，與諸位在一起修佛道？如果當時 父母不許我出家，在家同普通人一樣，那 恐怕經中日戰爭等種種患難，也不知死多 少回了。就算不死，現在也成了老居士了 。老居士又怎樣？是究竟嗎？
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Getting to know Venerable Master Miao Lien
QďźšVenerable Master, you are an only son; why would your parents let you become a monk?
AďźšWhen I was a child, I wanted to become a monk. If my parents had not possessed great compassion, as well as extraordinary blessings, virtues and wisdom, how could they have allowed their only son to become a monk? If I had not become a monk, how could I have established Lingyen Mountain Temple, enabling me to cultivate the Buddhist Way with all of you? If my parents had not allowed me to become a monk, I would be just another ordinary person. I wonder how many times I could have died while going through difficult times such as the Sino-Japanese war. Even if I survived, I would just be an old lay practitioner now; would I achieve ultimate liberation?
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認識老和尚
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問：老和尚！您由中國弘化至香港，如何堅定 對佛法的信仰？ 答：民國三十八年（1949年），我由蘇州靈巖 山寺一路弘化到香港，那時的人命連螞蟻 都不如，古人形容戰亂的那種生活，所謂 「寧做太平犬，不做亂世人」；那時候真 是人心恐慌不已，當時我就是一個鐵打心 ：佛法在，我 在；佛法不在 ，我也在！縱 然惡魔把佛法 毀滅了，你把 我僧服脫了也 好，我的心穿 了如來的智慧 衣，這是你脫 不了的！你沒 辦法消滅我心 中對如來的信 仰–自修發願 度眾生。
Getting to know Venerable Master Miao Lien
Q：Venerable Master, you propagated the Dharma from China to Hong Kong. How did you reinforce your faith in Buddhism?
A：In 1949, I propagated the Dharma all the way from Lingyen Mountain Temple in Suzhou to Hong Kong. In those days, the life of humans was worse than that of ants. There is the old saying: “One would rather be a dog in peaceful times than a human during war.” During those days, everyone was in a panic, but I had a heart of steel. With or without the Buddhadharma, I was determined to be there. Even if evil destroys the Buddhadharma, and you take away my cassock, my heart will still wear the Buddha’s robe of wisdom; you cannot take it away! There is nothing you can do to extinguish my belief in the Buddha, or my selfcultivation and vows to deliver all sentient beings.
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認識老和尚
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問：老和尚！經歷種種戰亂，您怎麼還可以用 功修行呢？ 答：民國三十八年（1949年）戰亂時，本人正 是青年，二十八歲，高如泰山的心，總是 一心要學法師、要度眾生！但那時的人， 三餐不繼、顛沛流離，生活隨時都在不測 中，今天在這裡，明天不知在何處，真是 生命朝不保夕！不管怎麼樣，還是要發憤 用功，過一天算一天吧！有一口氣在，我 就是要閉關看經、念佛、修行！愈是在困 苦之年，愈 發道心！愈 是在苦難之 中，生死心 愈切！總算 諸佛菩薩加 被，在香港 艱苦的環境 中閉關了二 十年，沒有 空過。
Getting to know Venerable Master Miao Lien
Q：Venerable Master, how did you manage to practice Buddhism diligently in the midst of all the wartime chaos? A：During the war (1949), I was young, only twentyeight, but my heart was as high as Mount Tai, and I fervently wanted to be like Dharma Masters and deliver all sentient beings! But, people in those days were drifters, not having enough food. Life was very unpredictable. People would be at one place one day with no idea where they would end up the next day, or whether they would still be alive by the end of the day. Regardless of the situation, I still studied hard and took life one day at a time. As long as I was still alive, I would go into seclusion to read sutras, chant the Buddha’s name, and practice Buddhism! The tougher the times, the firmer my resolve to practice became! The more sufferings I endured, the more determined I became to break free from the cycle of birth and death! After all, with the support of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, my time was not wasted as I was able to complete twenty years of seclusion in Hong Kong despite living under trying circumstances.
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認識老和尚
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我這一輩子不折不扣是個出家人， 得到佛法的慈蔭，身子雖然苦， 心裡畢竟有無量的法喜、 無量的寂靜！ 我總是希望人人都像我 這樣與世無爭， 一心一意奉行佛法、弘揚佛法， 多麼好！
Getting to know Venerable Master Miao Lien
All my life, I have been a firmly dedicated monk. Under the compassionate protection of the Buddhadharma, even when my body endures suffering, my heart is ultimately full of infinite joy and infinite tranquillity! I always wish that everyone could be like me, free from worldly strife. How great it is to follow and spread the Buddha’s teachings wholeheartedly! 87
認識老和尚
問：老和尚！什麼才是出家的真實義？ 答：我不忍眾生苦，所以勸人念佛；我不忍聖 教衰，所以度人出家。不過大家也要知道 ，勸人念佛生西方極樂世界，那才是真正 勸人出家–出三界火宅生死之家。成佛則 是出九界之家，那才是真正的世尊–高出 九界，唯我獨尊。這是依功行實德而言。 若雖出凡俗之家，不念佛持戒，那恐難生 西方吧！
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Getting to know Venerable Master Miao Lien
Q：Venerable Master, what is the true meaning of becoming a monk?
A： I cannot bear seeing sentient beings suffer; therefore, I urge people to chant the Buddha’s name. I do not want to witness the decline of Buddhism, so I advise people to enter monastic life. All of you should realize that urging people to chant the Buddha’s name and to attain rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss is the most genuine form of urging people to leave their secular homes—leaving the cycle of birth and death within the burning house of the Three Realms. Becoming a Buddha means transcending the home within the Nine Realms. Speaking in terms of real virtues and actual merits, to truly become the World-honored One is to be above and beyond the Nine Realms. If one renounces the life of the secular world but does not chant the Buddha’s name and uphold the precepts, then it is difficult for one to be reborn in the Western Pure Land!
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認識老和尚
問：老和尚！聽說閻羅王也要跟著您出家，是 嗎？ 答：閻羅王好像對我這樣說過：「老和尚啊！ 你說出家有兩種：一種是出父母之家來到 寺廟修行，另一種是生到極樂世界，出輪 迴之家。你不是要度兩百萬人出家嗎？我 閻羅王能不能算你兩百萬中的一個？」我 說：「得！得！歡迎、歡迎！」
Q：Venerable Master, we heard that Yama, the King of Hell, also wants to follow you and become a monk. Is that true?
A：The King of Hell might have told me, “Venerable
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Master! You said that there are two ways of renouncing secular life. The first is to leave the domestic home of one’s parents and come to the temple to practice. The second is to be reborn in the Western Pure Land and escape from the cycle of birth and death. Didn’t you make a vow to bring two million people into the Sangha? Could I, the King of Hell, be one of them?” I said to him, “Of course! You are most welcome!”
Getting to know Venerable Master Miao Lien
問：老和尚！我想出家，卻沒有出家因緣怎麼 辦？ 答：那你現在就種因、培福德嘛！你雖然沒有 出家因緣，別人要出家，你就輔助他、成 就他、讚歎他，培這個因，未來當然就會 感果。
Q：Venerable Master, what should I do if I want to become a monk, but my circumstances do not enable me to do so?
A：Then you should plant the seeds now and cultivate blessings and virtues! Even though the circumstances are against you right now, you should help, facilitate and praise those who wish to take the monastic path. If you nurture these seeds, you will reap the benefits in the future.
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認識老和尚
問：老和尚！您要度兩百萬出家人，但都是度 青年人，我們老年人您都不度嗎？ 答：錯！出家當然是要青年，不但青年，還要 頭腦靈敏、六根具足，這樣才有資格出家 。大家來打七念佛，其實這就是真正的出 家–出三界家，不是出父母之家而已。大 家念佛生西方，這才是真正的出家！這個 就沒有分年老、年小，青年、不青年，也 沒有分六根具足、不六根具足。
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Getting to know Venerable Master Miao Lien
Q：Venerable Master, you want to convert two million people and bring them into the Sangha, but you convert only young people. Are you not going to help the elderly?
A：That is not the case! Of course we want new members of the Sangha to be young. In addition, to be eligible for ordination, they must be bright, and their six sense organs must be complete and fully functional. However, by attending the sevenday Dharma retreat, you are already renouncing your home within the Three Realms, not just your familial home. When you all chant the Buddha’s name to attain rebirth in the Western Pure Land, you are truly leaving your secular home. In this regard, there are no distinctions between young and old, nor does it matter whether one’s six sense organs are complete and functional.
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認識老和尚
問：老和尚！請問您為什麼也要求財求子呢？ 答：有財才能創建靈巖山寺，大家才能在這裡 好好修行。老和尚也要求子，不過老和尚 是求法王子–度臺灣二百萬人出家，乃至 二千萬人都為佛子。以後要靠這些佛子到 五大洲去化度。
Q：Venerable Master, why do you also want to have wealth and children?
A：We need wealth to build Lingyen Mountain Temple, which offers a place for people to cultivate earnestly. I also want to have children, but what I want are Dharma descendants. In Taiwan, I wish to convert two million people to monastic practitioners and twenty million people to disciples of the Buddha. In the future, all of them will shoulder the responsibility of propagating the Dharma across the five continents.
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恩師臨圓寂前開示法語 Dharma Teachings from the Venerable Master Preceding his Passing
恩師臨圓寂前開示法語
一、天有不測風雲 上午還很快樂
人有旦夕禍福 可能晚上就有禍患臨頭
釋：希望你們要體悟娑婆的無常性，不可想要 安身立命於此，要脫離「無常之性」，不 可任由心境放逸，要進入「恆常之定靜心」 ，若不以此安己心性，將如脫韁野馬，縱 逸橫陳，陷自己與他人同入險道。
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Dharma Teachings from the Venerable Master Preceding his Passing
The weather is unpredictable; so are people’s lives. You can be happy in the morning, but face calamity at night. Explanation :I hope you can recognize and understand the impermanence of this Saha world. Do not ever think that you can enjoy peace and stability in this world. You must break free from your inconsistent nature and not let your mind do as it pleases. You have to settle your mind into a state of constant tranquility and clarity. If you cannot control your mind, you will be like a wild horse, running loose, and consequently put yourself and others in danger.
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二、來時不足
去時知足
釋：表示每個人報生於此世，皆有未修逮之處 、未竟之功，由上一世就帶了缺憾、業障 而來，這是多麼慚愧！而今得人身當努力 奮發精進，去蕪存菁，改往修來；你們一 定要於此生「諸惡莫作，眾善奉行」，別 又和往昔一般帶著缺憾、污濁而走，當要 於此生就補平缺漏，無愧天地、自心，磊 落無憾的離開「濁塵之心」。
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Dharma Teachings from the Venerable Master Preceding his Passing
You came into this world insufficient, leave with no regrets. Explanation : Every sentient being has come to be born in this world due to a deficiency in their previous cultivation and unaccomplished works, bringing with them flaws and karmic hindrances. That’s such a shame! In this life, you have been born into a human form, so you should use this opportunity to work ever harder and more diligently to get rid of the bad and retain the good, to fix past mistakes and start anew. You must not engage in anything unwholesome; instead, try your best to do all kinds of good. You do not want to leave this world with flaws and defilements, like you did in previous lives. Use this lifetime to overcome any deficiencies, so that when you leave this world, you will be also leaving behind your turbid nature, and carry with you no regrets or shame.
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三、無願亦無捨
無始亦無終
釋：老和尚一再地要你們發出勇猛大願心，自 度利他。別一開始就怕做不到，不敢發大 願、度眾生。其實每一願行，就是在堅固 、圓滿我們本具的「大悲心」，目的是能 持之恆常、勇猛不懈，所以諸佛菩薩都發 大願，雖各自有不同細目，但「大悲心」 卻一如，即是由各所發願，來成就「大悲 心」的。
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Dharma Teachings from the Venerable Master Preceding his Passing
No vows means no letting go; no beginning means no end. Explanation : I always ask every one of you to make the courageous resolve to help others as well as yourself to obtain liberation. Don’t think straightaway that you can’t do it, and so become reluctant to make the great vow to help all sentient beings. Actually, every vow and every adherent act is to strengthen and perfect our original Mind of Great Compassion. The purpose of making the vows is to help us persevere and to proceed courageously without stopping. That’s why every Buddha and Bodhisattva has made great vows. Even though the vows are worded differently, the Mind of Compassion they embody is the same; the vows are to help them accomplish and perfect the Mind of Great Compassion.
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所以曰：對成就「大悲心境」而言，各願不同 ，卻能成就「同體大悲心」，故「願」亦可言 無願，因為目標是「成就大悲心」。既無願可 言，亦無願可捨，也就沒有所謂的「我始發大 願」、「我終了此願」。 Thus, in terms of achieving the Mind of Great Compassion, every vow is different, but they all help to construct the Mind of Great Compassion that embraces every being as oneself; therefore, the “vow” can also mean no vow, because the goal is to achieve what is already innate – a mind of great compassion. And since there is no vow to begin with, there is no vow to give up, subsequently there is no so-called “I now make my great vow” or “I have finally fulfilled this vow.”
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Dharma Teachings from the Venerable Master Preceding his Passing
因隨時要具究竟、恆常之「大悲心」，而「大 悲心」不可失，故願要一直行，無有盡頭；歡 喜、無懼的發願，更是歡歡喜喜的行。「大悲 心」是無體相，卻充滿虛空，遍一切處，真是 大慈悲視化眾生，那就是眾生的大福報、得度 之良機。 We should always have a very earnest and consistent mind of compassion, and must not lose that; therefore, we have to continuously act upon those vows. Not only do we need to make the resolve joyously and fearlessly, we should adhere to it happily in our actions. The Mind of Great Compassion is formless but pervades space. When people really regard and help all beings with great compassion, that will be the greatest blessing and opportunity for all sentient beings to be saved.
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四、無淨亦無塵
無量即如來
釋：本具「大悲心」，無垢亦無染，既無塵垢 ，實則無所謂淨不淨、塵不塵。具顯大悲 心者，本具清淨即無垢染，於塵處亦是淨 ，不受染污，即無淨、塵之別，即遍十方 界一切處，廣行「大悲心」；此「大悲心」 無有止盡，無量無減，圓滿堅實不移，即 是如來。
Neither pure nor defiled; limitless is Tathagata. Explanation : The Mind of Great Compassion is neither defiled nor contaminated; since there isn’t anything to defile it, there is none so-called “pure or impure”, “dirt or no dirt”. Those who have the Mind of Great Compassion identify with their innate purity which cannot be defiled; even when surrounded by dust, they remain unaffected. For them, there is no difference between purity and defilement, and so they can go everywhere in the ten directions to exercise great compassion. This great compassion has no boundaries or limits; it is perfect and unmovable, and 104 this is Tathagata.
Dharma Teachings from the Venerable Master Preceding his Passing
五、無師亦無徒 本是大悲心
師徒本一命 相差何太極
釋：此是 老和尚特別要你們發「大願心」、 「大悲心」。能發「大悲心」者，即同合 「老和尚的心」。你們不要妄自菲薄，認 為：「噢！老和尚是大菩薩，當然能夠發 得起大願，而我們只是陋劣凡夫，怎敢發 願呢？」
There is not the teacher nor the disciple between you and I, because we possess the same Mind of Compassion. Explanation : This is why I especially exhort you to initiate great vows and a mind of great compassion. Those who bring forth a mind of great compassion are one with my mind. Don’t ever belittle yourselves and think: “Oh! The Venerable Master is a Bodhisattva, so of course he can make grand vows; but we are only ordinary beings with many inadequacies, how could we 105 dare to make a great vow?”
恩師臨圓寂前開示法語
老和尚不是常說嗎？大眾本具「佛性」，即具 「大悲心」，要行「大悲行」。而要成就發顯 、固實「大悲心」，即要廣發大願，力行不輟 。所以你們要以師志為己志，以師願為己願， 行於眾生，續佛慧命，荷擔起家業，弘揚淨土 大法，再續延眾生得度之法緣。 Have I not often told you that every being has the Buddha nature, and therefore also possesses great compassion, so you should exercise that great compassion? If you want to achieve your Mind of Great Compassion, and strengthen it, you must make big vows and act on them. Therefore, you need to follow your teacher’s footsteps and aspire to what I have aspired, vow what I have vowed, and apply them to all sentient beings. You must work to prolong the Buddhist lineage, shoulder the Buddha’s life’s work, propagate the great Pure Land Dharma, and continue to help all sentient beings to transcend suffering and obtain liberation. 106
Dharma Teachings from the Venerable Master Preceding his Passing
六、萬般非業
唯心所造
釋：影塵一生，皆由心造境，要好、要壞全由 此心啊！「心法」即實相，餘者皆是「幻 影」，別以為自己業障深重，無力脫開， 因而消沉不振，只要願意認真修行，自能 業消智朗，了了分明，這就是「一切唯心 造」啊！
Nothing is karma, only the mind makes it so. Explanation :Every situation in our lives is a creation of the mind, whether it is good or bad depends on our mind. The mind is the only thing real and true, everything else is mere delusion. Do not think that you are laden down by negative karma and cannot escape, and so become low-spirited. As long as you are willing to practice diligently and earnestly, all the negative karma can be obliterated and your wisdom can reveal itself, because “everything is created by the mind.”
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所以，不卑不亢，只管「發大願」、「行菩薩 道」，不斷不歇，即知一切造作在此心，能善 護此心，「諸惡莫作，眾善奉行」，即是「菩 提」，則發本性，即見如來。 Therefore, you should be neither too humble nor arrogant; simply focus on making your great vows and practicing the Bodhisattva way continuously and tirelessly, then you will understand everything is made by your mind. If you take good care of this mind, allowing it to steer you away from bad actions and guide you to do good deeds, that is “Bodhi”, and you will discover your true nature and see Tathagata.
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Dharma Teachings from the Venerable Master Preceding his Passing
※ 老和尚咐囑你們的「大悲心法」，若以世 智辯聰，文字巧解，終不能明達此心。欲 達此心，唯有老實修去，方能親證。 The Dharma of the Mind of Great Compassion that I have taught you cannot be fathomed by using worldly intelligence or through literal studies; it can only be realized by practicing the Dharma sincerely and honestly.
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Ed it or’s N ot e:
本書英譯未完善之處敬請見諒，如有寶貴 建議，請不吝指正，功德無量。 Some concepts may not have been translated perfectly or completely. We humbly apologize for any mistranslations and welcome any suggestions you can generously impart. Please give us your ideas.
靈巖大導師 The Great Teacher of Lingyen 發行:臺灣靈巖山寺 Published by � Lingyen Mountain Temple (Taiwan)
郵撥： 22548447 戶名：財團法人靈巖山佛教基金會 銀行匯款： 合作金庫(西屯分行) 銀行帳號： 1438 - 872007571 戶名：財團法人靈巖山佛教基金會 翻譯:靈巖山寺弘法翻譯組 Translated by � Lingyen Mountain Temple Dharma Translation Committee 出版日:2012年4月2版10,000冊 連前印共15,000冊 Publishing Date � Apr. 2012 (Second ed.) 10,000 copies 贈送結緣 歡迎助印 Not for sale. This book is for free distribution. Contributions toward future publications are appreciated.
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