教育是我一生的愿力

EDUCATION Has Been My Lifelong Resolve

 

宣公上人一九九三年三月三十一日开示于长堤圣寺

Ven. Master Hua's Talk at Long Beach Sagely Monastery on March 31, 1993

 

禅静 记录 Transcibed by Chan Jing

 

一九九三年三月三十一日，由于长堤圣寺大殿新建落成的因缘，上人请洛杉矶当地护法居士胡果相，对大众说明法界佛教总会洛杉矶分道场-金轮圣寺、长堤圣寺成立的前后经过，随后上人并补充说道：

 

长堤圣寺前后的经过，你们都应该知道。每个道场怎么样来历，怎么样的沿革，我都记得很清楚。你们大家都知道了长堤圣寺的来源了吗？

 

将来我都把所有道场变成不动产，不必要的房地产，我就都把它变卖了，保留下来的，都是作永远的西方佛教道场，任何人，任何时候也不可以把它变卖了，我要立这个宪法。所有我的徒弟，你们要知道，你师父是穷的，你们也都应该跟着我受穷的，不应该有钱。一有钱，麻烦就来了，就不修行了；一有钱，就挂着吃喝玩乐，无所不为了。不像我现在在这儿，一张纸都用它好几天。我相信我的徒弟，没有一个是这样的，他们大约都是自由国家来的，对金钱也不懂得怎么样节省，所以我不给他们留太多钱，我也不希望有太多钱，你们大家明白我了吗？

 

我还可以告诉你们一件事情，因为我出家以来，注重要翻译经典，还有也注重教育。所以这么多年以来，人家送给我的果仪，我储蓄了这么多年，储蓄了二十五万，我保存着预备拿出来做教育的奖学金，培植出家人和在家人读书的。无论出家人、在家人，有力量读书的，我都可以供一供他们。虽然很少的，也可以供几个人读书，我们就这样子。所以也有出家人，也有在家人，现在去读博士的，读学士的，读 master(硕士)，大家也都不知道，好像果廷、果真，都是由我奖学金拨出来的，给他们去读书，还有一些在家人。我现在告诉你们，你们各位供养我的钱，我可以说是很节省的。在这三十多年之内，储了这么多钱，现在还供一些学生读书，这是我用钱的地方。今天虽然人不多，我告诉你们大家，不然你们不知道我的钱都干什么用了。

 

还有因为当时有一个果明，他讲话、声音、相貌和我的态度差不多，也这么老气横秋的样子，讲起来好像似模似样的，可惜他死得太早了，我也拨出五万块给他做奖学金，这五万块钱，可以给在家人、出家人做奖学金，这是我一生的愿力！

  On March 31, 1993, on the occasion of the completion of the Buddha Hall at Long Beach Sagely Monastery, the Venerable Master asked a Dharma-protecting layperson from Los Angeles, Gwo-Syang Woo, to tell everyone the background of the temples of Dharma Realm Buddhist Association in Los Angeles--Gold Wheel Sagely Monastery and Long Beach Sagely Monastery. Then the Venerable Master added:

 

That is the history of Long Beach Sagely Monastery, which all of you should know. I remember the history and background of every one of our temples very well. Is everyone clear about the background of the Long Beach Sagely Monastery?

 

In the future, I will treat all the temples as real estate. We will sell those properties which we do not need, and the remaining properties will become Buddhist temples in the West forever. No one should ever sell those properties. I will set up the rules and by-laws to ensure this. You who are my disciples should know that your teacher is poor, and you ought to follow me in poverty, and not have any money either. Ah! Once you have money, the troubles come and you cannot cultivate. Once you have wealth, you will want to eat, drink and be merry - and you will not stop at anything. That is not like from my practice of using the same napkin for many days. I do not think a single one of my disciples does that. Probably they are all from free countries and know very little about being thrifty. For that reason, I am not going to leave too much money for them. I myself do not wish to have a lot of money either--do you all understand me?

 

There is one more thing I may tell you. Ever since I left the home-life, I have regarded the translation the Sutras as important, and I have also emphasized the importance of education. Therefore, in all of these years, I have been saving up the donations that people made, and I saved up $250,000. I was planning to use it as scholarships for left-home people and laypeople to study. I was willing to give a scholarship to anyone who would study, whether he was a left-home person or a layperson. Although the money was not much, it could still support several people to pursue their studies, and that's what we used it for. So now there are both left-home people and laypeople working on their Ph.D.'s, Bachelor's, and Master's degrees. For example, you all were not aware that Gwo Ting, Gwo Jen and some laypeople are studying under the aid of this scholarship fund. I will also tell you now that I have been very thrifty with your donations. Over the past thirty years, I have saved up this much money and now it is providing some people with an opportunity to study. This is how I have spent the money. Today, although not that many people are here, I have told everyone about this; otherwise you would not know how I have used this money.

 

Furthermore, there was a person named Gwo Ming. The way he talked, his voice, his appearance and his mannerisms were all pretty similar to mine, and also his air of being old beyond his years. Ah! When he spoke, what he said was both eloquent and sophisticated. What a shame he passed away so soon! He died too early. I have also allocated fifty thousand dollars as a scholarship in memory of him. That sum of money can also be used to provide laypeople and left-home people with a chance to study. This has been my lifelong vow!