Dharma statue of Master Xuanhua

1、 Get to know the Xuanlao for the first time

More than ten years ago, I had heard a lot about old mage Xuanhua's famous preaching in the West Coast of the United States. I wanted to hear his story, but because of professional constraints, I had no choice but to leave Canada for San Francisco. Professor Xie Bingying sent me some Buddhist journals, some of which were Chinese English "Vajra Bodhi Sea" magazines, which were compiled and printed by the Sino American Buddhist Association in San Francisco. There was a disciple's record of "Old Dharma Master Xuanhua lecturing", which was the beginning of my contact with Dharma Master Xuanhua, but at that time I always thought that he had written the lecture in advance, It was not until I had the chance to listen to the Dharma in Jinshan Temple that I knew that he did not write. It was because he listened to Linlang's article when he was speaking on the stage. After the disciples recorded it with tape recorders, the transcript was made and translated into English.

The "Vajra Bodhi Sea" was the embryonic form at that time. It did not have the scale of today. At the initial stage, it was even only mimeographed, but the content was very good. A good start laid the foundation for the development of one of the most important Buddhist journals in the United States today.

At that time, I was very competitive when I was young. I happened to see some slight flaws in the Chinese English translation of the magazine. I boldly picked them out and wrote a long letter to Master Xuanhua; However, I also declared that it was a kind criticism, and it also showed that I could not translate well even though I learned a little.

It was only later that I realized how shallow I was. Years later, Old Master Xuanhua accidentally mentioned it and said to me with a smile: "You didn't write an article for us, but you severely criticized us, but the criticism was very reasonable, and we all adopted your advice to improve." Old Monk Xuanhua was modest, which made me admire him, and it also made me look more shallow.

Until now, I have really been close to the Xuanlao and USUNHOME Buddhist Association, but I still haven't started writing articles for them. Why? It's not that I don't want to write, but that I'm powerless; I'm just a novelist.

"Vajra Bodhi Sea" is all about Buddhist theories. I don't know what to write. I have written some essays for "Neiming", an authoritative Buddhist journal in Hong Kong. For several years, my small texts are amateurish articles that do not appear in the halls of elegance. "Neiming" Buddhist journals are also abstruse Buddhist papers, but I have left a little space for literary and artistic works, which is unexpected. The "Vajra Bodhi Sea" has not yet opened a fixed column. I promised to write novels for them, but I couldn't get out because of my debt. At the same time, I felt that it was too difficult to write Buddhist novels and I didn't dare to write them. I apologized to Xuanlao many times. He said, "Don't worry, take your time."

2、 Xuanlao and Jinshan Temple

Jinshan Temple is located at 1731 15th Street, South District of San Francisco, the United States. It is a busy area. Although it is not the main thoroughfare, it is also too close to the bustling world. There are two cinemas not far away, both of which show some less noble "adult movies". There are some clubs in the nearby streets. There are several apartments opposite the temple, Some women wander around the neighborhood day and night, and some boys often stand on the street corner and don't know what to do. I always feel that the area is not clean. I don't understand why Elder Xuanhua and his disciples chose such a place to set up a temple. I didn't know that their masters and apprentices had endured hardships to start their own businesses.

It turned out that when Elder Xuanhua came to the United States from Hong Kong more than ten years ago to make a vow to preach the law, he arrived in San Francisco with only a few dozen yuan left. At first, he only rented the basement of a shop in Chinatown as a place to stay in tin and preach the law. San Francisco is a colorful and prosperous metropolis, with material enjoyment, flirtation, and the world of mortals. At that time, ordinary people had little interest in Buddhism, and fewer people noticed a small Buddhist hall in the basement of Chinatown. However, Elder Xuanhua was not discouraged. He was still in line with his consistent ambition and planned to pass on the Dhamma endlessly. His asceticism and Buddhist attainments finally gradually attracted the attention of the general public.

As for the hard years of Elder Xuanhua, there is a legend among ordinary people in San Francisco. They said that Elder Xuanhua had passed on Buddhism in the basement of Chinatown for several years, and it was always a poor ashram that could not be expanded. Although many people knew about it, they did not pay much attention to it. It was not until a Buddhist miracle occurred that it stirred the whole West Coast of the United States.

They said: At that time, there was a lady of social wisdom who was dying of cancer. In the hospital, doctors said that there was no way to save her. The lady knew nothing about it and asked her family to invite a monk to recite scriptures for her. At that time, there were few Buddhist monks in San Francisco. Where would the family go? But I remember that I often went shopping in Chinatown and passed by. I saw a monk chanting scriptures in the window of the basement of a shop. The family thought, let's invite the monk to chant scriptures for their wife! At that time, the family did not have any extravagant hopes for chanting scriptures, but just regarded it as dedication.

They said that Elder Xuanhua was invited to recite sutras for the lady in front of the hospital bed and read them for several days. According to this story, some people said that Elder Xuanhua read the "Great Compassion Mantra", some said that he read the "Heart Sutra", and some said that it was the "Shurangama Mantra", which is different from each other; In short, it's just the Buddhist scriptures. Then, a miracle happened! After listening to the sutra, the lady not only did not die as predicted by the doctors, but gradually recovered. After a period of time, the doctor checked her cancer and found it disappeared!

This event caused a sensation in the western part of the United States that year, which caused a steady stream of Chinese and Western people to visit Elder Xuanhua. President Xuanhua was modest and did not admit that it was his contribution to chanting scriptures. He always said that everything was a miracle achieved by devoting to Buddhism!

I also asked Xuanlao about it. He smiled and said, "I can do nothing, I can't cure diseases, and I don't have magic. I just can read Buddhist scriptures."

A modest preacher never takes credit for any miracle. In fact, in the decades of his ascetic preaching, countless miracles like the above have occurred, but he himself doesn't talk about these things. If someone asks him, he says that if there is a miracle, it is because of the believers' pious faith and good will that they are blessed by the Buddha, the Dragon Heaven!

Xuanlao did not like to use miracles as propaganda for preaching the Dharma. He believed that the most important thing was the true meaning of Buddhism. As I approached him and listened to his sermon, I never heard anyone mention any miracle. His preaching attitude is very serious. Around him, both monks and domestic disciples are very respectful and solemn. However, in the society, there are many miracles and legends about this eminent monk, which are too numerous to enumerate.

I myself may be one of the miracles - is it a miracle that a hard stone like me was also moved to nod by Xuanlao's ascetic preaching?

Xuanlao's preaching in the basement of San Francisco's Chinatown has attracted the attention of the entire United States. I think the main reason is that he introduced the essence of Buddhism to the western society unreservedly, which has attracted the attention of young intellectuals in the United States. As for various miracles, of course, they also have great promotion effects, but they are nothing but miracles, However, it is still impossible for the subtle Buddhism without strong force to achieve such great achievements as today's macro Dharma.

Many senior intellectuals in the United States have come to listen to Xuanhua Lao's explanation of Buddhist scriptures, and many universities have invited him to explain Buddhist scriptures. Many American doctors and bachelors, after listening to him, have converted to Buddhism, shaved their hair and become monks, returned to the seat of Xuanhua Lao, studied Buddhism carefully, and translated Buddhist scriptures into English. The young American doctors, masters, and bachelors under Mr. Xuan are some from Harvard University, some from Columbia University, the University of California, Stanford University, Washington University, Princeton University, and other famous universities. These young people, some of whom are Doctor of Philosophy, some of whom are Doctor of Science and Engineering, and some of whom are Doctor of Arts, all of whom have expertise and high literacy, and have given up their career with rich income; He followed the missionaries, became a monk and a nun, preferred to bear hardships, and devoted himself to the research and dissemination of Buddhism.

With the concerted efforts of these American disciples, the Sino American Buddhist Association led by Mr. Xuan has grown from a small basement to today's Wanfo City and Dharma Realm University, which cover more than 300 acres, and become one of the most large-scale propagation bases of Buddhism in North America. How hard it has been!

It is impossible to describe that period of struggle in short words. At first, they bought a big house on Washington Street in San Francisco to build a ashram and a library - now it has been changed into a Buddhist nun's residence in tin. There are dozens of American disciples who have converted to become Buddhist nuns. They are also knowledgeable and proficient in translating Buddhist scriptures.

Later, Xuanlao, his disciples and the lay people at home joined forces to buy a match factory on the 15th Street. All the disciples started to decorate it and transformed it into today's Jinshan Temple. Although the scale can not be called grand, the three storey Buddhist temple building is also quite spacious.

I once asked Elder Xuanhua about the location of Jinshan Temple. I said that this Buddhist temple is built in the middle of the colorful world. How can it be quiet?

Old Xuan replied with a smile, "It is in the colorful world that it is most suitable to test the will of family members to practice!"

It suddenly dawned on me that the elder didn't elaborate, but I can understand, really! Just step out of the temple gate, and the bustling world is outside. There are all kinds of temptations. Monks would not easily resist all the temptations outside the door if they did not have a strong will. During my stay in Jinshan Temple, I calmly observed that the young Americans who became monks could not hear or see the temptations outside. Their hearts were as calm as water, which was admirable!

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