王親誠居士2024年8月30日晚間講於萬佛城大殿

諸佛菩薩，宣公上人，諸位法師，諸位善知識，阿彌陀佛！

Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, Ven. Master Hua, DMs, Good advisors, Amitabha

我的法名是親誠，誠心的誠。去年8月來到萬佛城，是一次來。主要是來法大讀碩士. 來法大上學，看起來很平常，其實也很不容易。最早2019年就申請並獲得錄取，2020年應該來讀書的。因爲疫情，直到2023年才落實行動。

         My dharma name is Qin Cheng; Cheng means sincerity. I came to CTTB in August last year. This was my first time. I came for the MA program in DRBU. Studying in DRBU looks ordinary, however, it is not that easy for me. I first applied for the program and was admitted in 2019. I was supposed to study here in 2020. Due to the Covid-19, I didn’t start the program until 2023.

簽證也是一個挑戰。仲介工作的朋友們給了我許多信息、流程方面的幫助，   無形中，也增加了我的煩惱，因爲他們認爲我這個情況非常難簽。我得到的最大的鼓勵就是：你試試吧。

         Getting a visa is another challenge. My friends who work in study-abroad agencies help me a lot with information and procedures. But at the same time, they gave me afflictions, because in their eyes, my case was very hard. The greatest encouragement I got: you just try.

去北京的路上，我念了1萬遍地藏王菩薩名號。其實當時心裏比較穩定。排隊時間很長，差不多從最開始到見到簽證官要2-3個小時。期間，努力念地藏王菩薩名號。但是，排在我後面的人，本來挺友好的，可是當她問我的年齡時，把我弄的非常緊張。 在大陸，我的年齡，正常應該結婚生子，孩子小學都要畢業了。那種狹隘的觀念，也限制了我，一下就緊張起來，因爲這種大齡未婚屬於簽證難辦的一種。帶着緊張，開始了面簽，結果不用問了。當時是3月13日。

         On the way to Beijing, I recited “Na mo di zang wang pu sa” 10,000 times. I felt stable. The queue was very long. From getting there to meeting with the visa officer, it almost took 2-3 hours. During that time, I kept reciting  “Na mo di zang wang pu sa” .

         The person behind me was quite friendly. However, when she asked me my age, that really triggered my nervousness. In the mainland, people of my age usually already get married and have children. The kids probably are old enough to graduate from elementary schools. This narrow presupposition limited me, too. All of a sudden, I became nervous. Being single at this age was regarded as hard to get the visa. With this nervousness, I went to my visa interview. You needn’t ask me about the result. That day was Mar. 13.

北京回來，有煩惱。拿不定主意什麼時候再簽。得到的建議基本要隔3個月。  3個月後就6月份，機票會貴，萬一再被拒，再申請，恐怕時間不充裕，因爲8月5號要到校。最後是5月15號再簽，並且順利拿到簽證。

         Coming back from Beijing, I was afflicted. I had no idea when to reapply for the visa interview. Many people suggested that I do it after 3 months. That means in June. At that time, the flight ticket might be too expensive. In addition, if the application got rejected again, I might not have enough time for a third visa interview because we were supposed to arrive at DRBU on Aug. 5. At last, I had the interview on May 15 and the application was successful.

回想起來，期間有三件事影響比較大。具體時間記不清了，三件事都重要。一是來自朋友分享。上人回國把《地藏經》分給親戚，並告訴他們，想來美國，背會《地藏經》。這個自己之前也見過。實際上，第一次簽證前，知道自己條件不好，就應該下功夫背， 不應該心存僥倖，導致結果不好。所以我開始背《地藏經》。上部背得比較熟，因爲每次都是從第一頁開始背。後面就不那麼熟了，但是勉強背完了。

         In reflection, three things were important. First, one friend shared with me a reading. In the reading, Ven. Master Hua came back to his hometown and distributed Earth Store Sutra to his relatives. He told them, if they wanted to come to the USA, memorize this sutra. Actually, I read this before.

         In fact, I should have memorized it before the first application for the visa since I already knew that my conditions were not as favorable as supposed to be. I shouldn’t try my luck, and it turned out to be no good luck. So I started to memorize the sutra. Part I, I could recite from memory quite fluently, because every time, I started to memorize from page 1. I managed to memorize all, though I was less familiar with the latter parts compared to Part I.

第二件事，譚老師有個微信羣，有一天有個消息說，加拿大華嚴寺要安置地藏菩薩，號召全球佛友抄經裝藏。最開始有點擔心抄經要花時間，最後想抄經那麼殊勝，會對簽證有幫助，就抄了。事實上，抄了兩遍，因爲第一遍有錯別字。第二遍也有，但是比第一遍少。直到第二次簽證那天早晨才抄完。

         Second, Ms. Madalena has a wechat group. One day, I read a message: The Avatamsaka Temple in Canada was going to arrange a new Earth Store Bodhisattva statue and called on all dharma friends on earth to copy sutras and mantras. The copies would be put into the statue. At first, I worried about the amount of time it would take to copy the Earth Store Sutra. But at last, I thought this event was so supreme and wondrous that I should participate. It might help the visa application. So I did it. And I did it twice, because the first time, I had several wrong characters. I copied again, there were still wrong characters, but less than the first copy. I didn’t finish copying the whole sutra until the morning when I had the second interview.

第三件事，期間拜訪了一個老師，條件非常好，就是仲介眼中，什麼條件都滿足，獲簽幾乎沒什麼問題。但是這位老師說他被拒了。由此，給我了啓示。什麼啓示呢？條件滿足了不一定獲簽。簽證不通過，仲介會講你缺這個少那個。可是什麼都不缺也沒過， 他們就不知道原因了。因此，我不再爲少了所謂的條件緊張，沮喪。

         Third, I visited one teacher who had very favorable conditions and it seemed impossible for him to get rejected for the visa application. But he told me he got rejected. From this I had an inspiration. Fulfilling all conditions does not guarantee that you will get the visa approval. Because of this, I was able to de-link myself from dejection and nervousness that arose from lacking so-called conditions.

我還聯繫了法大的老師，對簽證問題和自己的回答做出了指正，並告訴自己還可以準備什麼材料，我照做了，這對二次獲簽有直接幫助。因爲第二次問到了同樣的問題。

         I also contacted DRBU faculty who guided me with regard to answering questions and gave me suggestions on the preparation of application materials. This is directly conducive to the successful second interview because I got the same questions.

雖然我說不清第二次是怎麼拿到簽證的，但肯定是上人和地藏菩薩加持的。  爲什麼呢。首先，當時回答問題，思路特別清晰，直接，敏捷，完全超出了平常回答問題的水平。其次，當時帶了一些自己背過的材料，包括《地藏經》。

         I didn’t know exactly how I got the visa approval the second time, but I believed that I was blessed by Ven. Master Hua and Earth Store Bodhisattva. Why? Because the way I answered the questions was far better than I usually can do. The answers were very clear, direct, and without hesitation. What’s more, I was taking with me some memorization materials, including Earth Store Sutra.

問了一些問題，簽證官中間去check（查證），去了很久，感覺有10分鐘。透過玻璃， 看到後面排隊的人，還有usher（引導員）來我排隊的窗口看什麼情況，好像我用了比別人長很多的時間。通常，2-3分鐘就結束了。

         After several questions, the visa officer left his seat and went inside to check. He was away for a long time. It felt like 10 mins or so. From the reflection of the glass, I saw people standing in queues and the usher who came to my window to check the situation, because I was kept there for much more time than people in front of other counters. Usually, the interview takes 2-3 minutes.

等待期間，我很緊張，使勁念南無地藏王菩薩，南無宣公上人，使勁想上人說的“everything is ok”.我沒有聽過上人原聲錄音是怎麼講這個句子的，但是這個句子，見過很多遍。有一剎那，自己想，萬一這次被拒怎麼辦？我覺得自己這次準備得非常充分，下一次不知道會不會比這次表現更好了。繼續念。

         While I was waiting, I was very nervous and kept reciting “ Na mo di zang wang pu sa; Na mo Ven. Master Hua”. I kept telling myself “everything will be ok” — a sentence said by Master Hua. Although I have never heard how Master Hua say that in his original voice, I have read this sentence many, many times. At one moment, I was thinking, “what if the visa application gets rejected?” I indeed felt that I was very well prepared this time. I couldn’t imagine that I could perform any better  next time. Anyway, I kept reciting.

簽證官回來，問我那些材料中，最喜歡哪個。我說，這個根據時間。今年我喜歡這個，說因爲是剛背的。我把《地藏經》拿起來隔着玻璃給簽證官看。他問：這個什麼書。？ 答：“ 地藏經”。問：是關於什麼的。？我的第一念就是上人講過，《地藏經》是佛教中的一部孝經。但是我對孝的發音有點不自信，所以不敢講這個詞。於是就說，”對你媽媽好。在這部經中，那個女兒把她的媽媽從三惡道中解救出來”。又繼續解釋地獄、餓鬼、畜生。

         When the visa officer came back, he asked me which one was my favorite among the materials I brought. I told him it depended on the time. This year I like this best, because I have memorized it recently. With this, I held up the Earth Store Sutra and showed it to him across the glass. He asked: “What book is that”? I replied: Earth Store Sutra. He asked further: “What is it about”? My first thought was that Master Hua said it was a sutra on Buddhist filial piety. But I was not confident to pronounce “filial piety” correctly, so I replied: “Be kind to your mother”. I continued, “in the sutra, the daughter saved her mother from the three evil paths – hell, hungry ghosts, and animals.”

簽證官問：第一句是什麼？回答：如是我聞。還翻譯成了英文。當時腦海中有個念頭，如果只說如是我聞，恐怕不能代表自己背過，因爲所有的佛經都是以這個開頭。所以非常流利的往下背「如是我聞，一時佛在忉利天，爲母說法。爾時十方無量世界，不可說不可說，一切諸佛，及大菩薩摩訶薩，皆來集會，讚歎釋迦牟尼佛，能於五濁惡世，現不可思議大智慧神通之力，調伏剛強衆生，知苦樂法。各遣侍者，問訊世尊。是時如來含笑，放百千萬億大光明雲，所謂大圓滿光明雲、大慈悲光明雲、大智慧光明雲、大般若光明雲、大三昧光明雲、大吉祥光明雲、大福德光明雲、大功德光明雲…」剛要背「大皈依光明雲」，簽證官舉手示意停。（他一直對着屏幕看，是個西方人）轉身對我說，“恭喜你，學習快樂”。

         Then the visa officer asked: “what is the first sentence?” Replied in Chinese: “如是我聞ru shi wo wen”, with English translation, thus I have heard. But, it occurred to me that I should continue to recite from memory more text; since all sutras start with this sentence, if I stopped here, I could not prove that I have memorized the sutra. So I didn’t stop and continued to recite more (in Chinese): “At one time, the Buddha was in the Trayastrimsha Heaven speaking Dharma for his mother. At that time, uncountably many Buddhas and Great Bodhisattvas Mahasattvas from infinite worlds in the ten directions assembled to praise how Shakyamuni Buddha is able to manifest powerfully great wisdom and spiritual penetrations in the evil world of the Five Turbidities. They lauded how he regulates and subdues the obstinate beings so that they can learn what causes suffering and what brings bliss. Each one sent his attendants to pay their respects to the World Honored One. At that time the Thus Come One smiled and emitted billions of great light clouds. There was the light cloud of great fulfillment, the light cloud of great compassion, the light cloud of great wisdom, the light cloud of great prajna, the light clout of great samadhi, the light cloud of great auspiciousness, the light cloud of great blessings, the light cloud of great merit, the light cloud of great refuge, and the light cloud of great praise” (BTTS translation). I was about to recite “the light cloud of great refuge” when the visa officer signaled me to stop by raising his hand (he kept looking at his computer screen; he’s a westerner). Then he turned to me, saying: “Congratulations! Enjoy your study!”

你可以想像我當時的心情。巧的是，那天是美國的母親節。

You can imagine how I felt at that moment. Coincidentally, that day was Mother’s Day in the USA.

經文：「地藏!地藏!汝之神力不可思議,汝之慈悲不可思議,汝之智慧不可思議,汝之辯才不可思議。」「若未來世,有善男子善女人,欲求現在未來,百千萬億等願,百千萬億等事。但當歸依瞻禮,供養讚歎,地藏菩薩形像。如是所願所求,悉皆成就。」

         It says in the Sutra: “Earth Store, Earth Store, your spiritual powers, compassion, wisdom, and eloquence are inconceivable”. “In the future, good men or women may want to fulfill millions of billions of vows and to succeed in as many undertakings both in the present and the future. They need only take refuge with, gaze upon, worship, make offerings to, and praise images of Earth Store Bodhisattva. In this way, their vows and goals can all be realized.” (BTTS translation)

地藏七法會在即，願一切衆生法喜充滿。

The Earth Store Session is approaching. May all sentient beings find joy in Dharma.

感恩聆聽！阿彌陀佛。南無地藏王菩薩。南無宣公上人。

Thanks for listening. Amituofo. Na Mo Earth Store Bodhisattva. Na Mo Ven. Master Hua.