桑親智(Adrian Samuelsberg) 居士2024年12月21日（星期六）晚間講於萬佛聖城大殿

My name is Adrian. Dharma name 親智. Originally I am from Norway, now I study here at the university (Dharma Realm Buddhist University). 

我的名字是Adrian，法名親智。我來自挪威，目前就讀於法界佛教大學。

I feel very grateful to for this opportunity to practice with everyone this week. Already the session is over. It went by very quickly. I would like to thank everyone for making this possible, and for participating in the recitation. I feel very grateful to be able to be here, and to have come into contact with Master Hua’s field. 

我非常感謝有這個機會與大家一起修行。時間過得很快，佛七今晚圓滿。我想感謝大家共同成就這次的佛七法會，並感謝大家參與念佛。我很感恩能夠來到這裡，並有機會接觸宣化上人的道場。

It was around this time one year ago that I first heard about the Infinite Life Sutra and about Amitabha and Pure Land practice. I had been practicing meditation and Buddhism for a long time, but I had never encountered this teaching before. In the west, many people don’t know about this Sutra, even though they are practicing Buddhism. But I had a Vietnamese friend who invited me to a Vietnamese temple in Norway to celebrate Amtabha’s Birthday last year, because she knew I was a cultivator. We were doing a 24-hour recitation of the Infinite Life Sutra and reciting the Buddha’s name. It was for only one day. They divided us into five groups so that the chanting could continue the whole night.

大約一年前的這個時候，我第一次聽說《無量壽經》、阿彌陀佛及淨土修行。雖然我已經修習禪定和佛法很長時間了，但我從未接觸過這個教法。在西方，許多人即使在修習佛教，也不知道這部經典。但我有一位越南朋友，她去年邀請我去挪威的一座越南寺廟慶祝阿彌陀佛聖誕，因為她知道我是修行人。我們進行了24小時的《無量壽經》讀誦和念佛。他們把我們分成五個組，以便整夜持誦。

I was in the first group. After a couple of hours, the second group arrived in the Buddha hall, and the people from the first group got up and left. But I did not want to leave, so I stayed to keep reciting the Buddha’s name. Then the third group came after another couple of hours, but I still did not want to leave. Group four came and then group five. It was already morning, I still did not want to leave the Buddha hall, I wanted to keep reciting, but I had to go home. This year I was very happy to get the chance to spend one whole week to recite the Buddha’s name and it has been truly wonderful.  

我在第一組。幾個小時後，第二組來到佛堂，第一組的人起身離開。但我不想離開，所以我留下來繼續念佛。然後，第三組再過幾個小時後來了，我仍然不想離開。第四組來了，然後是第五組。已經是早上了，我仍然不想離開佛堂，我想繼續念佛，但我必須回家。今年我很高興有機會花一整週的時間來念佛，這真是太美好了。

The Sutra of Infinite Life is truly a treasure. I wrote a poem as a way to show my gratitude to everyone in the community here, and to Amitabha Buddha. 

《無量壽經》真是一部寶藏。我寫了一首詩，以表達我對萬佛聖城這裡每個人的感激之情，以及對阿彌陀佛的感恩。

How wonderful is it not the Sutra of Infinite life?   

That it alone bears the name of that which worldly men along with sages and saints have sought in every place and every time.

And how many one did fail to cross the ocean for infinite life? 

How great was it not that day of Shakyamuni’s golden countenance,  

That even he was filled with unequalled bliss to recollect Amitabha’s glorious vows and limitless opulence.

And what an act of infinite grace it was to speak, 

And in the Saha world open the door to the Land of Provisions and Peace.  

Oh, great wonderful samadhi ecstasy!

Every word of this sutra text attains eternal perfection 

and we beheld its glory there, 

But for a week, 

to take a step in the western direction.   

Supreme of all spiritual glories  

The golden body of Amitayus  

He showers the world with oceans of ambrosia  

And quenches the fires of all earthly passion   

Now we have been crowned with this Infinite Sutra 

By our fundamental teacher Shakyamuni.

All death touches here; see us no longer.

All that is gone; hold us no more  

And bonds and chains of this world may break 

For a good man or woman whom this sutra adorns

無量壽經何其殊勝
凡俗聖賢處處追尋
生死苦惱似海難渡
無數眾生尚在輪迴

釋迦金容殊勝無比，
喜念彌陀光輝大願。
宏恩無量演說淨土，
開啟娑婆安養大門。

大讚妙定極樂境界，
經文字字皆得圓滿。
一週佛七見證光輝，
吾輩向佛淨土西行。

佛光輝煌無上莊嚴，

金身彌陀遍灑甘露，
滅盡一切世俗欲求。
今承本師經冠恩德，

已逝人事不復拘吾。

此經護佑善男信女，

終將解脫塵世桎梏。