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宣化上人開示錄(五)
Venerable Master Hua's Talks on Dharma Volume Five 

化老和尚開示 Lectures by the Venerable Master Hsuan Hua

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金門公園祈雨記

Praying for Rain in Golden Gate Park


精誠所至,金石為開; 祈雨之心虔誠到極點,
感動龍王發慈悲心,在不該降雨時而降雨,來拯救眾生。
When one is extremely sincere, even gold and stone can break open. The extreme sincerity of people's prayers moved the Dragon King to take pity and send down rain when he was not supposed to, in order to save beings.

三藩市及其附近約有數百哩,因為二年多未下雨的緣故,發生嚴重的水荒,不但田地無法耕種,就是飲水也成問題,所以每天限時用水,十分不便。

 

As there had been no rain for over two years within several hundred miles' radius of San Francisco, there was a severe drought that not only made it impossible to irrigate the fields, but even depleted the drinking water supply. Daily water use was rationed, causing great inconvenience.

金山禪寺所有出家人和在家人,自動發心祈雨,行菩薩道。於一九七七年二月十六日早晨七時,在三藩市金門公園內的空地,設壇祈雨。參加者有數百人,大家虔誠念〈祈雨靈咒〉,法會莊嚴而隆重,這是美國有史以來,破天荒第一次。一般沒有佛教信仰的人,認為這是迷信,是不可能的事。晚上七時祈雨法會結束,大家充滿信心而歸,念力堅固,相信一定會降雨。

 

All the left-home and lay people at Gold Mountain Dhyana Monastery resolved to practice the Bodhisattva Way by praying for rain. At seven o'clock in the morning on February 16, 1977, a prayer platform was set up in a clearing at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. The several hundred participants sincerely recited the Spiritual Rain Mantra in a solemn ceremony. It would be the first time in this country that a drought would be ended by Buddhist recitation. Most people who weren't Buddhists regarded the affair as superstitious and impossible. When the prayer ceremony ended at seven o'clock that evening, participants returned home full of faith that it would rain.

所謂「精誠所至,金石為開。」不出所料,次日中午時,天晴如洗,萬里無雲之際,忽起烏雲,佈滿空中,雷電交加,頃刻之間,普降豪雨,人人皆大歡喜。這次奇來的驟雨,令氣象臺的人員,感覺十分奇怪。這種現象乃是感應道交的境界,因為祈雨之心虔誠到極點,故感動龍王發慈悲心,在不該降雨時而降雨,來拯救眾生。自此水荒解除,這個消息轟動三藩市,新聞記者和電視臺攝影記者,乃爭先恐後前來採訪、攝影,在報紙、雜誌、電臺,大肆宣傳,認為是奇事。(茲略記之,以饗讀者。)

 

As it's said, "When one is sincere to the extreme, even gold and stone can break open." So it was no surprise when, at noon on the following day, dark clouds suddenly covered the clear blue skies, there was thunder and lightning, and then the rain started pouring down. Everyone was overjoyed, and the weather forecasters were completely perplexed. This circumstance came about in response to the extreme sincerity of people's prayers, which moved the Dragon King to take pity and send down rain when he was not supposed to, in order to save beings. The rain that ended the drought caused an uproar in San Francisco. News reporters and T.V. cameramen rushed over to conduct interviews and take pictures. The "miracle was given full coverage in the newspapers, magazines, and television. [This event has been briefly related here for the readers' information.]

   

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