【洛杉磯訊】來自愛俄華州立大學教授程曦（字仲炎），於一九九三年七月二十日午后，帶病專程抵達長堤聖寺造訪宣公上人。上人並特別為其延醫診治。
程教授是中國河北省文安縣人，早年曾聆聽顧隨教授講演佛法。爾後在香港，程教授又親近宣公上人，彼此有五十多年的深厚交情，尤其對上人一片赤心，推誠相與。程教授表示：「上人從不和我講神通，他是很平常的，但他即知即行，這是不容易的。」
程教授自香港之後，足跡遍行亞、歐、美三大洲。在愛俄華大學從事教育已有二十餘年，由於他在佛門內典以及中國文化的造詣頗深，所以，目前在愛俄華大學教授禪學、中國文學與哲學等。程教授的著作很多，其中尤以《程氏新禪語》廣為人知。
程教授性情耿正謙抑，平時謹言慎行，自奉儉樸，雖未出家，卻在塵出塵，過著有如修道人的閉關生活：不與外界來往，也不寫信，不看電視，不通電話。
對時局不靖的今日，程教授對於上人改革教肓，重整人心的努力深表贊同。一向寡言的程教授並表示，此次的暢談比他半年來所說的話還多，也令他的病都好了。 |
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(Dateline: Los Angeles) On the afternoon of July 20, 1993, Prof. Cheng Hsi, aka Jung-yen, of Iowa State University, while nursing an illness, visited Venerable Master Hsuan Hua at Long Beach Sagely Monastery. Venerable Master asked a medical doctor to give Prof. Cheng a thorough check up.
Prof. Cheng is a native of Wen An County in He-bei Province. In his early years, he participated in the Buddhist lectures given by Prof. Gu Swei. Later on in Hong Kong he drew near to the Venerable Master Hsuan Hua. They have enjoyed a close and deep friendship for over fifty years. Prof. Cheng has a whole-hearted, sincere admiration for the Venerable Master. He said, "The Venerable Master never talks about spiritual penetrations. He appears quite ordinary, yet as soon as he learns something new, he immediately puts it into practice, and that is not easy!"
After he left Hong Kong, Prof. Cheng went travelling in Asia, Europe and America. He has been a faculty member at Iowa State University for over twenty years, because his scholastic attainment in Buddhist Sutras and Chinese culture is deep and profound. Currently he is teaching classes in Chan, Chinese Literature and Philosophy. Prof. Cheng has published many books, and among them, Mr. Cheng's New Talks On Chan is the most popular.
Being upright and humble, Prof. Cheng by nature is usually cautious in speech and modest in his actions. He leads a simple and frugal lifestyle. Staying at home, he works in the bustle of the world yet he remains far away from the dust. His life is as secluded as that of a left-home monastic. He has no contact with the outside world: he writes no letters, makes no phone calls, and does not watch television.
Regarding this modern troubled world, Prof. Cheng totally agrees with the Venerable Master's reform of education and his endeavor to enlighten people's minds. For such taciturn person as he, Prof. Cheng said that the conversation he enjoyed during this visit with the Ven. Abbot surpassed the total number of words he would usually say for half a year. This also helped him recover from his sickness! |
