北加州萬佛聖城於八月六日（農曆七月十五日），舉行一年一度的「盂蘭盆法會」。當天請出萬佛聖城開山祖師上宣下化老和尚的舍利，以供大眾瞻仰。
根據文獻記載，古印度人稱呼「米粒」為「舍利」。釋迦牟尼佛入滅火化後，有骨子，好像五色珠，光瑩堅固，大小如同米粒，所以稱之為舍利。佛經上也記載著，舍利是戒定慧所薰修，稀有難得，是最上福田。《金光明經》說：「是舍利者，即是修六波羅蜜功德所重。」因此，荼毗後得到舍利，是證明修行人在戒定慧方面有相當的成就。
宣公上人的舍利子有上萬粒，舍利花有千餘，牙齒舍利有十二顆。舍利顏色有素白、槐黃、翠綠、藏藍、靛紫、玄黑等多種，其中有許多凝結在骨頭上的舍利，晶瑩光澤，一如翡翠玉石，十分稀有難得。尤其，牙齒舍利有十二顆，宣公上人的一位弟子感動地說：「上人一生講經說法數萬會，難怪牙齒也燒出舍利！」另一位弟子也提到：「上人是真語者！實語者！所以牙齒都燒出舍利來。」 |
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On August 6 (the fifteenth of the seventh lunar month), the annual Ullambana Festival was held at the Sagely City of Ten Thousand Buddhas in northern California. On that day the sharira (relics) of the late Elder Master Venerable Hsuan Noble Hua, founder of the Sagely City, were placed on public display.
According to historical records, the people of ancient India used the term “sharira” to refer to rice grains. After Shakyamuni entered Nirvana and his body was cremated, there were bone relics resembling five-colored pearls, luminous and hard, about the size of grains of rice, and they were called sharira. It is recorded in the Sutras that sharira are gained through being permeated by the cultivation of precepts, samadhi, and wisdom. They are very rare and serve as supreme fields of blessings. The Sutra of Golden Light says, “Sharira are what is important in the merit and virtue of cultivating the Six Paramitas.” Therefore, the appearance of sharira after cremation proves that the cultivator has considerable attainment in precepts, samadhi, and wisdom.
The Venerable Master Hua’s sharira number over ten thousand. There are several thousand clustered sharira and twelve teeth sharira. The sharira are white, light yellow, green, blue, purple, black, and other colors. Some of the sharira which are formed on the bones gleam like green jade; they are particularly rare. There are twelve teeth among the sharira. One of the Venerable Master’s disciples was moved to say, “In his life, the Venerable Master lectured on the Sutras and spoke Dharma in several tens of thousands of assemblies. No wonder his teeth have become sharira!” Another disciple commented, “The Venerable Master only speaks true and actual words. That’s why his teeth have become sharira.”
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