像觀世音菩薩的她The Lady Who Resembles Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva
那天有這個緣與榮幸，誠心為尼泊爾災難眾生辦了第二次的小型法會。在吾走入了會場時，有位遠道而來的客人向吾介紹她的前同事，一照面就有如見到南無觀世音菩薩。吾這樣的形容，妳你們就可想而知，她那莊嚴的容顏。見了她當然是喜，可是她現在卻「淪落」到娑婆世間，五濁惡世來，就有那麼一點憂。真的是讓我歡喜 讓我憂。
活到這把年紀是有碰見過長得像觀世音菩薩的女子，祇是近年少見了。見到像觀世音菩薩的女子，當然沒什麼好大驚小怪的，問題就在是吾碰見。吾是修行多年的佛 教居士，吾眼睛所見的，呈現在腦海裡的，自然與眾不同。打個比方說，一個人朝吾走來，吾可以「洞察」其身中身後「鮮為人知」的狀況。這也就是吾所謂的與眾不同。
見到那位像觀世音菩薩的女子，吾是有那麼一點兒的感觸。感觸在於每個人都可以是觀世音菩薩，甚至是佛都可以。那為何現實中卻不是呢？因為我們在多世的輪迴 裡，不是每一次的轉世都能碰到大成就者、住世真佛及大善知識。就算是碰到了，也有可能「有眼不識泰山」，而錯過百年千年難逢之因緣啊！也就因為這樣，一世 又一世的無修，再加上造種種的業，又如何不淪落五濁惡世呢？
佛法究竟是什麼？佛法其實就是善法中的善法，教我們如何回歸南無本師釋迦牟尼佛、南無觀世音菩薩的清淨、大樂與自在。這種境界聽起來似乎很遙不可及，其實 根本不然，我們本來自那裡，祇要下定苦功，守戒實修，每個人都有機會回「老家」。從此向生、老、病、死等眾苦說永別了，永遠快樂得不得了。
That day I was blessed with the affinity and honour to sincerely conduct a second mini puja session to pray for victims of the Nepal Earthquake. As I walked into the premise, one overseas participant walked up to me to introduce her ex-colleague. The moment I saw her ex-colleague had me in joy, as her face bears a striking resemblance to the Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva. You can imagine how regal-looking she must be. Alas, she had fallen into this evil world of five turbidities. That brought me some worry. It was a mixed feeling of both joy and worry indeed.
At my age, I have seen many such resemblances, but it has been few and afar the past recent years. To see a lady who looks like the Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva is nothing to shout about. However, as I have been a Buddhist practitioner for many years, what I see through my eyes naturally present a different image from what others perceive. Take for example, as a person walks towards me, I am able to have a penetrating insight of what is happening in and around him. This is the difference between me and the laymen.
When I saw the lady who resembled Guan Yin Bodhisattva, at the puja session, something struck me. I feel that everyone can be Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva or even the Buddha. But why is that not the reality? The reason being that in the midst of our countless rebirths, it is not in every lifetime you get to meet an accomplished Buddhist master, a genuine Living Buddha or virtuous learned masters. Even if you had this affinity, you may not acknowledge the person as the accomplished one, and miss the once-in-a-thousand-year opportunity. Thus countless missed chances and rebirths without spiritual cultivation, coupled with new negative karmic causes planted, how will you not be trapped in this evil world of five turbidities?
What exactly is the Buddhadharma? The Buddhadharma is the most virtuous teaching of all and is the Path that will lead us back to the purity, bliss and freedom of Lord Buddha Shakyamuni and the Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva. The destination may seem far and unachievable but I beg to differ. We originate from that state of being. As long as we put in the hard work to adhere to the precepts and practice diligently, everyone will have a chance to go back “home” and finally bid farewell to the suffering cycle of birth, aging, sickness and death, enjoying eternal happiness.
