浪子回头金不换
One Who Returns Home Is Worth More than Gold

居士•刘果福
Upasaka Guo-Fu Liu

When the Venerable Master warned Upasaka Guo Fu ("Fruit of Blessing") Liu in 1983 that he had "very heavy karmic hindrances," Upasaka Liu was not pleased and resolved never to set foot inside the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. But in 1993 he happily brought his family and children to this holy place where "ten thousand living Buddhas will be accomplished." He had made up his mind to draw near a great spiritual teacher and thoroughly reform himself.

一九八三年，刘果福居士因为对师父宣公上人警示「业障很重」四个字，心里非常不服气，因此执意不进万佛圣城；但在一九九三年，他却欢欢喜喜地携家带小，回到「成就万尊活佛」的圣地，决心亲近大善知识，彻头彻尾地改恶向善。

Fortunately during the Jeweled Repentance Ceremony before Ten Thousand Buddhas in 1988, he saw his life flash before his eyes like a film being played backwards--scenes of his doing business with a greed-filled mind, talking crazily, arguing, eating, drinking, and having fun...and he woke up. If he hadn't, who knows how much farther the dissipation would have gone on. By that time he had suffered four cases of stomach bleeding and his skin disease was so bad that no medicine had any effect. The only way to treat it was to "spray-paint" the medicine on layer by layer. It was like a person who foolishly covers up his own mistakes; no matter how serious they are, he thinks he is getting the benefit. No wonder each time Upasaka Liu went to seek the Venerable Master's advice, the Master would say, "No answer," before he could even open his mouth. Actually, it wasn't that the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas were uncompassionate or that the Master didn't care. It was simply that his karmic hindrances were very heavy, but he wasn't willing to admit his faults.

幸亏一九八八年在万佛宝忏法会期间，承佛恩泽被，让他看到自己的过去，就像似一卷快速倒带的记录影片；从事行销业时，利欲熏心、口出诳语、与人争长论短、吃喝玩乐……等的影像，历历如绘，令他醒觉，否则真不知还要荒唐到何等田地。果福居士说，无知是最大的不幸。在那以前，他的胃已严重出血四次，可怕的皮肤病更是恶化成了药石罔效的顽疾，唯一的对治法，是在溃烂的部位「拷漆」，一层一层地把药涂盖上去。这好比人总是愚昧地覆藏自己的过失，不管它有多严重，还自鸣得意。怪不得好几次趋前求师父开解，未及开口，师父即称：「没有答案。」原来不是佛菩萨不慈悲，也不是师父不眷顾。实在是自己的「业障很重」，又不肯坦诚认错所致。

From that time on, Upasaka Liu solemnly wrote down all his mistakes and faults, confessed them before the Buddhas, and resolved to change them one by one. He also vowed to be filial to his parents, to practice in accord with the teaching, to stop killing and become vegetarian, and to distance himself from the greed and defilement of worldly matters. Finally the Master gave him an answer: "I welcome anyone who wants to learn to be good!"

从那时起，刘居士慎重其事地将自已的过错一一记在纸上，在佛前发露，逐条改进。并立誓孝顺父母，依教奉行，戒杀茹素，同时远离贪染世事。每天虔诚礼拜普门品，叩谢师恩，勤加谛听师父浅释经教。皇天不负苦心人，终于师父有了「答案」：「谁愿意学好，我都欢迎！」