文／蓮生活佛  盧勝彥

一對皈依我的夫婦，有一位相貌清淨優秀，令人見之歡喜的兒子，然而，兒子卻生了一場大病，在醫藥全無效之下，一命嗚呼哀哉！
夫婦兩對著壇城仰天痛哭：
「兒子走了，我兩人也不想活了，嗚……。」
婦人哭到昏倒在地，送醫急救。打點滴！
先生也悲苦異常，頓覺人生失去意義，原本是彩色的人生，全成了黑色、白色，甚至灰色，全身無力。
兩人相對，以淚洗面。
這種「生離死別」的滋味，我自己可以感同深受。家母離開人間的時候，臨終的一景，歷歷在目，我知道不能哭，在裡面拼命唸「觀世音菩薩」，實在忍不住了，便跑到外面，仰天嚎啕大哭一場，唉！要我不哭，難矣！家母的圓寂，是我心中永恒的痛。
這對夫婦，失去最疼愛的兒子，我可以領會。
但，夫婦倆在大慟之下，撕掉皈依證書，將壇城收取，不參加同修，不修法，不唸佛了。自己關閉自己，不見同門。
我入夢：「那位不是你們的兒子！」
他們都夢見了師尊，同樣的一句話。
然而他們夢見師尊，並沒有歡喜，冷然的互問：「不是我們的兒子，是誰的兒子？師尊，並沒有保佑我們。」
我在「葉子湖」知道此事，心中難過的要命，但，我卻也無能為力，母親的圓寂，我無能為力，弟子兒子的逝世我無能為力，明知「無常」，但我當什麼師尊，不如走了算了！我自己的身體，也無能為力。
後來，我又入他倆的夢：
「我送一個兒子來給你們，跟上一個差不多！這個才是你們的。」
夫婦倆四十左右，果然又懷了孕。
是兒子，滿清秀的。
夫婦倆如久旱逢甘霖，如吃苦久久的人，突然吃了一點蜜，終於活了過來。
他們開始又修法了，唸：「嗡。古魯。蓮生悉地。吽。」
他們重新皈依。
壇城重新布置，煥然一新。

Eternal Grief

　　A couple who took refuge in me had a beautiful boy - he was neat in appearance and was well-liked by everyone who saw him. The boy, however, became seriously ill; all medical treatment was ineffective and he passed away!
　　The couple cried in front of their shrine, saying, "Our son is gone; we have no reason to live...”
　　The wife cried so hard that she fainted. She was rushed to the emergency room, where she was given an intravenous drip.
　　The husband was also incredibly sad and anguished, and felt that life had suddenly lost all its meaning. A life that was originally filled with vibrant color had now turned black and white, even shades of gray; his body felt weak and frail.
　　The couple looked at each other with faces awash with tears.
　　I can deeply empathize with this feeling of parting and loss. When my mother left this world, the scenes during which she breathed her last are still etched vividly in my mind. At that time, I knew I should not cry, and I fervently chanted “Guanyin Bodhisattva.” When I could no longer bear it, I ran out and burst into uncontrollable tears. It was hard not to cry. The passing of my mother is an eternal ache in my heart.
　　I can understand the pain the couple felt upon losing their beloved son.
　　However, in their moment of grief, they tore up their certificates of refuge-taking, dismantled their shrine, stopped attending group cultivation, ended their personal cultivation sessions, and discontinued chanting the Buddha’s name. They shut themselves off from fellow dharma brothers and sisters.
　　I entered their dream and said, “That boy was not your son!”
　　The couple both dreamt of Grand Master and heard the same thing.
　　Although they dreamt about me, they did not feel happy. Instead, they both bitterly said, “If that was not our son, whose son was that? Grand Master, you did not bless us.”
　　I learnt of this incident while at Leaf Lake. I felt very sorry, but I was powerless to do anything about it. When my mother passed away, I was powerless; when the son of my disciples passed away, I was also powerless. Even though I clearly understand impermanence, I was asking myself what kind of master I was. It would have been better if I had gone straight to Nirvana! Even concerning my own health, I am powerless.
　　Later, I entered their dream again:
　　“I will give you another son who is similar to your previous one! This is your true son.”
　　The husband and wife were around forty years old, and the wife really became pregnant.
　　She gave birth to a beautiful baby boy.
　　It was as if rain had fallen after a long drought, just like when a person tastes something sweet after enduring bitter food for a very long time; the couple became alive again!
　　They began practicing the dharma again, chanting, “Om Guru Lian-Sheng Siddhi Hum.”
　　They once again took refuge.
　　The shrine was restored and refurbished, taking on an entire new look.