2011年5月20日，心中牵挂仁炟老法师的朝山近况，约了一佛友，去山东省博山正觉寺看望这位年近七旬的朝山僧。由于老法师腿伤未愈，每天朝拜完一段路程，老法师都要回寺院做治疗。 It was 20.05.2011, my mind was so much on Ven. Ren Da and his prostration pilgrimage. I called a Buddhist friend and we visited Ven. Ren Da at Zhengjue Temple, Boshan, Shandong Province. Ven. Ren Da who was 70-year old had injured his leg sometime ago and was still under treatment. Due to that, everyday he had to go back to the temple for his treatment after he had prostrated some distance of the pilgrimage.
晚上十点进了寺院，下了一天雨，寺院的地上一片泥泞。见到跟香义工第一句话就问：今天老法师朝山了没有？跟香义工的话很简单：风雨无阻。记得朝山起香的第一天，弟子们恳请师父下雨时不要拜，老法师欣然答应。而这天一上午都是小到中雨，九点钟左右，雨还下的特别大，让我对老法师这天的朝山状况有些担心。 When we reached the temple, it was 10 p.m. The surrounding was quite muddy after a day-long rain. On seeing the attendant of the pilgrimage, we quickly asked, “Did Venerable go for his prostration pilgrimage this morning? “ He replied, “Of course, regardless of rain or shine! “ Both of us were stoned there for a split of second at hearing the answer. I could still remember that on the first day of pilgrimage two months ago, the devotees earnestly requested Venerable not to go for his three-step-one-prostration on rainy days. The old Venerable consented joyously then.
立即询问跟香义工拜了多少拜，回答是：411拜。这个数字，对于一个腿伤未愈的70岁老人来说，让我难以想象。结果，第二天就让我亲眼目睹了仁炟老法师和信众在风雨中朝山的全过程。 Despite the fact that he was 70-year old with leg injury and it was raining heavily yesterday, Venerable still managed to complete 411 prostrations. It was really hard to believe that. However, I had the honour to witness the whole event of prostrating in the rainy-muddy water by a group of pious pilgrims the next day.
2011年5月21日早上5点30分，天下着毛毛细雨。只见老法师身穿黑色雨衣、雨裤，脚上穿了一双黑色的工业用大水鞋。26位跟香信众有的穿雨衣、有的打雨伞，跟在法师的后面，准备起拜。 It was 5.30 a.m. 21.05.2011, and it was drizzling. Venerable put on his black rain coat and a pair of boots used by factory workers. Behind Venerable were a group of 26 pilgrimage participants. Some of them put on their rain coats while others held their umbrellas; all ready for the prostration pilgrimage.
和上次见到的情景一样，老法师推着他的轮凳，站到了莱芜市和庄镇上佛杨村昨天最后一拜画的记号前。口中念了三声南无十方三世一切佛法僧三宝，念了三声南无本师释迦牟尼佛，开始起拜。 Venerable held on to his prostration cart, stood at the spot where he had finished the last prostration yesterday at Fo Yang Village, Laiwu City. After reciting three times of salutation verses to the Triple Gem (Paying Homage to all the Buddhas, Dharma and Shangha), followed by three times recitation of Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Samma Sambuddhassa (Homage to the Blessed One, the Fully Enlightened One), he started the prostration process.
雨比刚才大，密密麻麻地下个不停。路边的小树上，晶莹的雨珠从枝叶上滚落下来，把地上砸了一个个小坑。这时，朝山路很静、很静，老法师轮凳的咕噜声，听起来格外清晰。老法师身穿笨重的防雨服，迈起步来、弯下腰去非常吃力，不一会儿脸上就冒出了细细的汗珠。 The rain became heavier as the pilgrims carried on with their pious prostration. Crystal-like rain drops rolled down from the leaves of the trees beside the road, leaving some muddy puddles on the pilgrims’ way. It was quiet. So quiet that the sound made by Venerable’s cart-cum-prostration-cushion seemed to be extra-ordinarily loud and clear. With the clumsy raincoat, Venerable had to apply extra effort in the prostrations, just after a while, sweats were seen on his face.
仁炟法师和跟香的信众说：“今天又是一个雨天，你们就不要跪拜了，在我的后面跟着打个问讯就可以了。昨天和今天的雨都是甘露，正觉寺的五百米深井和600立方米蓄水池昨天已经浇筑完工了。下上两天雨，给蓄水池天然的养护，这是百年大计的好事啊。” 跟香信众听了老法师的话很受鼓舞，纷纷表示：老法师拜多少我们就拜多少，一个也不能少。 Ven. Ren Da told the participating pilgrims compassionately, “It’s a rainy day, you all need not prostrate, just hold your palms to pay homage will do. “ He took a short pause and continued, “The physical construction of the 500-meter well and 600-cubic meter reservoir in Zhengjue Temple had just been completed. The rain of both today and yesterday are actually timely sweet dews as the rain water provides a natural protection effect to the well and the reservoir. It’s indeed an auspicious start for the temple’s vital project of Dharma propagation which is expected to last for centuries.” After listening to the Venerable, every participant was deeply inspired and promised to prostrate as many times as Venerable did.
雨水下泥浆中他们是谁？他们是正觉寺的几位精进义工。带着对诸佛菩萨的虔诚之心，带着对恩师仁炟法师的敬仰之心，他们有的是常住义工，有的是业余义工，都在不遗余力地为正觉寺的建设默默无闻地奉献着。 Who were they in such muddy rain water? They were a group of diligent volunteers of Zhengjue Temple who came to contribute with devotion. With their great respect for and appreciation to Ven Ren Da, some of them volunteered themselves as full-timers, some were part-timers. They devoted themselves to the Zhengjue Temple‘s construction project with utmost effort, demanding nothing in return.
孙传英，正觉寺斋堂义工，自仁炟法师从山东省博山正觉寺起拜三步一叩朝拜九华山开始，跟随老法师的叩拜一天也没有落下过。她说：“师父七十岁高龄朝山，很罕见。我得抓住这个大好的机会，多跟师父拜拜。至于家里的生意和其他先往一边放放，等师父朝山回来再说。 Sis. Soon Zhuan Yin, who volunteered to take care of the dining-hall, had followed Venerable’s three-step-one-prostration pilgrimage trip to Jiuhua Mountain from day one until today without any skip. She told me, “It’s indeed rare for a 70-year old monk like him to perform such a pilgrimage, no doubt I should treasure this opportunity of learning from him and prostrate just like he does. As for my family business and other chores, just leave them aside and let go for the time being until we finish the prostration pilgrimage.”
一位不愿意透露姓名的精进义工，负责正觉网络义工培训和正觉快讯的组稿，还有其他琐碎的工作。可以说业余时间大部分用在了义工工作上。当我看到她脸上的泥浆、汗水，问她苦不苦、累不累时，她那灿烂地笑容，让我感到她心中是那么地愉快。她说：“看到了吗？看到了吗？连袖子里都装满了甘露，你说我苦不苦？师父七十了天天在朝山路上，我只有休息日才能来陪陪师父，你说我累不累？”虽幽默却也带点挑战性的话语，让我哑口无言。两句话，体现了这位佛子的直率和坦诚。 Another volunteer who preferred to remain anonymous was in charge of the Temple’s Website training programme. She was responsible for the editing of speedy information unit too. She also rendered her services in the temple’s routine chores. She spent most of her time for the temple. I asked her if the pilgrimage was too tiresome or too tough for her, she answered with a bright and joyful smile, “Did you notice that even both of my sleeves were fully filled with ‘sweet dew drops’? Am I tired? Is it tough? Venerable is 70 years old, yet nothing and no one could stop him. And me? A part-time pilgrim who turned up only on non-working days, do you think I could spare myself any excuse for being tired?” A rivulet of her sweat blended with the muddy-rain drops or rather the ‘dew drops’ trickling down her cheerful cheek. Her reply was humourous, yet there was a sense of challenge and I was speechless. Her words fully reflected her candour character.
他们又是谁？他们是远道赶来的信众。虽有些信众不愿意透露姓名，可当我说明要把他们冒雨朝山的照片登在正觉谈上，让更多的人知道有那么一位老法师正带着腿伤在朝拜九华山的路上时，都高兴地接受了。 And if you wished to know who they were, I could only tell you that they were devotees from afar. Although some of them refused to reveal their names, when I mentioned my intention to put the photographs of their pilgrimage in such rainy muddy condition in the net, so as to let more people know about their practice, especially when they were led by a 70-year old monk with an injured leg, they agreed happily.
9点50分左右，雨渐渐停了，老法师停止叩拜，脱下了笨重的防雨服。我看到老法师套了秋衣、秋裤的衣服几乎全部湿透，只有上衣和裤子的交接处还有一小段是干的。在休息间歇，一位当地74岁的信众，提着煎饼和开水来到法师面前，让法师吃点她亲手摊的小米豆子煎饼。她说：“师父，您辛苦了，泡个煎饼汤吃吧。还有香椿咸菜，吃了可有劲再朝山啊。这么大年纪了，真是不容易啊！” The rain gradually stopped at 9.50 am. Venerable stopped his prostration and took off his clumsy and heavy raincoat. His robes were drenched, except for the small area where the under-robe was covered by the upper-robe. During a short break, a 74-year old female devotee came to offer some pancakes made of millet, beans and peas together with some warm water to Venerable Ren Da. She said, “Dear Venerable Sir, please have some pancake with warm water after the hard work. There was also some salted vegetable. After eating them, you will be more energetic to continue your pilgrimage. It’s no kidding task to prostrate at your age.”
我问她为什么给老法师送煎饼时，老菩萨笑笑说：“师父饥困（饿）了。”我说俺也饥困了，你为什么不给俺吃？俺也想吃，她说：“一霎霎（一会儿）师父就给你，俺给师父送煎饼，一是想供僧朝山，还有一个意思就是煎饼是圆的，师父吃了会圆圆满满地到达九华山啊！” 我终于问出了她的心意。 I asked her why did she offer pancakes and not something else, she smiled and said, “Venerable is hungry.” I told her I was hungry too, why didn’t she give me some? She replied, “Venerable will give it to you in a short while. I offered pancakes for two reasons. Firstly, I simply wished to perform a dana (donation) to a a monk who’s in his pilgrimage. Secondly, there is a Chinese traditional belief that round things symbolize satisfaction and perfection. Pancakes are round and so will be Venerable’s pilgrimage – satisfactory and perfect.” That was her considerate and ideal thought for the sincere pilgrims.
老菩萨的话果然应验。一会儿，老法师就接过老菩萨递过的碗，泡上煎饼，先为一切众生施食，然后同大家一起分享了这寓意深刻的煎饼。 Her words were answered shortly. Ven Ren Da took over the bowl of warm water from the compassionate old lady and dipped the pancakes in it, followed by the chanting of offering verses to all beings, Venerable then shared the meaningful pancakes with all participants.
吃了老菩萨的煎饼，大家都感到体力恢复了不少。又拜了一段路，在莱芜市下崔村，结束了这天的朝山。这一天带腿伤朝山的仁炟老法师总共拜了657拜，是重返朝山路的最高纪录。 After having the pancake, all of us felt much rejuvenated with energy, physically and spiritually. The pilgrimage went on until we reached Cui Village where we called it a day. On that day, Ven. Ren Da managed to make a record of 657 prostrations which was the highest record ever since his return to the pilgrimage after his leg injury.
雨水是遍洒的甘露，泥浆后面是洗刷得更加清澈的心灵！亲眼目睹雨中朝山，感动时刻无以言表，只有默默地祝愿仁炟老法师早日顺利到达九华山，祝愿正觉寺早日建成！明天是星期天，我还要跟老法师朝山，明天又会有什么样的感动，途中又会听到怎样的故事，等待中…… Rain drops everywhere were dew falls all over. It was an extremely good experience in prostrating under the rainy muddy water, it purified the filth, giving rise to a clear and serene self! Deeply moved and touched in the course of witnessing the pilgrimage, an aspiration appeared in my mind: May Ven Ren Da be blessed with a smooth and early completion in his pilgrimage. May the Zhengjue Monastery ‘s construction project be blessed with a speedy progress and completion at its soonest possible. Tomorrow is a Sunday, I will still follow Ven Ren Da‘s path of pilgrimage. What will be tomorrow like? What moving stories will I listen? Looking forward to them….
