昨天 (2016年9月24日) 我參加了華藏寺在Palo Alto舉辦的大悲觀音加持法會. 一開始我就大概有一個概念這個會是一個什麼樣的法會, 因為我有讀過別人寫的一些分享, 而且我爸爸媽媽和阿姨以前參加過大悲觀音加持法會, 他們也有跟我分享經驗. 我就想我好像應該儘量放鬆, 然後不要去管別人在做甚麼, 不然就可能不會有自己的感受. 所以我走進道場就告訴我自己一定要靜下心,要放鬆. 但是也提醒自己不管有沒有感受,我還是會收到加持,所以也不要執著. 在等法會開始的期間, 我就靜坐, 讓心靜下來.
若慧法師開始修法後不到一分鐘我就聽見了有人哭泣的聲音, 也聽見了好像有人走過我的身邊. 幾分鐘後, 我自己的手臂感覺酸酸麻麻的, 好像在拉經的感覺, 就好像有一種力量或一股氣把我的右手往右邊拉. 我的右手就很自然的伸出去了. 也有點像我是個布偶, 然後有人把接著我手臂的線拉了一下. 但是這個感覺其實很輕, 如果我的心沒有定或者我沒有完全把身體放鬆就肯定認為只是手臂累了.
接著我就一直跟著那個又麻又酸的感覺運動我的手和走動. 我還記得好像有人牽著我的手帶我到處走, 我還(親親的)碰到了幾個人和幾面牆. 每次有碰撞時我的手就會轉個方向, 帶我往另一個方向走. 有時候我真的不知道我到底應該怎麼做因為感覺不容易判斷. 有一次我感覺我的手臂往背後生過去, 可是我到底是要手臂這樣彎呢? 還是要往那個方向走呢?
走來走去的過程中, 我聽見了很多聲音, 有人哭, 有人說話, 有人唱歌, 有人彈鋼琴. 我還聽見我媽媽用盡力大聲地唱歌. 我已經離開位子很遠了, 因為她的聲音從蠻遠的地方傳來的. 後來我聽見了至少三個人一起合唱, 配音, 還有鋼琴配奏, 然後有一人大聲地唱著”啊…………….!!!!”一聲至少維持了一分鐘. 整個道場好像變成一個合唱會, 我突然覺得太好笑了,所以我就笑了出來.
過了一段時間, 我發現我在做很多飄動的動作, 像太極還是仙女的舞. 動作還漸漸的變越來越清楚. 能量帶動了手臂, 然後手肘, 然後手腕. 我好像變了更完整的布偶, 有更多的線接了我的手臂的關節.
法會後, 因為我還有課, 所以沒辦法參加放生活動就先離開了. 我在開車的時候, 我就想試一下法會上做出來的動作. 結果沒料到, 我竟然還可以感覺到加持的力量! 我到了停車場就馬上下車, 繼續跳舞跳了半個小時. 後來我在教室等課開始, 我還做出了一些手印. 那天晚上, 我一直跳到十一點多,太累想睡覺才停下來. 我發現只要我靜下心來, 放鬆身體, 我還一直能感覺到這個加持力量, 手臂就會開始運動.
今天下午我又試著跳一次. 沒想到, 能量不僅還在, 而且還變得越來越發達. 我做出更大的動作, 有時彎腰, 轉圈; 動作也變得更精緻, 到手指間都能感覺得到. 好像是有仙女在教我她們的舞, 然後我越練越熟呢!
我很感謝諸佛菩薩的加持. 我想把參加法會的功德迴向給我沒有機會放的生.
— 林家麗
Reflection for Attending Dharma Assembly on Saturday, September 24, 2016
Yesterday (September 24, 2016), I attended the Great Compassionate Guanyin Empowerment Dharma Assembly in Palo Alto. I kind of had an idea in mind of what was going to happen because I had read stories about some people’s experiences at similar Dharma assemblies. Also, my parents and my aunt who had attended Great Compassionate Guanyin Empowerment Dharma Assembly in the past have told me about their experiences. I had the impression that I needed to have a relaxed and peaceful mind in able to receive instructions from the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, so I entered the auditorium telling myself that I will try to be very relaxed. But I also told myself that no matter whether I feel something or not, I will for sure receive a big empowerment, so I am very blessed to be there and will have no expectations. While waiting for the Dharma assembly to start, I did some meditation and practice to calm my mind.
Later, Dharma Master Ruohui started practicing the dharma, and within just a few seconds I heard someone start sobbing; I also heard someone walking past me. After a few minutes, I felt some tingling in my right arm—a slightly sore feeling like I am stretching out my fingertips. It felt like there was some energy in my arm moving it to the right. So I let my arms move with that energy to the right. It felt like I was a puppet and a puppeteer was pulling on the string attached to my right arm. But it is a much more subtle feeling. If I wasn’t completely peaceful or focused, I would have thought my arm was getting tired.
After that, I just kept following that tingly and sore feeling. I remember walking around a lot and bumping into some people and some walls. Every time I lightly bump into something or someone, I felt my arm leading me in another direction. Sometimes it is very difficult to tell what it is I am supposed to do because the tingling is very subtle, and I only felt it in my arms (not in the rest of my body). One time I felt my arm bending behind my back, but I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to walk in that direction or to just bend my arm backwards.
While I was walking around, I heard a lot of different sounds. I recognized my mom singing at the top of her lungs. I knew I walked far from where I started because her voice was coming from far away. At one point, I heard at least three people, my mom included, singing together in harmony along with the piano, and then I heard someone singing “ah!!!!!!!!!!!…” at the top of her lungs, and sustaining it for what felt like an entire minute. I suddenly thought it was hilarious and so I started laughing out loud.
After some time, I realized I was doing a lot flowing movements with my arms, something like Taichi or some kind of dance. Over time, my movement became more elaborate and refined. I started feeling the energy moving my elbows, then finally down to my wrists. I felt like an improved puppet, with more strings attached to my joints.
After the Dharma Assembly, I had a class to attend, so I was not able to attend the Fish Release. While I was driving to lunch, I thought about trying out some of the motions I did during the assembly to see if I can still remember them. That was when I realized I can still feel the empowerment in my arms! There was still an energy leading my arms! I stopped my car in the parking lot, got out, and continued to dance for half an hour before I had to leave for lunch and class. Later, while sitting in the classroom waiting for class to start, I even did some mudras. That night, I kept dancing until I was too tired and eventually had to go to sleep at around 11am. I realized that if I just calm down my mind and body, I can still feel the energy and I will start moving my arms.
Today, in the afternoon, after I came home from class, I tried again to see if I can still feel the empowerment. To my surprise, not only was it still there, my dancing has become even more refined. I started dancing in bigger motions using my whole body, doing back bends forward and backward and spinning in circles. The motions also became even more refined—I could feel movements down to my fingertips, whereas before it started with my arms, then elbows, then wrists. I feel like angels are teaching me their dance and I am getting better with each practice!
I am very thankful for the empowerment by the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. I want to dedicate all the merit from attending this Dharma Assembly to the fish I did not get to release.
— Minerva Lin