文／蓮生活佛 盧勝彥
那一天，走出「葉子湖」之住所，就在山林「經行」，念念佛、持持咒，沒想到，自己一個不小心，踩到了一堆狗屎，心中想，今天真是霉氣，狗屎運的人，總是踩到狗屎。
回到住的地方，脫下涼鞋，先洗狗屎，其臭無比，用筷子挖，用布擦，用水洗，不亦樂乎！
那天，我入三昧｜｜
我顯現大活佛之相，坐在最高的法座，向眾生說法，我說：「冤親債主是我們修行的助伴，我們行者要慈悲怨親債主，他們逆加持我們得菩提，逆加持我們成道果，此恩至大，應該感恩，同時，誓願他們得度化，由痛苦得解脫。」
我說完法，眾等列隊祈求我的加持，我一個又一個的摸頂，一個又一個的灌頂。
但，我聽到幾位說悄悄話：
「我不相信這位活佛，冤親債主，還要感恩？」
「以牙還牙，以眼還眼，這才現實。」
「活佛講肖話（瘋話）。」
「我們不要去給他灌頂。我們設計來害他，把這位活佛害個死去活來，哈哈！」
我聽了這些話，心中難過的要死，覺得眾生難度，不如自己壽終正寢，入涅槃算了，心已成灰，意也全冷，還發什麼菩提心，不捨一個眾生？
正當此時，觀世音菩薩在我三昧中，現了身，對我說：「蓮生你又踩到一堆狗屎了，人間處處有狗屎，你要忍辱啊！要更精進啊！」
菩薩又說：「就算佛陀，也會遇到提婆達多，不願受度化的人。」
我釋然，合掌敬禮菩薩。
在三昧中，我翻看自己的涼鞋。
哈！果然又踩到了狗屎。又得洗了。
於是，我不分日夜都不懈怠，精誠勤奮的入三昧中救度眾生及說法，固然信眾愈來愈多，獲拯救的人也很多，但不受度化的亦有。
但，我不管了！
stepping in a Pile of Dog Feces
Written by Living Buddha Lian-sheng, Sheng-yen Lu
Translated by Cheng Yew Chung
Edited by Jason Yu Proofread by Lufang Hsiung
www.tbtts.org
One day I left my house in Leaf Lake and went for a walk in the forest, chanting the Buddha’s name and mantras along the way. However, I was careless and stepped into a pile of dog feces. I thought to myself, what rotten luck! A person down on his luck is sure to step on dog feces.
I returned to my house, took off my sandals and washed away the unbearably stinky dog poop. I used chopsticks to scrape, a rag to clean, and water to wash the sandals, happily cleaning away!
That day, when I entered in samadhi, I manifested into the form of a Living Buddha, and seated on the highest dharma throne, delivering a sermon to sentient beings. I said, “Karmic creditors are companions for our cultivation, and we must show compassion to them. Their hindrance blesses us to attain bodhi. Their hindrance blesses us to attain fruition. We should be grateful for their enormous help. At the same time we must vow to deliver them so that they may be liberated from their pain.”
After my sermon, the group of beings lined up to request my blessings, and I placed my hand on each head and gave each and everyone an empowerment.
Yet, I could hear some of them whisper, “I am not buying what this Living Buddha says about karmic creditors. Are we supposed to be grateful?”
“An eye for an eye. That’s being realistic.”
“The Living Buddha is talking nonsense.”
“We should not receive his empowerment. We should set him up and give him a hell of a time. Ha! Ha!”
I was very hurt upon hearing these words. I feel that sentient beings are difficult to deliver, and I might as well just die and enter into nirvana. I felt very disheartened, leaving me with little reason to generate bodhicitta and not forsake sentient beings.
Then, Guanyin Bodhisattva appeared in my samadhi and said to me, “Lian-sheng, you have stepped into another pile of dog droppings. These dog feces abound in the human world, and you must bear with it, and you must forge ahead!”
The Bodhisattva added, “Even the Buddha himself would meet a person like Devadatta who refused his deliverance.”
I felt relieved upon hearing the words, and put my palms together to pay homage to the Bodhisattva.
While still in samadhi, I took a look at my sandals and realized I had stepped on dog feces again, and my sandals would require another round of cleansing.
Hence, I continue to work day and night, entering frequently into samadhi to deliver sentient beings and give dharma talks. Despite the fact that my followers are gaining in numbers, and many among them have been saved, there remains those who refused any deliverance.
But I just have to go on regardless.
