觀音聖號感應記

曾敏怡

一九九八年一月四日，家母身體不適，原以為是感冒，未料兩天之後，症狀轉劇。一月六日下午，家父緊急開車送醫，途中家母高燒、顫抖、囈語，且數度欲開車門，情況甚為緊急。家父邊穩住家母，邊要她齊聲唸誦「觀世音菩薩」聖號。其間，家中觀音聖像曾在家父眼前一度閃現。車抵台北陽明醫院急診室，在尚未施打點滴前，家母竟悠悠轉醒。醫生診斷為腎結石導致輸尿管阻塞，兼腎盂發炎，故尿液、血液均嚴重感染細菌。住院首夜，及返家療養期間，均曾一度緊急。家父皆一邊安撫，一邊默念菩薩聖號，助家母度過危機，後來，家母的健康狀況也終於漸入佳境。　　

同年一月廿九日（大年初二），家父因誤食野生植物（台語叫「過貓」）而劇烈嘔吐；吐出物中混著鮮血，狀甚嚇人。然因年假期間，醫院只提供緊急處理及簡單藥物；雖不再嘔血，卻無法有效紓解腹痛。在情況不明之下，只能在家憂心忡忡地等待年後作較詳細的檢查。但家父仍竟日腹絞不止。二月一日夜裡輾轉難眠之餘，唯有一心持誦觀音聖號，好不容易在朦朧入睡之際，竟夢見一人拿來食物，要家父服下，並告家父曰：「你都好了啦！」。家父旋即驚醒，確感腹中不適全消；搖醒家母告知此夢及病況後，隨即呼呼大睡。隔日到醫院正式診療，醫生告知除輕微胃炎外，並無大礙。　　

信仰能安定人心，而觀世音菩薩的名號更為世人所普遍熟識。然而，菩薩悲願深遠宏大，除給予信心外，尚緩病痛、紓急難。此若非親身經歷，很難令對醫療科技深信不疑的現代人相信。我們一家人何其有幸，先後得菩薩護佑，特為此記，願使更多人共體佛、菩薩之妙法。　　

此次家父母數度病急，承林鈺堂博士在美國多次祈禱迴向，使我們全家能步出陰霾，謹向林博士致萬分謝意。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　女兒　研究生
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　曾敏怡　謹記
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　一九九八年二月五日於台北

小跋

曾居士平日深居簡出，投入於念佛、靜坐及《金剛經》之持誦，又熱心佛法之服務及佛書、佛像之寄贈。因此在急難關頭，易於感得菩薩之特殊加被。願見聞此記的人，都能增長對佛陀及佛法的信心，而努力於實修。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　林鈺堂
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　一九九八年二月五日
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　養和齋　　　於加州

Inspirational Record of the Holy Name of Guan Yin

Zeng Minyi

On January 4, 1998, my mother did not feel well. Initially we thought it was just influenza, but the symptoms suddenly aggravated after two days. In the afternoon of January 6, my father urgently drove her to hospital. On the way, my mother was in high fever, shivering, and murmuring; she wanted to open the car door several times, and the situation was quite severe. My father calmed her down on one hand, and asked her to chant the holy name of Bodhisattva Guan Shi Yin together. During that period, the holy image of Guan Yin worshiped at home briefly appeared once to my father. When the car reached the Emergency Room of Taipei Yang Ming Hospital, even before intravenous injection, my mother had slowly come to her senses. She was diagnosed to have ureter blockage due to kidney stones, and pelvis infection; hence both her blood and urine were seriously infected. There were times of emergency both during the first night of her hospitalization and when she was discharged back home for recovery. Whenever that happened, my father always calmed her and silently chanted the holy name of the Bodhisattva at the same time, in order to help my mother get through those crises. My mother's health situation gradually improved a lot.

On January 29 in the same year (second day in Chinese New Year), my father vomited severely after he had eaten some wild plants by mistake; the stuff he threw up was mixed with fresh blood, a scary scene indeed. However, since it was during New Year holidays, the hospital provided only emergency treatment and simple medication. Though he stopped vomiting blood, the treatment could not effectively relieve his abdominal pain. The pain lasted throughout the day and my father was worried, but he could only wait until the public holiday was over for a detailed examination to clarify his internal situation. In the night of February 1, he could not fall asleep in bed, so he concentrated on chanting the holy name of Guan Yin. When he gradually fell asleep with much difficulty, he dreamed of a person that came with some food for him to eat, then that person told my father, "You are already cured!" My father woke up immediately and indeed the abdominal discomfort disappeared completely. He woke my mother up to tell her about the dream and his condition, and right away fell sound asleep. The day after, when he went to the hospital for a proper treatment, the doctor said there were nothing serious other than a minor gastritis.

Religious belief can pacify people's mind. The name of Bodhisattva Guan Shi Yin is especially well known to people in the world. Nevertheless, the compassionate vows of this Bodhisattva are so vast that, besides providing faith and comfort, He would relieve sufferings from illnesses and urgent calamities. Without any direct experience, it would be difficult for modern-day people who have deep-seated trust in medical technology to believe in such supernatural possibilities. Our family is so fortunate to have been cared and protected by the Bodhisattva, hence we recorded it with the hope that more people will experience the wondrous Dharma of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

These few times when my parents' illnesses turned critical, we were blessed by repeated prayers of Dr. Yutang Lin in USA, and consequently our family could eventually walk out of the clouds of misery. Here we would like to express our sincere gratitude to Dr. Lin.

Cordially recorded by the daughter
Zeng Min Yi, a graduate student
On February 5, 1998 in Taipei

Epilogue

Upasaka Zeng lives a simple life and is devoted to chanting Amitabha, meditation and recitation of the Diamond Sutra. He is also keen on services to the Buddha Dharma and mailing out Buddhist books and images for free. Therefore, at the juncture of grave emergency, it is easier for him to inspire special blessings from the Bodhisattva.

May all that have read this record will increase their faith in Buddha and the Dharma and hence would practice diligently.

Yutang Lin
February 5, 1998
A Study for the Cultivation of Harmony, California

Translated by Stanley Lam
May 8, 2002, Hong Kong

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