祿位武勇或智能，雲長生平未稱尊；
一片赤忱超世間，萬代景仰唯關公。
跋
關公在世時，地位在劉備之下，武勇也有足以匹敵的張飛、趙雲，智能則遠遜諸葛亮。但是千秋萬世到處華人景仰、供奉的，卻唯有他。我想這是因為他在曹營優渥的利祿之中，卻絲毫不為所動，依然秉持赤忱與節義；一有劉備的消息，即推卻一切功名利祿，千辛萬苦護送二嫂，千里投奔。這種超越世間的一片純真，是他歷代備受萬眾自然敬奉為神的主因。
他又有幸於身後，因其英靈蒙法師點化，而成為佛教之護法神明。從此由世間之忠義昇華為菩提道上之慈悲大力，而得世間與出世間之一致敬仰。
近來思及以上道理，弟子心平並不知道，卻夢見我以水墨在如門大之白紙上，畫出雄偉之關公持大刀像。此乃當加以宣揚之瑞兆，因此敬誌前後緣由，以申虔敬之忱。
二○○八年十一月三日
養和齋 於加州
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Pure-minded Guan Gong
Pure-minded Guan Gong Yutang Lin
Official standing, martial vigor or intellectual abilities
General Guan in his lifetime never superseded all others
Wholesome pure-mindedness transcended worldly matters
Generation after generation worshiped only this Guan Gong
Comment:
Guan Gong, during his lifetime, had official standing under Liu Bei, had equals in martial vigor such as Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun, and had far inferior intellectual abilities than Zhu Ge Liang. Nevertheless, generation after generation Chinese everywhere admired and worshiped only him. I think, this is because while he was well accommodated in Cao camp he was never moved by worldly comforts but still held on to pure sincerity and loyalty, and as soon as he learned about the whereabouts of Liu Bei, he declined all worldly fames and wealth, and then escorted Liu's two wives through much hardship on a journey of thousand miles to look for Liu. Such pure-mindedness that transcends all worldly considerations is the main reason why he had been naturally worshiped as a deity by generation after generation of Chinese everywhere.
Furthermore, he was fortunate enough, after he deceased, to have his spirit been guided by a monk to take refuge in the Dharma and became a Dharma protector god. Thus from worldly loyalty sublimated to compassionate power on the Bodhi path, and won universal admiration from both worldly and transcendental spheres.
Recently I thought about the above. Without knowing this, disciple Xin Ping saw in a dream that I drew a Chinese style brush painting of a mighty Guan Gong holding his long knife on a piece of white paper as large as a door. This is an auspicious omen indicating that I should propagate the great pure-mindedness of Guan Gong. Hence, I reverently recorded here all related matters to express my sincere admiration.
Written in Chinese and translated on November 3, 2008
El Cerrito, California
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