1-2-6. SACRED AND HOLY OBJECTS庄严圣洁之物

　　When I stayed in Korngaan, there was a family of 4 people, they built a house and bought 2 amulets from another province, each 450 baht, together 900, one for grandpa and one for the son in law. In those days 900 baht was a lot of money. They also bought 2 medalions for protection. But the people living in the house were continuously sick. Even inviting monks to chant didn't help.

　　有一阵子我待在空港(Korngaan)，那儿有一家四口人，他们盖了一间房子，并从别的省买了两个护身符，一个450铢，一共900铢，然后一个给祖父，一个给女婿。在那个年代里，900铢是不少的钱。另外，他们还买了两张佛牌求保佑，但是住在这屋内的人却接二连三地生病，即使找法师来诵经也没什么用。

　　As soon as they heard that I was staying at the monastery nearby, they invited me to chant as I was a meditation monk. At that time, there was an old abbot there who ordained there and built the monastery, he wanted to go with me but I told him that 2 monks is not auspicious, only one monk should go : if he'd go, I wouldn't go. So he ended up not going because he wasn't invited. I went alone, they picked me up with a car to go to their home. Having arrived I asked : 'How long ago was this house built ?'. They said 2-3 years ago and the people living in it, that is, the daughter, the son in law and the wife were sick all the time. Grandpa is the only one healthy. I asked why. They answered that it was a wicked house, there's a ghost in it. I inquired further what they believed in. They said they believed in the Buddha and Dhamma .

　　他们一听说我来到附近的寺院，于是他们因为我是个修禅的和尚，就请我去诵经。那时，寺里有一位老住持，他在这儿出家且盖了这座寺院，他想跟我一起去，但我告诉他两个和尚同去是不吉利的，只能去一位，如果他要去，那我就不去。所以他最后没去，因为他没被邀请。我独自去，他们用车载我到他们家。到了之后，我问：「这房子是多久前盖的？」他们说2到3年前，而且住在里面的女儿、女婿和妻子常常生病，只有祖父健康无碍。我问为什么？他们回答说这是一栋鬼屋，里面有鬼。我进一步问他们信仰什么？他们说他们信仰佛陀及佛法。

　　Then I asked to see the Buddha images they'd bought. They fetched the medalions and amulets for me to see. I asked : 'Can you give them a bath ?'. They informed me they bathe them every year. So I told them to do it. They got out a basin of water to be blessed. I looked at my watch and dumped the medalions and amulets in the water. They soaked for an hour while engaging them in chitchat until they forgot. So I spoke up : 'We've forgotten the Buddhas, they have died !'. They had a shock because they thought they had really drowned. I asked them : 'When you dive in the water, do you breathe ?'. They said they couldn't. I pointed out that a Buddha also dies when He can't breathe .

　　然后，我要他们让我看看他们买的佛像，他们就拿出那两张佛牌和护身符给我看。我问他们：「你们有为它们灌沐吗？」他们回答说每年都有为它们灌沐，于是我要他们去灌沐佛牌和护身符。他们拿出一盆加持过的水给我，我看着手表开始计时，把佛牌和护身符放进水中，然后开始和他们聊天，聊聊聊，聊到他们都忘了时间，佛牌和护身符已经浸在水里一个小时了。然后我说：「完了！我们都把佛给忘了！他们已经淹死了！」他们一听吓坏了，因为他们真的以为佛陀被淹死了。我还故意问他们：「你们潜在水里时能够呼吸吗？」他们回答不能。我就说佛陀不能呼吸的话也一样会死(人没照顾好，祂就会死)。

　　After that, I taught them not to be foolish : Amulets and Buddha images are neither sacred nor holy, they cannot protect people in any way, rather they are people who look after them. They were submerged in the water for over an hour and they couldn't surface at all ! They can't even do that much, and how are they going to help people ? They understood immediately and offered the images to me. I didn't accept them, I would have thrown there away. I told them to sell them back to the owner or somebody who wants them. At least, you get some money which you can use to look after illnesses.

　　接着，我教导他们：「不要愚蠢！护身符及佛像既非庄严的也非圣洁的，它们一点都不能保护人们，反而是人们在照护它们。它们被淹在水里超过一小时，但却连浮出水面都不行。连这样都不行，那它们要怎么帮人救苦救难呢？」他们立刻明白了道理，然后要将那佛像供养给我，我没接受，因为我会把它们给扔了。我告诉他们说可以卖回给原来的卖家或是想要的人，这样至少你们可以换得一些钱用来看病。

　　When they understood all this, I made holy water, having them recite NAMO 3 times and the 3 refuges: BUDDHAM SARANAM GACHAMI etc., translated. Then I explained that YO CHAKKHUMA MOHAMALAPAKADDHO means The Venerable One has the eye of wisdom. The eye of wisdom isn't the physical eye, but it is the eye in the mind, there is wisdom to eliminate the stain of delusion, Moha. This is what can help. Nothing can help you except this wisdom. SAMANGVA BUDDHO SUGATO means one who has gone well, both coming and going well. Not going to get drunk, gamble or visit nightclubs. You should understand it like this.

　　当他们了解之后，我准备了净水，要他们诵3遍赞佛偈和三皈依，并翻译给他们听，然后我解释说：「"Yo Chakkhuma Mohamalapakaddho"是世尊有慧眼的意思，慧眼不是肉眼而是心眼，能流露智慧消除愚痴烦恼(Moha)，这才是真正对你有帮助的，除了智慧没有任何其它东西可以帮助你。"SAMANGVA BUDDHO SUGATO"是说佛陀是善逝者，善来及善去，也就是不喝酒、赌博或到夜店去，你必须这样理解。」

　　Having finished that, I sprinkled the holy water on them until they were all dripping. Then had them mop the floor with the water. I gave them some encouragement saying : 'Rub it well, rub it so that the ghost disappears today !'. Finished rubbing the floor, they showed me human bones, downstairs. I assured them : 'It's not sacred at all, when you burn it, it'll disintegrate, if it was holy, it shouldn't disappear on being burnedt'.

　　说完之后，我就为他们洒净，洒到他们全身都在滴水，然后叫他们利用那些水来擦地板，同时还为他们打打气说：「好好地擦！努力擦！鬼神今天就会不见了！」擦完地板，他们给我看楼下的人骨(闹鬼原因)，我向他们保证：「那根本没什么神圣，你一烧它，它就会毁坏，假如它真的是神圣的，应该要烧不坏才对！」

　　Well, their illnesses disappeared. Hm, people don't understand, their minds are weak and they don't have a refuge, they rely on ghosts, angels etc......

　　总算还好，后来他们的病都不见了。唉！人们总是不了解真相，他们内心脆弱无法依止自心得到庇护，而依赖外在的鬼灵、天神等…