臺灣的疫情正逐漸趨緩，民眾經歷了近三年的防疫教育，皆能以平常心視之，學會了如何回歸正常生活和修行。慶祝觀世音菩薩出家的觀音七法會，於10月9日至15日在南臺灣六龜山區的法界聖寺舉行，首日有四十位信眾前來參加。
The pandemic in Taiwan is gradually slowing down. After nearly three years of epidemic prevention education, people are able to see it with equanimity, and learn how to return to normal life and practice. The Guanyin session to celebrate Guanyin Bodhisattva’s leaving-home was held from October 9 to 15 at the Dharma Realm Sagely Monastery in the mountain area of Liugui, southern Taiwan. Forty followers came to participate on the first day.
觀音七的最後三天，近永法師正好回臺，也來隨喜參加，永法師風趣的說，這三年來，他都是透過電腦對信眾說法，只有回到臺灣，才能真實的面對信眾說法，倍感親切，這足以證明臺灣防疫的成功。
During the last three days of this Guanyin session, Dharma Master Jin Yong happened to return to Taiwan, and he also came to join in. Dharma Master Yong said that for the past three years, he has been speaking Dharma to disciples online. Only when he returns to Taiwan can he truly speak to the followers in-person. He said, “I feel connected with everyone here, which is enough to prove the success of Taiwan’s epidemic prevention.”
2018年，在一次平常法會中詢問居士，如果有十位居士願意打觀音七，就可以像聖城一樣每年也打三次觀音七，當時竟有十五位居士舉手表示願意，因此從2018年觀音菩薩成道開始舉辦觀音七。近三年雖然有疫情，但觀音七卻只中斷了三次，現在已是第十一次了。
In 2018, I asked if ten lay people were willing to participate in a seven-day Guanyin session, we could hold a Guanyin session three times a year like the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas does. At that time, fifteen lay people raised their hands to express their willingness. Hence, the senven-day Guanyin session has taken place since the week celebrating Guanyin Bodhisattva’s Enlightenment in 2018. Although there has been an ongoing Covid-19 pandemic in the past three years, the Guanyin session has only been interrupted three times, and now we are having the eleventh session.
如同聖城般，住宿於道場內的居士，從早課到晚課乃至聽經，法會行程相當緊湊，這四年多來參加者卻相當踴躍，尤其是幾位七十五歲以上的長者，更是全程參加，一點也不怕辛苦。
Just like the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, laypeople who live in the Way-Place, attend from morning recitation until evening recitation and also listen to sutra lectures. The schedule of the Dharma session is quite intense. Over the past four years, the participants have been very enthusiastic, especially several elders over the age of seventy-five, who still participated in the whole session, unafraid of the hard work.
因法界聖寺位在半山腰，面對六龜盆地，故早課調整為五點鐘舉行，以免音聲迴盪影響沉睡中的居民。住在道場內的男眾，於凌晨四點萬籟俱寂時就在佛殿打坐，開始一天中的修行，而居住在雙龍院的女眾則在五點前上山參加早課。
Since Dharma Realm Sagely Monastery is located halfway up the hill, facing the Liugui Basin, the morning recitation was adjusted to 5 o’clock to avoid the reverberation of the sound from disrupting the sleep of the residents in the surrounding neighborhood. The men living in the monastery start their day by meditating in the Buddha Hall at 4:00 in the morning, when everything is silent. The women living in Double Dragon House go up the mountain before 5:00 to attend morning recitation.
女眾一開始是租用民宿解決住宿問題，之後則租了一棟二層樓民宅。或許是參加者誠心所感，兩年半前，位於法界聖寺前方的一棟民房要出售，離山門只有三分鐘，我們把握此良機買了下來，命名為｢雙龍院」，成為女眾寮房。
The women first rented a B&B (Bed and Breakfast) to solve the accommodation problem, and later rented a two-story private house. Perhaps because of the sincerity of the participants, two and a half years ago, a private house located in front of Dharma Realm Sagely Monastery was for sale, only three minutes away from the mountain gate. We seized this opportunity and bought it, named it “Double Dragon House”, and it became a dormitory for women.
這棟房舍蓋得很堅固，建材也相當講究，有五十坪大，五個房間，其中四個房間是通舖，最多可住25人。為何取名｢雙龍院」？因在1990年代，女眾正法佛學院曾暫時遷移到法界聖寺，當時攜帶了｢疾修快度龍王蓮位」來此護國護僧之故。上人住世時，心繫臺灣之安危，也把戶籍設在法界聖寺，讓我們感受到有一股力量時時都在守護著臺灣，上人之慈悲，由此可見一斑。
This house is solidly built, and the building materials were carefully considered and chosen. It is about 1,780 square feet in size and has five rooms, four of which are bunk rooms. It can accommodate up to twenty-five people. Why is it named “Double Dragon House”? Because in the 1990s, the Women’s Proper Dharma Buddhist Academy temporarily moved to Dharma Realm Sagely Monastery, and brought the “Speedy Cultivation and Fast Crossing over Dragon King” Lotus Plaque here to protect the country and protect the monks. When the Venerable Master Hua lived in this world, he cared about the safety of Taiwan, and gave his Taiwan residence as Dharma Realm Sagely Monastery. This made us feel that there is a force guarding Taiwan at all times. The Venerable Master’s compassion is evident from this.
這幾年來，全世界的變遷越來越大，疫情衝擊了人類的生活，極端氣候的影響，水災、火災、地震、海嘯到處肆虐；還有殘酷的戰爭，奪走無數人的生命，城市家園都毀壞了，人們顛沛流離，但面對這些無情的變遷，人類幾乎束手無策。唯有佛法才能在亂世中，給眾生帶來希望與光明。觀世音菩薩的大悲法門，正是解決這種種危機的妙方，因此我們要常念觀世音菩薩聖號，勤誦〈普門品〉和〈大悲咒〉，來幫助世界上所有的眾生，早日離苦得樂，因此法界聖寺也會藉著一次次的觀音七，使觀音菩薩的大悲水遍灑於這苦難的世界。♦
In the past few years, the world has undergone more and more changes. The pandemic has impacted human life. The consequences from extreme weather, floods, fires, earthquakes, and tsunamis are raging everywhere. There are also cruel wars that have claimed countless lives. Cities and homes are destroyed; people are displaced, but in the face of these relentless changes, human beings are almost helpless. Only Buddhism can bring hope and light to all living beings in troubled times. The Great Compassion Dharma Door of Guanyin Bodhisattva is the wondrous way to solve these kinds of crises, so we should always recite the holy name of Guanyin Bodhisattva, recite the “Universal Door Chapter” and the “Great Compassion Mantra” frequently, to help all sentient beings in the world leave suffering as soon as possible. Therefore, the Dharma Realm Sagely Monastery will hold Guanyin sessions over and over again so that Guanyin Bodhisattva’s sweet dew of great compassion can be universally sprinkled on this suffering world. ♦