1990年，我到台湾佛学院的隔天，法师引领我去见监学净通法师。净通法师慈悲地开示鼓劢一番，并请法师领我到教室，安排我坐在后排的一个位子。法师给我一本全新的《菩提道次第广论》新书及数盒师父开示的卡带。

这时显得威严的净通法师手捧着一本广论来到我面前，很慎重地告诉我：“以前来过几个年轻人，学广论学没几个月就跑了，广论也没带走，把好好的书给糟蹋了。你就先用这本旧的书，确定要留下来学习后，我再换新书给你。”

我翻开广论一看，字里行间不但画上很多粗细不同的线条，更密密麻麻地写了很多黑色或蓝色的文字。

我内心很难接受：“拿这样的书，怎么学啊？”后来转念想想：“我生在偏远的新加坡，会比那些年轻人来得有福报吗？现在求法，再困苦也要坚持，何况有书、有师父的开示，我一定要坚持而认真地学习，不糟蹋珍贵的教法。”

净通法师给我的这本广论，我视为至宝，走到哪里带到哪里，历经二十五寒暑。每每翻开广论，一看到内页的线条与蓝、黑字体，就想起净通法师的话。

至心感谢净通法师，他给了我刻骨铭心、历久弥新的策励。

文/净远法师

In 1990, the day after I got to the Buddhism Institute in Taiwan, a venerable led me to meet Venerable Jing Tong, who was overseeing the area of learning & development. Venerable Jing Tong compassionately gave an excellent opening teaching and encouragement, and asked a venerable to bring me to the classroom, where it was arranged for me to take one of the seats at the back row. The venerable gave me a brand new “Lamrim Chenmo” book and several boxes containing the tapes of Shifu’s discourses.

At that time, Venerable Jing Tong, who looked dignified and was holding a Lamrim text book, came to me and very cautiously told me, “A few young people came here in the past, and left after learning the Lamrim for a few months. They did not bring the Lamrim with them, but yet caused damages to the good book. You shall use this old book first. After being certain in wanting to stay on and learn, I will change a new book for you. ”

I flipped open the Lamrim text, and saw that not only were there many thick and thin lines drawn in between the sentences, there were many words densely written in it in black or blue ink.

I felt difficult to accept it in my heart, “Given such a book, how do I learn ?” Subsequently, I shifted perspective and thought, “Given that I am born in faraway Singapore, will I have more blessings than those youngsters? To seek the Dharma, no matter how hard it is, I shall persist. Moreover, there is the book, and Shifu’s teachings, I must persist and be diligent to learn, not to ruin the precious teachings.”

This Lamrim text that Venerable Jing Tong gave me, I viewed it as the most valuable treasure, bringing it with me wherever I went throughout twenty-five summers and winters. Whenever I flipped open the Lamrim, seeing the lines and blue, black words in the pages, I would recall Venerable Jing Tong’s words.

I am deeply thankful to Venerable Jing Tong, he had spurred me with unforgettable, timeless encouragement.

By Venerable Jing Yuan