..续本文上一页colors, shooting straight up; it turned into a huge canopy, covering the entire crowd.” This amazing event brought Buddhism to a new height. And according to an historical account, 1,460 inpiduals took the Buddhist ordination then and there.

　　In addition, the world-famous Longmen Grottoes are located in your Henan Province. The grottos were hewed and carved starting during the Northern Wei Dynasty and continued to the Northern Sung Dynasty for a span of over 400 years. In Longmen Grottoes there are more than 100,000 statues of Buddha, Bodhisativas, and Arhats the highest number among all the grottoes in China. The statues carved during the Tang Dynasty make up the highest proportion, nearly 60% of the total. Sure, to talk of the grottoes before you locals, it is like showing off my ignorance before an expert. Still, I really admire these sacred treasures of Buddhism, and I respect very much the wisdom of ancient people who left their descendants the most unusual and marvelous treasures. In this day and age, what is there for posterity

　　 Leaving the spiritual aspect aside, let”s take a look at the material resources. Countries like the United States and Japan are wisely protecting their native resources for future generations and choose to import their necessary fuel from abroad. Conversely, people in our country do not hesitate to dig up the irreplaceable underground ore in large-scale, in order to make money and squander excessively. Do they ever care about what will be left for their offspring a hundred years from now

　　 Many current issues like this deserve our careful contemplation.

　　In sum, Henan Province has had a deep connection with Buddhism since ancient times. A good portion of precious human cultural heritage is stored right here, and you should get to know it. Although Henan is nothing like Beijing or Shanghai in terms of a national politics or economic activity, it nonetheless is blessed richly with profound ancient civilization. Such a treasure is very worthy of exploration, and sooner or later it will catch the world”s attention.

　　Through our interaction today, I hope you are inspired to some extent and are eager to find out more about the wisdom and compassion of Buddhism as well as its inconceivable blessings. By so doing, you will ultimately benefit human beings and bring welfare to yourself and others. All in all, our mind”s intention is the master of whatever we do; it charters the direction of all our actions. If the intention is good, all things will be good. If the intention is bad, everything will be bad. This is exactly what the French scholar Victor Hugo (1802-1885) says: “Thoughts can change paradise into hell and vice versa.”

　　Concluding remarks from the organizer:

　　Today we have enjoyed such a wonderful evening all together. As always, a good time passes all too swiftly, and a chance encounter may bring a pivotal turn in our life. Today”s talk by Khenpo So Dargye is exactly such an opportunity of a lifetime.

　　Let us express our sincere thanks to Khenpo with our applause, and please rise to see Khenpo off.

　　[1] Fa Xi taught at universities in India. He had been invited as a visiting professor by Harvard University and Leningrad University, but returned to India as he could not get used to the severe winter weather. Many people, admiring his erudition, sought him out to learn the Pali language and Buddhism, but not for Sanskrit. Jin Kemu, it turned out, was Professor Fa Xi”s only student in Sanskrit; he transmitted entirely all his knowledge to Jin Kemu.

　　[2]There is an account in the book Records of Strange Events from the Zhou Dynasty: During the 24th year (jia yin sui) of Emperor Zhao of Zhou Dynasty, at the time of ping dan shifen on the eighth day of the fourth month, creeks and rivers overflowed their banks, and wells were filled to the brim. A fierce wind suddenly sprang up; the palace, houses, mountains, and the earth quaked. At night a five-colored auspicious light connected the major stars, all the western sky turned dark red. Emperor Zhao consulted Minister Su Qu if and what auspiciousness there could have been. Su Qu replied: “A great sage has been born in the West.” Emperor Zhao asked, “How will the world be affected

　　” Su answered: “To this land, no effect now. But his teachings will come to China a thousand years later.” Emperor Zhao ordered that the event be engraved on a stone tablet and buried at the foreground of a heaven shrine south of the city. Calculating the years, the time predicted coincided with the reigning period of Emperor Min. Hence the minister surmised the golden man must be the Buddha.

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