慈航觀音禪寺

文/芳瑜 101. 5. 31

    我是今年高三的應屆畢業生，今年考完學測，在準備大學推甄的時候，我的高一班導師提議能幫我向慈航觀音禪寺的觀世音菩薩許一個心燈。我懷著虔誠的心向菩薩許了願：「希望菩薩能保佑我平平安安、順順利利地去面試，如果可以的話，我真的很希望能夠考上交通大學的外文系！謝謝菩薩！」

    到了交通大學面試的那天，我很不滿意自己的表現，認為自己沒有把該發揮的能力發揮出來。面試完之後，我便下定決心如果交通大學沒有上的話，我就拼七月的指考。這樣忐忑的心情一直到了放榜的那天晚上，父親打電話回家告訴媽媽：「正取第一名！」我當下的第一個反應是尖叫，接著開始否認：不可能！當我自己去查榜的時候，發現真的是正取第一名，我立刻打電話給班導師告訴她這個好消息。

    隔了幾週，我懷著感恩的心和另一個同學去那裡還願，看見志工們齊心協力地合作讓整間禪寺乾乾淨淨的樣子，心裡為自己能參與這次志工活動感到開心。我感激班導師願意為我付出、願意幫助我，即使我已經不再是她的學生，我更感激菩薩保佑我平安順利地去面試，幫助我上了我夢寐以求的大學！

  I am eighteen years old, and I have just finished the college entrance exam.  When I was preparing for the interview for the National Chiao-Tung University, my homeroom teacher offered to help me light up a Prayer-Candle(點心燈) at the temple.  I made a devout wish and prayed to the Goddess of Compassion for blessing me a safe and smooth day on my interview, and if possible, I would really want to get into the NCTU's foreign language department.  Thank you!

  After the interview at the NCTU, I was frustrated by my performance.  I felt that I hadn’t done my level best.  I then made a decision- if I didn't get recuited, I would stick to books until the other college entrance exam in July.  With this fearful feelings, I recived a call from my father, who was on his business trip abroad.  It was a call that changed my life.  He told my mother I was not only recruited but I was also in the first place!  My first reaction was to scream till I couldn't scream anymore, and I immediately picked up the phone, calling my teacher for this fantastic news.

  A few weeks later, with a grateful heart, I as well as a classmate of mine went back to the temple to carry out my vow(還願)- I helped with the cleaning chores there.  Seeing all the volunteers work together as a family to make the temple a better place, I felt proud to be part of the volunteer work, even for just one day.

  I am appreciative of my teacher, who is always there to help when I encounter difficulties, even though I am not longer in her class.  I am also grateful to the Goddess of Compassion for her answering my prayer.  I could’t be thankful enough to them for their helping me get into the college I’ve dreamed over and over again!