A Sanctuary for Elderly Buddhists 一位出家法師紀念母親的特殊方式--洛杉磯靈山美佛寺性仁法師

籌建美國第一家佛教養老院 Fundraising for the first ever Buddhist Senior Home in the U. S. 詳細捐款信息和方法 Donation Details： 支票抬頭 Payable to：American Buddhist Fellowship 郵寄地址Mailing Address：1478 E Holt Ave, Covina, CA 91724, U.S.A 咨詢電話 Tel/Zelle Pay：626 213 4563 Gofundme: https://www.gofundme.com/charity/amer... PayPal捐款鏈接：https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_... 微信支付 Wechat Pay：請加meifotemple 本寺網址 Website: www.meifo.org 查詢郵件 Email：[email protected]或[email protected] The construction planning for the Buddhist Senior Home at American Buddhist Fellowship in California is now officially underway, marking the first-ever Buddhist care facility for the elderly in the United States. Let me share with you the profound compassion and vision behind Venerable Master Xingren’s initiative to establish this senior home. Growing up in poverty, Venerable Master Xingren’s parents were in poor health and unable to work in the countryside. The family often struggled to have even one full meal. He left home to become a monastic as a teenager . Later, he went on to study at a Buddhist academy, deepen his practice, and travel widely to learn and cultivate the Dharma. With his demanding schedule, he rarely had the chance to care for his ill mother. After giving birth to him, his mother developed severe asthma, suffering greatly during flare-ups and often unable to sleep through the night. As a child, his greatest wish was that someday, if he had money, he would take his mother to a hospital for proper treatment. But even after becoming a monk, that wish remained unfulfilled. Until she passed away from illness over a decade ago, he was unable to be by her side—not even for a final farewell. Reflecting now on the ancient saying, “The child wishes to care, but the parent is already gone,” the Master often shares his thought: he is deeply grateful that in this life he was able to become a monk, teach the Dharma, and connect with so many beings. Perhaps what he has gained far outweighs what he has lost, but what is lost can never be replaced or recovered. Throughout history, balancing filial duty and greater purpose has rarely been easy. This remains the deepest pain in the Master’s heart, the one regret he finds hardest to release. His mother’s passing struck him profoundly, often pulling him into self-reproach and guilt over what he felt like selfishness. Yet those of us who know him understand that this very regret—this “small love” he could not fulfill for his parents—has transformed into a boundless compassion for all beings. The guilt he carries for his mother has become a vow: to practice kindness without condition and empathy without distinction. This is the true origin of his vision for the senior home, perhaps, in his own words, the most personal and heartfelt wish he holds within. Every Mother’s Day, and in life’s most difficult moments, the Master cannot help but think of his mother—of her suffering and her greatness. Countless nights he has seen her in dreams, only to wake and find his pillow soaked with tears. That longing he channels into selfless compassion and service, dedicating himself to the Dharma, ever mindful of the suffering in this world. By helping those most in need, he honors the deep love and sacrifice of the mother who raised him. And he often says: if his mother’s spirit now watches from above, knowing he is building a senior home in America, she must surely feel pride and joy. Venerable Master Xingren understands well how difficult it is to establish a non-profit Buddhist senior home in the U.S.—one that serves the elderly poor and those without family to care for them. This is precisely why it will be the first of its kind. From the immense cost of construction—the “hardware” to the ongoing operation, management, and caregiving—the “software”, the challenges ahead will likely surpass anything we can imagine. Yet for a monk of such noble spirit, one who seeks not for his own comfort but the liberation of all beings from suffering, these obstacles are simply a call to go where the suffering is greatest and where help is needed most. We lay practitioners have been moved deeply by Venerable Master Xingren’s great compassion and virtuous conduct. We sincerely appeal to compassionate individuals and organizations in the wider community to join us in supporting the construction of the American Buddhist Fellowship Senior Home. Many grains of sand can build a pagoda. It is through the collective efforts of many that such a monumental project can come to life. Amitabha！