雷藏寺的歷史特寫

In 1991, Yanshan Tang had no fixed address. The temple president at the time was Brother Peter Liu. Every Saturday evening, he would rent a room at Summer Hill Community Centre for two to three hours. Together with his Japanese wife Sister Yoko, Brother Colin and his wife Sister Helen, Sister Li Xiuling, Brother Huang (Master Lian Shou) and Sister Huang (Master Lian Shen), and a small group of fellow practitioners, they would gather for group practice with the Eight Offerings, Dharma instruments and liturgical texts. Those who participated included Brothers and Sisters Zhuang Xiuli, Lin Junji, Huang Liqi, Chen Yiliang, Cheng Yaochang, Lin Chunjü, and Lin Cuilain, among others.

1991，嚴山堂沒有固定地址。當時的堂主是Peter劉師兄。他逢星期六晚上在Summer Hill Community Centre租用兩，三小時連同他的日本太太Yoko師姐，Colin師兄及他的太太Helen師姐,李秀玲師姐,黃師兄(蓮首法師)及黃師姐(蓮身法師)連同少數同們一起帶備8供，法器和法本同修。當時參加同修的有莊秀里，林淳基，黃麗琪，陳義良，程耀昌，林春菊，林翠蓮等師兄姐。

By the grace of Grandmaster's blessings, a major benefactress of Yanshan Tang, Sister Li Xiuling, purchased a two-storey property in the Croydon area. She rented out the ground floor shop and unconditionally offered the upper floor to Brother Peter Liu for use as a practice venue. As time went on, Yanshan Tang began to welcome more fellow practitioners who had immigrated from overseas. Master Lian Shang, who had immigrated from Indonesia, also became a guiding teacher for Yanshan Tang. She organised fundraising to acquire new Dharma statues. At that time, Grandmaster instructed that the principal deity enshrined at Yanshan Tang would be Cundhi Buddha Mother. To expand the Dharma activities, Master Lian Shang presided over many small-scale ceremonies and raised a fund for Yanshan Tang.

感恩師尊加持，嚴山堂一位大施主李秀玲師姐，在Croydon區置了一兩層樓物業。她將樓下店鋪出租而樓上無條件給Peter劉師兄作同修用。隨著日子的進展嚴山堂開始有從外地移民來的同門來參加同修。從印尼移民的蓮裳上師亦是嚴山堂的開導上師。她更發動籌款添置一批新的法相。當時師尊指示嚴山堂供奉的本尊是準提佛母。爲了擴展法務，蓮裳上師主持很多小型法會，為嚴山堂籌備了一筆資金。

Under the guidance of Master Lian Shang, together with temple president Brother Zheng Jianming and a group of inexperienced committee members, Yanshan Tang held its first public ceremony in 1993 — a Disaster-Relief, Blessing and Deliverance ceremony — inviting Master Lian Hua Lihui from San Francisco, USA to preside. Prior to the ceremony, consultations were arranged for fellow practitioners and devotees. A group of fifty members from Yanming Tang in Melbourne came for consultations and to attend the ceremony. Just before it began, the presiding Master requested fifty additional sets of offerings, saying that many spirits were waiting to be delivered. The ceremony was extraordinarily auspicious and complete, and over a hundred people took refuge that day.

在蓮裳上師的指導下連同堂主鄭健明師兄及一班全無經驗的理事，嚴山堂於1993年首次向外租借場地舉辦息災祈福超度法會，邀請來自美國舊金山的蓮花麗惠上師主持。法會之前更安排為同門及善信問事。墨爾本嚴明堂一行五十人來問事和參加法會。法會開始前上師更要加五十包白來。她說很多幽靈在等超渡。當日法會非常殊勝圓滿，引渡百多人皈依。

At that time, Leizang Temples were being established all over the world. The number of practitioners coming to Yanshan Tang for group practice grew daily. Around this time, Master Lian Shang had a dream in which Guanyin Bodhisattva instructed her to conduct alms rounds to raise funds for building a temple. She led the way by organising pyjama sales as a fundraiser, and fellow practitioners responded enthusiastically. Venues were subsequently rented to invite Masters Lian Huo and Lian Shi from the United States to conduct consultations, feng shui assessments, and preside over ceremonies.

當時世界各地紛紛建立雷藏寺。來嚴山堂同修的弟子逐日增加。蓮裳上師也於其時夢及觀世音菩薩指示托鉢籌款建寺。於是領頭先以製作睡衣義賣籌款，同門也配合上師的建議積極響應。之後陸續租借場地邀請美國蓮火上師，蓮世上師為同們問事，看風水及主持法會。

From then on, Yanshan Tang made yearly plans to invite masters from afar to propagate the Dharma. In the early days, several senior masters including Master Lian Man, Master Lian Chuan, and Master Lian Zhi were invited to preside over public ceremonies. The funds raised at each ceremony provided tremendous momentum for Yanshan Tang's development into a Leizang Temple.

此後嚴山堂每年有計劃邀請遠地上師前來弘法。早期蓮滿上師，蓮傳法師，蓮緻上師，等幾位資深上師也受邀前來主持對外法會。每場法會集資籌款，對嚴山堂發展成雷藏寺，有着極大的推動力。

As the years went on, the number of practitioners at group practice grew rapidly. Yanshan Tang became completely full at every session, with latecomers having to sit or stand at the stairwell to participate. Then termites were discovered throughout the entire building. Sister Li Xiuling feared the structure might collapse and injure fellow practitioners. She pressed for Yanshan Tang to vacate as soon as possible, while at the same time urging Brother Lin Junji to actively search for a property to build a temple. With the limited funds available at the time, purchasing a property seemed entirely beyond reach.

以後同修與日激增。每當同修嚴山堂座無虛席，擁擠不堪，遲來的同門只能或坐或站在樓梯口參加同修。跟着整棟建築物發現有白蟻。李秀玲師姐恐防樓宇會塌下傷害同門。故此她一方面要嚴山堂儘快遷出，另一方面她催促林淳基師兄積極尋找物業建寺。依當時有限的資金根本沒有能力購置物業。

And then — Grandmaster's blessings came once again!

經師尊再度加持！

In mid-1995, a property in Tempe came up for sale at approximately AUD$380,000. It happened that Master Lian Zhi had been invited to preside over a ceremony at Yanshan Tang. Brother Lin immediately took Master Lian Zhi and Sister Li Xiuling to inspect the property. After viewing it, Master Lian Zhi immediately used Brother Lin's mobile phone to report to Grandmaster. Grandmaster asked how far it was from Chinatown, how long the drive was, and whether public transport was convenient. The Master gave a truthful account. Grandmaster then said over the phone: "Buy it!"

當其時，1995 年中Tempe剛好有一物業出售大約38萬澳元。適逢蓮緻上師被邀為嚴山堂主持法會。林師兄馬上偕蓮緻上師，李秀玲師姐去視察。蓮緻上師看後立刻用林師兄的流動電話向師尊報告。師尊詢問离唐人街多遠，車程多久，交通工具方便與否，上師據實彙報。師尊就在電話說：買下！

Sister Li Xiuling was the temple president at the time. She was well aware of Yanshan Tang's financial situation. Not moving carried safety risks; yet moving required funds they did not have. She therefore proposed to personally donate AUD$100,000 and unconditionally lend the remainder to Yanshan Leizang Temple. At the time, fellow practitioners could hardly believe it, and were deeply grateful for Sister Li Xiuling's extraordinary generosity.

李秀玲師姐當時是堂主。她對嚴山堂的經濟狀況很清楚，不搬，又擔心在舊樓同修的安全問題。於是她提出私人捐十萬而其餘的就無條件借給嚴山雷藏寺。當其時同門都覺得難以置信，也感謝李秀玲師姐的慷慨資助。

And so, Sydney's Yanshan Leizang Temple successfully purchased the current premises at 645 Princes Highway, Tempe, formally becoming Yanshan Leizang Temple. Master Lian Zhi was invited to preside over the consecration ceremony in January 1996 on behalf of Grandmaster. Subsequently, in order to raise funds to repay the loan, Yanshan Leizang Temple — under the leadership of Master Lian Shang and the board of directors — continued to invite overseas masters to propagate the Dharma, and also frequently invited Master Lian Qi, who was then residing in Melbourne, to provide guidance on ritual instruments and preside over ceremonies. Master Lian Qi also donated all offerings received from each ceremony in full to Yanshan Leizang Temple.

於是悉尼嚴山雷藏寺就順利買下現址645, Princes Highway, Tempe正式成為嚴山雷藏寺。並邀請蓮緻上師在1996年1月代表師尊為嚴山雷藏寺開光。此後為籌款還債，嚴山雷藏寺在蓮裳上師及理事會的領導下，除了邀請海外上師前來弘法之外，也常邀請當時居住澳洲墨爾本的蓮祈上師前來指導法器使用，主持法會。蓮祈上師也將每次法會所得的供養全數捐助嚴山雷藏寺。

The treasurer at the time, Sister Yao Suzhen, expressed deep gratitude to all the masters and Dharma teachers who had contributed to Yanshan Leizang Temple. The temple president Sister Li Xiuling, committee members Sister Wang Meiqi, Brother Lin Junji, Sister Huang Liqi, Brother Huang Hongkang, Brother Lu Baokang (Master Lian An), and Brother Chen Yiliang; as well as fellow practitioners and devotees including Sister Ou Jingfang, Sister Wu Yunzhi, Sister Chen Peizhen, Brother Shen Tianlai, Brother Liu Ziqun, Sister Zhao Peixian, Sister Zheng Xiaoyun, Brother Li Tianbao, and many others — all working professionals who contributed both money and effort through hardship and dedication. Committed to using every donated dollar wisely, and through the collaborative effort of all, they steadfastly repaid the debt as funds became available.

當時的財政姚素珍師姐，感恩各地上師，法師對嚴山雷藏寺的付出與貢獻。嚴山堂的堂主李秀玲師姐，理事王美琪師姐，林淳基師兄，黃麗琪師姐，黃宏康師兄，陸寳康師兄（即蓮銨法師）陳義良師兄；各界善信及同門如歐靜芳師姐，伍蘊智師姐，陳佩珍師姐，申添來師兄，劉子群師兄，趙佩嫺，鄭小云師姐，李添寳師兄等都是上班族，刻苦支持，出錢出力。堅持善用各界善信的善款，在大家努力合作下，秉持有多少還多少。

Benefactress Sister Li Xiuling had originally stipulated that the loan be repaid within ten years. Yet Yanshan Leizang Temple repaid the full AUD$280,000 loan just two years later. The united effort of all fellow practitioners in repaying the debt turned the impossible into the possible. Beyond the blessings of Grandmaster Root Guru, it was the devotion and support of all fellow practitioners and devotees that enabled the debt to be fully cleared — merit beyond measure!

施主李秀玲師姐，原本預訂要求10年内還清貸款，嚴山雷藏寺竟在兩年後全部還清李秀玲師姐借出的28万貸款。同門齊心協力的合作還債，使不可能的事變成可能，除了根本上師的加持此外，同門善信的發心與支持，使債務順利還清，功德無量！

Without the unity of all — relying on any one person alone — it would have been impossible to repay the loan in such a short time. Unity and cooperation are essential!

若非大家同心，單靠個人的力量。。。不可在短期内付清貸款！所以團結與合作是必要的！