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1、InmakingthistranslationoftheKsitigarbhaBodhisattvaSutrafromChineseintoEnglish,Idonotatallsetmyselfupasascholarinthisparticularfield.However,withthegreatmassoftheBuddhistcanonicalliteratureasyetuntranslatedfromChineseintoanyWesternlanguage,someonemustcom
2、eforwardtomakeastartonthetask.Ifsomerecognisedscholarwilltakethistranslationasabasisandimproveuponit,Ishallbehappy.IwishtoacknowledgewithgratitudemyindebtednesstothelateVenerableSumangalofortheconsiderablehelphehadgivenmeinrenderingChineseandEnglishnome
3、nclatureintoSanskritandaidingwiththeEnglishversioninmanydifficultpassages.TheVenerableSusiddhihasalsobeenofgreatassistanceinphrasingtheEnglishversion.Again,VenerableSumangalohasbeenmosthelpfulwithnumeroussuggestionsforimprovingtheEnglishversionandhasgiv
4、enlonghourstothetaskofpolishingtheEnglish.TherehavebeensomecuriouscircumstancesinconnectionwiththetranslationofthisSutra.Perhaps,itiswelltogobacksomefiveyears,toanightin1959whenMadamTanGekNeo,thecaretakerofPohErnSi,thetemplewherethetranslationtookplace,
5、sawamanifestationofTayChongPhorsat(KsitigarbhaBodhisattva).ThetempleisdedicatedtothisBodhisattva,andnootherimageisenshrinedwithinthetemple.MadamTanGekNeocameintotheshrinehallonenight,andwasstartledtoseewhatappearedtobetheBodhisattvainhumanflesh.Thevisio
6、nwasintriplicate,therebeingthreeidenticalfigures.Thevisionlastedforbutafewmoments,andthenvanishedintothethinair.MadamTanisnotknownasanimaginativeperson,andthishasbeenhersoleexperienceofanatureunheardofinthefiveyearsshehasbeeninchargeofthetemple.Accordin
7、gtoheraccount,thevisionwaslifelike,andborethepilgrim'sstaff,whichisalwaysinKsitigarbha'srighthand.Onthel4thofNovember,1959,theVenerableSumangaloofPenang,whowashonoraryabbotofthistemple,cametotakeupatwo-monthsperiodofresidence.WithhimwasanotherAmericanmo
8、nk,theVenerableSusiddhi.Mr.YapKimFattandMr.SawHockSengalsotookupresidenceatPohErnSiatthesametime.AllfourwerebusilyengageduntillateeacheveningatthetaskofpreparingmaterialforuseinBuddhistSundaySchools.Ontheeveningofthe20thDecember,