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人物報導－Lorraine Viade—佛光西來的本土菩薩
2023.09.28
【人間社 潘青霞 洛杉磯報導】佛光山西來寺本土信徒 Lorraine Viade，自西來寺口譯組於2018年成立讀書會就參與其中，她以專業的角度確認中翻英內容的精準度，過程耗時費神，輔導法師慧澤法師及成員都一致對她給予「菩薩」的美譽，表示她實踐了佛光山開山祖師星雲大師所說的「給人利用才有價值」，值得學習。
慧澤法師表示，星雲大師在西來寺建寺時，提出佛教要「本土化」，而在本土化的四大重點，第一項就是「語言本土化」。西來寺線上口譯培訓班，目前已有近20位學員加入。除了西來寺口譯組的義工以外，也吸引了北美不同地區的佛光人加入，包括奧斯汀、底特律、聖地牙哥等。希望透過線上口譯培訓班，可以培訓各道場及佛光會口譯人才，協助推動各地的弘法事業。期許更多有雙語能力的佛光人加入，慧澤法師並感謝Lorraine多年來的付出。
西來寺線上口譯培訓班每月進行兩次培訓，學員除了學習《法相》一書的佛學英文辭彙，並聆聽住持慧東法師的開示錄音檔，練習即時同步翻譯，學員字斟句酌，以求內容能被本土人士理解，對中文完全不理解的Lorraine是最佳的諮詢對象，今年她因個人因素需暫時退出，學員表達了不捨與感謝，Ching P.表示，「口譯並不是有趣的事情，需要極大的毅力，我曾數次想放棄，但一看到Lorraine總是耐心的陪伴我們，又讓我有動力堅持下去。」
Lorraine Viade為波多黎各裔美籍人士，出生於天主教家庭，現為洛杉磯縣心理健康部門的主管 (Supervising Psychologist of Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health)，她為遭受虐待或忽視而被安置在寄養家庭中的兒童及家庭提供諮商與資源，部屬稱她為問題解決者(A Solution Finder)，口譯組學員說這跟她在組裡擔任的角色有異曲同工之妙。
Lorraine約於2000年接觸西來寺，她喜歡在寺裡靜謐的氛圍安定身心，進而皈依受戒，在2018年她受邀參與世界佛教美術圖說大辭典 (Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts)英文版校對工作，並加入口譯組。於2015年，她協助西來寺成立以英語孩童為招生對象的的兒童佛學班 (Dharma School for Kids)，2022年改名為三好學園(TAG school)並增設家長班，Lorraine以專長心理健康為家長授課親子關係課程。採訪當天適逢三好學園開學日，Lorraine一驚喜現身，就受到家長與義工歡迎，驚呼連連，互相擁抱，三好學園輔導法師慧澄法師也對Lorraine致上謝意。
「我認同人間佛教的理念，所以我走入人群，以菩薩聞聲救苦為己任，為人服務，雖然過程難免辛苦，但我全心投入並樂在其中」，被問起為何能堅持多年的付出，Lorraine如此回答。
01：Lorraine Viade
Lorraine Viade—A Local Oral Interpretation Bodhisattva of Hsi Lai Temple
Lorraine Viade, a local devotee of Fo Guang Shan Hsi Lai Temple, was a new member when Hsi Lai Temple started a reading group for the oral interpretation team in 2018. With her professional expertise, she ensured the accuracy of Chinese-to-English content, a process that required significant time and effort. Venerable Hui Ze, the guiding venerable and fellow team members affectionately referred to her as a “Bodhisattva,” acknowledging her embodiment of Venerable Master Hsing Yun, the founder of Fo Guang San who taught that “one is valuable when they benefit others.” Her dedication is truly inspirational and worthy of emulation.
Venerable Hui Ze emphasized that since the founding of Hsi Lai Temple by Venerable Master Hsing Yun, he had always advocated for Buddhism to be “localized,” with the first priority being “linguistic localization.” The online interpretation training program now boasts nearly 20 participants, attracting Fo Guang members from various North American regions, including Austin, Detroit, and San Diego. The aim is to train interpreters in various local branch temples and BLIA chapters to support the propagation of Buddhism worldwide. Venerable Hui Ze expressed deep gratitude for Lorraine’s years of dedication.
The Hsi Lai Temple’s online interpretation training program holds two sessions each month. Participants learn Buddhist English terminology from the book “Fa Xiang” and listen to recorded Dharma talks by Abbot, Venerable Hui Dong, honing their real-time interpretation skills. Lorraine, who had no prior knowledge of Chinese, became an invaluable resource for the team, ensuring that the content was understandable to native English speakers. This year, due to personal reasons, she had to temporarily step away, leaving her fellow members both reluctant and grateful.
Ching P. expressed, “Interpretation isn’t an easy task and requires tremendous perseverance. I’ve contemplated giving up several times, but seeing Lorraine patiently supporting us always motivated me to keep going.”
Lorraine Viade, a Puerto Rican-American, was born into a Catholic family and currently serves as a Supervising Psychologist of the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health. She provides consultation for mental health and other resources to children and families placed in foster care due to abuse or neglect. Her colleagues affectionately refer to her as a “Solution Finder,” a title that the members of the oral interpretation team recognize as mirroring her role in the team.
Lorraine first encountered Hsi Lai Temple around 2000, drawn by its serene atmosphere, which provided solace for her mind and soul. She eventually took refuge and received precepts. In 2018, she was invited to participate in proofreading the English edition of the “Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts.” She later joined the interpretation team. In 2015, Lorraine assisted Hsi Lai Temple in establishing “Dharma School for kids”, which caters to English-speaking children. In 2022, it was renamed to “TAG School”. In the same year, after the school introduced a parenting class, she utilized her expertise in mental health to teach parenting and relationship courses to parents. On the day of the interview coinciding with the school’s opening, Lorraine surprised everyone with her presence, receiving a warm welcome from parents and volunteers. Venerable Hui Cheng, the guiding venerable for TAG school, also expressed gratitude to Lorraine.
“I resonate with the principles of Humanistic Buddhism, so I immerse myself in the crowd, taking on the role of a Bodhisattva to alleviate suffering. I serve people, and although the process can be challenging, I put my whole heart into it and find joy in doing so,” replied Lorraine when asked how she has maintained her dedication for so many years.