Thursday 31 December 2015

學佛就是 掃 塵 除 垢 (佛典故事)

諸位都念過阿彌陀經,有一位名叫周利槃陀伽,他本來是一位很笨、非常沒有記憶力之人、他與他的哥哥都出家。
哥哥是先出家,因為見 周利槃陀伽很鈍,怕來會更苦,所以叫他出家,出家之後,當哥哥的教他四句偈,可是背了一整天也背過來,背前面忘記後面,背後面又忘記前面。哥哥便生氣,叫他回家不要出家,可是當弟弟的不願回家,歡喜出家當和尚,後來釋迦牟尼佛說︰
『既然他不願回家,便讓他留下,讓我教他一個方法。』 佛問:周利槃陀伽會不會掃地?他回答說︰『會!』
教他單念:『掃塵除垢!」便可,他很聽話的背這兩個字、背了三個星期,因為他極專心,後來成了羅漢。
所以什麼都是佛法,能夠「置心一處,無事不辦」,他一心念掃地,別的不想,居然成功了。所以什麼法門都好,能置在心中,這樣心地法門包括一切法,一法亦具無量法,無量法不出一法,心一專,法法都可通達。
明朝 蓮池大師說過『我們念阿彌陀佛,不念時不覺怎樣,可是想念的時侯,就覺得道力勝不過業力。』換句話說,業力大過道力。道心頂不住,一路念佛,心一直散亂,妄想紛飛。蓮池大師有幾句話︰『旋念旋散,旋散旋收。』就是說一面念佛,心一面散;心一面散,口還是念佛。現在我們用一句「阿彌陀佛」來鍛鍊自己功夫。天天念,年年念,二六時中,未曾間斷,把「阿彌陀佛」放到心裡頭去。


Wednesday 30 December 2015

感恩心的人

 佛陀教育弟子要端正心念,在人群中要懂得彼此感恩。有感恩心的人才會知足;知足的人即是有「大福」的人;而有大福者必定是有「大德」之人!。

佛陀舉例說,有一個國家那螺,人民以採集珍珠和檀香為業。雖然這只是一個小國家,但大部分的人都很富有,不過也有少許貧困者。

當時有兩個兄弟,父母剛往生,大哥認為兄弟應該分家,各自奮鬥,但他又拿不定主意,不知道該怎麼分配財產才公平。大嫂就說:「應該以財產和奴僕來劃分,一個得到全部的財產,一個分得一位奴僕。」他們做決定之後,大哥理所當然地得到所有財產,而弟弟只能分配到一位奴僕。

這位奴僕名叫那芬,既年輕又聰明,他了解自己因家貧而被賣到這個家庭。雖然身為奴僕,但老主人十分照顧,所以他很知足也很感恩。他被分配給小主人,覺得自己孓然一身,沒有貴重的東西可以給小主人而且還要吃、住,增加小主人的開銷與負擔,所以他自我期許,要趕快為小主人效勞。

小主人帶著家眷和那芬,兩手空空離開家門,他一無所有,心裡很煩惱,而且人海茫茫,不知要往那裡去?一家大小要如何生活?那芬安慰小主人說:「您不用煩惱,我一定會努力為您效勞,有朝一日一定會功成名就,衣錦還鄉。」小主人說:「我現在什麼都沒有,連生活都出問題,怎麼可能擁有很多財產呢?」

正發愁時,他太太發現自己手上戴著一些手環金飾,於是將珠寶取下來,向那芬說:「我們現在只剩這些,你拿去打點吧!」那芬立即拿著金飾、玉環到市區去,打算做點小貿易,少許的本錢到底能做什麼呢?他看來看去沒什麼好買賣,於是就往城外走。走出城外時,看到有人擔著一綑木柴要賣,他發現其中有一根細木是價值不凡的檀香;檀香可以治百病,那芬識貨,所以就買了那綑木柴,非常歡喜地扛回去。

過不久,村裡有一位富翁病得很嚴重,雖然他很有錢,卻苦於找不到上等的檀香來和藥。那芬知道後就把檀香送過去,這位富有的的長者因此把病治好,他既歡喜又感恩,於是把一半的家產送給那芬。那芬得到財產後,回到小主人家,並且運用自己做貿易的天份,努力經營事業,經過幾年的辛苦之後,果然為小主人賺取許多財產,甚至比小主人的大哥更富有。

求法修道 弘法度眾

在家產富足、生活穩定之際,小主人和夫人商議說:「我們要如何回報那芬呢?」夫人說:「人生最珍貴的就是自由,我們讓他回復自由之身,這可能是他最高興的事。」小主人也覺得很有道理。

有一天,小主人向那芬說:「你給我的已經太多了,我不知要如何回報你,我想讓你回復自由之身,而且分一部份的財產給你。」那芬萬分感恩小主人讓他得到自由,除去終身為奴的身份。他向小主人說:「您不用給我財產,我只要有自由之身就好,我要趕快去修行。可能是我過去生少修福德,所以今生貧賤。現在我很想到佛陀的僧團,求佛陀收我為弟子,所以我不需要任何家產。」

小主人很高興地歡送他,並且為他祝福。那芬得到自由之後,立即前往佛陀的僧團求佛引度,佛陀很歡喜地讓他出家現比丘相,從此,那芬比丘非常勤奮地求法修道。幾年之後,那芬比丘已能將佛陀說的法,毫不遺漏地加以攝受;他不僅修持有成,而且能弘法度眾。他除了嚴持戒律之外,又論道第一,所以深受敬重。他常常感恩以前的主人給予自由之身,讓他能夠聽聞佛法,享受到法喜的妙境。於是他向佛陀告假,暫時離開僧團,前往主人的住處。

他們相見之時,彼此都很歡喜,主人看到那芬已現出家相,而且法相莊嚴,心中十分嚮往學佛。主人準備很豐盛的齋食來供養那芬比丘,用餐之後,那芬比丘把自己所得到的佛法妙樂,和主人一起分享。主人聞法後非常歡喜,他說:「聽你講這麼多難得的妙法,我真期待能親臨佛陀座下,恭聞佛陀開示。」

那芬比丘說:「佛陀很慈悲,我可以代您向佛陀請求,請佛來應供、說法,如此也能利益這個國家的人民啊!」主人覺得很有道理,他說:「對啊!我得到佛法的妙樂,應該向國王報告,請國王向全國的人民宣告,恭請佛陀應供說法,讓大家都能得到法益。」

知恩圖報 德慧俱足

那芬比丘回去後即代為向佛陀請求,佛陀慈悲地答應。那芬比丘以前的主人也去向國王報告,請國王來參與盛會;國王在這之前就曾聽過佛陀的盛名,因此很歡喜地來參加供僧大會。佛陀和弟子駕臨時,國王看到佛陀,即由衷地生起恭敬心,並虔誠地禮拜佛陀。

佛陀應供之後即將為大家說法,當時很多人心裡都想:今天能有如此殊勝的因緣,都是那芬比丘所促成,那芬比丘原本是個奴隸,卻能修得妙法,為什麼他會這麼有福報呢?佛陀開示時對大眾說:「人與人之間必定要互相感恩;有感恩心的人能夠知恩圖報,如此就是有大福的人。那芬比丘有感恩之心,能知福、惜福,所以有了大福,而且俱足了德慧,也因此能夠得道!」

人與人之間真的要互相感恩,像這故事中的奴僕知道感恩主人;主人也懂得感恩奴僕,因此呈現這麼祥和的境界;所謂「和則興」,有感恩之心才有福德善行,這就是我們要學的。人與人之間,無論你是付出或者接受,都應抱持感恩心;也就是施者、受者都要有感恩心。

常言道:「當我們付出愛的同時,必定要存有感恩之心。」我們要彼此感恩才會得到幸福,才能真正福慧雙俱,發揮愛就是福,心中有感恩就是慧。

文章来源:陀佛的追随者网 


Tuesday 29 December 2015

How To Transcend Your Present Suffering Now

In ‘The Sūtra On Contemplation Of Immeasurable Life Buddha’ (Amitāyurdhyāna Sūtra; 观无量寿佛经), it was recorded that in the city of Rājagṛha (王舍城), Prince Ajātaśatru (阿闍世王子) imprisoned his father, King Bimbisāra (频毘娑罗王), in a bid to starve him to death, and to usurp his throne (over a grave misunderstanding). Although his mother Queen Vaidehī (韋提希夫人) secretly brought food to the King, she was caught doing so and placed under house arrest. There, in despair, she prostrated towards Śākyamuni Buddha (释迦牟尼佛) who was at Gṛdhrakūṭa Mountain (耆闍崛山; 灵鹫山; Vulture Peak) and prayed to him for consolation, hoping to see him…Answering her call, the Buddha appeared.

Seeing him, she cast off her necklaces, threw herself to the ground, wept aloud, and asked the Buddha what misgivings she had created in the past, to have given birth to such an evil son… She also expressed her sincere wish to learn about where there are no sorrows and afflictions, that she can be reborn in, as she found no joy in this evil defiled world… where much that is not good gather… The Buddha then radiated light, that illuminated immeasurable worlds of all directions… Although many magnificent Buddha Lands were seen, she expressed her joyful aspiration to be born in Amitā(bha/yus) Buddha’s (Āmítuófó; 阿弥陀佛) Land Of Ultimate Bliss (极乐世界), further asking how to contemplate and experience it correctly.

The Buddha next taught detailed practices (including mindfulness of Āmítuófó’s name) for reaching the Pure Land, thereby enabling all present and future beings to practise accordingly. He also asked that the expounded teachings for eradicating suffering be propagated to many. Near the end of the sermon, Vaidehī, together with her 500 attendants, saw the numerous features of Āmítuófó and his Pure Land. With joy never experienced before, she realised the Patience Of Non-Birth [which is the Stage Of Non-Retrogression towards Buddhahood], as they gave rise to Bodhicitta (which is the aspiration to guide one and all to Buddhahood), and aspired to be born there. The Buddha affirmed that they will surely be able to do so.

Here are some important lessons from this incident:-

[1] Sometimes, we wonder why is it that the Buddha we are mindful of does not immediately appear before us in times of need, as in the case of Vaidehī. The key lies in whether we are utmost in our sincerity, which will lead to a clear connection. There are few things that can be worse than being betrayed by one’s own beloved child. As in her case, being desperate, including during life or death moments, can condition greater sincerity too, if one is faithful and undistracted. 

[2] Although she was royalty, her wealth, status and power proved useless in the face of intense negative karma ripening. Thus did she cast off what she did to express her disillusionment and renunciation of them.

[3] Despite her opening request to know what she did to deserve her suffering, the Buddha did not answer this question at all. Instead, he focused on replying about where she can go to without suffering. This is so as being forward-looking and solution-oriented is much more pragmatic than lamentation of the past and even present.  It does not matter how terrible life might be now as long as we know where to advance from here. 

[4] As Vaidehī chose Āmítuófó’s Pure Land out of countless lands, in a way, she helped to choose for all the undecided, as his Pure Land is that most have the strongest affinity with, as it is universally recommended by all Buddhas. If it is fine enough for the royal, it is surely good enough for all of us!

[5] Deep down, where we really wish to be is an ideal place for training towards Buddhahood. Thus, like Vaidehī, all should aspire to reach Pure Land, where we can benefit ourselves spiritually, while learning from the enlightened how to best benefit everyone else upon return. 

[6] By the end of the sūtra, although there were no immediate changes to Vaidehī’s worldly conditions yet, her spiritual state had already transformed purely, with assurance that she will reach Pure Land, that all will be fine. This also gives greater calmness and clarity of mind to best resolve pending issues, without attachment to results. Understanding the Pure Land teachings thus,suffering due to this life’s trials and tribulations become inconsequential instantly; only able to further motivate us, to motivate more to reach Pure Land, now or later, as we wish.


Source : The Daily Enlightenment (Posted by  on December 23, 2015)

Monday 28 December 2015

【心靈小品】向瞋恚微笑 如何對治瞋?

聖嚴法師常勸人念佛,「因為當瞋恨心升起時,念『阿彌陀佛』、『觀世音菩薩』的聖號,或是其他的佛號、咒語,就能把瞋恨的情緒轉移到念佛、持咒或是念菩薩聖號的清淨心念上。能夠這樣做,久而久之,瞋恨心自然而然就會轉為清淨心了。」… 因此,下一次當你想要罵人,或是恨人恨得牙癢癢的時候,要控制你的情緒,就念一句「阿彌陀佛」或是「觀世音菩薩」;即使一時忍不住還是開口罵人,罵出來的那句話也是佛號。這樣不但憤怒、瞋恨的情緒會漸漸地減少,而且還養成了經常念佛、念菩薩聖號的習慣

--摘自《人生》352期文文/梁金滿

Sunday 27 December 2015

A Brief Summary of the Buddha’s Teachings

Shortly after his Awakening, the Buddha delivered his first sermon, in which he laid out the essential framework upon which all his later teachings were based. This framework consists of the Four Noble Truths, four fundamental principles of nature (Dhamma) that emerged from the Buddha’s radically honest and penetrating assessment of the human condition. He taught these truths not as metaphysical theories or as articles of faith, but as categories by which we should frame our direct experience in a way that conduces to Awakening:

Dukkha: suffering, unsatisfactoriness, discontent, stress;
The cause of dukkha: the cause of this dissatisfaction is craving (tanha) for sensuality, for states of becoming, and states of no becoming;



The cessation of dukkha: the relinquishment of that craving;
The path of practice leading to the cessation of dukkha: the Noble Eightfold Path of right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration.

Because of our ignorance (avijja) of these Noble Truths, because of our inexperience in framing the world in their terms, we remain bound to samsara, the wearisome cycle of birth, aging, illness, death, and rebirth. Craving propels this process onward, from one moment to the next and over the course of countless lifetimes, in accordance with kamma (Skt. karma), the universal law of cause and effect.  According to this immutable law, every action that one performs in the present moment — whether by body, speech, or mind itself — eventually bears fruit according to its skillfulness: act in unskillful and harmful ways and unhappiness is bound to follow; act skillfully and happiness will ultimately ensue.  As long as one remains ignorant of this principle, one is doomed to an aimless existence: happy one moment, in despair the next; enjoying one lifetime in heaven, the next in hell.

The Buddha discovered that gaining release from samsara requires assigning to each of the Noble Truths a specific task: the first Noble Truth is to be comprehended; the second, abandoned; the third, realized; the fourth, developed. The full realization of the third Noble Truth paves the way for Awakening: the end of ignorance, craving, suffering, and kamma itself; the direct penetration to the transcendent freedom and supreme happiness that stands as the final goal of all the Buddha’s teachings; the Unconditioned, the Deathless, Unbinding — Nibbana (Skt. Nirvana).

THE EIGHTFOLD PATH AND THE PRACTICE OF DHAMMA

Because the roots of ignorance are so intimately entwined with the fabric of the psyche, the unawakened mind is capable of deceiving itself with breathtaking ingenuity. The solution therefore requires more than simply being kind, loving, and mindful in the present moment. The practitioner must equip him- or herself with the expertise to use a range of tools to outwit, outlast, and eventually uproot the mind’s unskillful tendencies.  For example, the practice of generosity (dana) erodes the heart’s habitual tendencies towards craving and teaches valuable lessons about the motivations behind, and the results of, skillful action. The practice of virtue (sila) guards one against straying wildly off-course and into harm’s way. The cultivation of goodwill (metta) helps to undermine anger’s seductive grasp. The ten recollections offer ways to alleviate doubt, bear physical pain with composure, maintain a healthy sense of self-respect, overcome laziness and complacency, and restrain oneself from unbridled lust. And there are many more skills to learn.
The good qualities that emerge and mature from these practices not only smooth the way for the journey to Nibbana; over time they have the effect of transforming the practitioner into a more generous, loving, compassionate, peaceful, and clear-headed member of society. The individual’s sincere pursuit of Awakening is thus a priceless and timely gift to a world in desperate need of help.

Discernment (pañña)
The Eightfold Path is best understood as a collection of personal qualities to be developed, rather than as a sequence of steps along a linear path. The development of right view and right resolve (the factors classically identified with wisdom and discernment) facilitates the development of right speech, action, and livelihood (the factors identified with virtue).  As virtue develops so do the factors identified with concentration (right effort, mindfulness, and concentration). Likewise, as concentration matures, discernment evolves to a still deeper level. And so the process unfolds: development of one factor fosters development of the next, lifting the practitioner in an upward spiral of spiritual maturity that eventually culminates in Awakening.

The long journey to Awakening begins in earnest with the first tentative stirrings of right view — the discernment by which one recognizes the validity of the four Noble Truths and the principle of kamma. One begins to see that one’s future well-being is neither predestined by fate, nor left to the whims of a divine being or random chance. The responsibility for one’s happiness rests squarely on one’s own shoulders. Seeing this, one’s spiritual aims become suddenly clear: to relinquish the habitual unskillful tendencies of the mind in favor of skillful ones. As this right resolve grows stronger, so does the heartfelt desire to live a morally upright life, to choose one’s actions with care.

At this point many followers make the inward commitment to take the Buddha’s teachings to heart, to become “Buddhist” through the act of taking refuge in the Triple Gem: the Buddha (both the historical Buddha and one’s own innate potential for Awakening), the Dhamma (both the Buddha’s teachings and the ultimate Truth towards which they point), and the Sangha (both the unbroken monastic lineage that has preserved the teachings since the Buddha’s day, and all those who have achieved at least some degree of Awakening). With one’s feet thus planted on solid ground, and with the help of an admirable friend or teacher (kalyanamitta) to guide the way, one is now well-equipped to proceed down the Path, following in the footsteps left by the Buddha himself.

Virtue (sila)
Right view and right resolve continue to mature through the development of the path factors associated with sila, or virtue — namely, right speech, right action, and right livelihood. These are condensed into a very practical form in the five precepts, the basic code of ethical conduct to which every practicing Buddhist subscribes: refraining from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, and using intoxicants. Even the monks’ complex code of 227 rules and the nuns’ 311 ultimately have these five basic precepts at their core.

Concentration (samadhi)
Having gained a foothold in the purification of one’s outward behavior through the practice of sila, the essential groundwork has been laid for delving into the most subtle and transformative aspect of the path: meditation and the development of samadhi, or concentration. This is spelled out in detail in the final three path factors: right effort, by which one learns how to favor skillful qualities of mind over unskillful ones; right mindfulness, by which one learns to keep one’s attention continually grounded in the present moment of experience; and right concentration, by which one learns to immerse the mind so thoroughly and unwaveringly in its meditation object that it enters jhana, a series of progressively deeper states of mental and physical tranquillity.

Right mindfulness and right concentration are developed in tandem through satipatthana (“frames of reference” or “foundations of mindfulness”), a systematic approach to meditation practice that embraces a wide range of skills and techniques. Of these practices, mindfulness of the body (especially mindfulness of breathing) is particularly effective at bringing into balance the twin qualities of tranquillity (samatha) and insight (vipassana), or clear-seeing. Through persistent practice, the meditator becomes more adept at bringing the combined powers of samatha-vipassana to bear in an exploration of the fundamental nature of mind and body.[14] As the meditator masters the ability to frame his immediate experience in terms of anicca (inconstancy), dukkha, and anatta (not-self), even the subtlest manifestations of these three characteristics of experience are brought into exquisitely sharp focus. At the same time, the root cause of dukkha — craving — is relentlessly exposed to the light of awareness. Eventually craving is left with no place to hide, the entire karmic process that fabricates dukkha unravels, the eightfold path reaches its noble climax, and the meditator gains, at long last, his or her first unmistakable glimpse of the Unconditioned — Nibbana.

Awakening
This first enlightenment experience, known as stream-entry (sotapatti), is the first of four progressive stages of Awakening, each of which entails the irreversible shedding or weakening of several fetters (samyojana), the manifestations of ignorance that bind a person to the cycle of birth and death. Stream-entry marks an unprecedented and radical turning point both in the practitioner’s current life and in the entirety of his or her long journey in samsara. For it is at this point that any lingering doubts about the truth of the Buddha’s teachings disappear; it is at this point that any belief in the purifying efficacy of rites and rituals evaporates; and it is at this point that the long-cherished notion of an abiding personal “self” falls away. The stream-enterer is said to be assured of no more than seven future rebirths (all of them favorable) before eventually attaining full Awakening.
But full Awakening is still a long way off. As the practitioner presses on with renewed diligence, he or she passes through two more significant landmarks: once-returning (sakadagati), which is accompanied by the weakening of the fetters of sensual desire and ill-will, and non-returning (agati), in which these two fetters are uprooted altogether. The final stage of Awakening — arahatta — occurs when even the most refined and subtle levels of craving and conceit are irrevocably extinguished. At this point the practitioner — now an arahant, or “worthy one” — arrives at the end-point of the Buddha’s teaching. With ignorance, suffering, stress, and rebirth having all come to their end, the arahant at last can utter the victory cry first proclaimed by the Buddha upon his Awakening:
“Birth is ended, the holy life fulfilled, the task done! There is nothing further for the sake of this world.”
— MN 36
The arahant lives out the remainder of his or her life inwardly enjoying the bliss of Nibbana, secure at last from the possibility of any future rebirth. When the arahant’s aeons-long trail of past kamma eventually unwinds to its end, the arahant dies and he or she enters into parinibbana — total Unbinding. Although language utterly fails at describing this extraordinary event, the Buddha likened it to what happens when a fire finally burns up all its fuel.

“The serious pursuit of happiness”

Buddhism is sometimes naïvely criticized as a “negative” or “pessimistic” religion and philosophy. Surely life is not all misery and disappointment: it offers many kinds of happiness and sublime joy. Why then this dreary Buddhist obsession with unsatisfactoriness and suffering?
The Buddha based his teachings on a frank assessment of our plight as humans: there is unsatisfactoriness and suffering in the world. No one can argue this fact. Dukkha lurks behind even the highest forms of worldly pleasure and joy, for, sooner or later, as surely as night follows day, that happiness must come to an end. Were the Buddha’s teachings to stop there, we might indeed regard them as pessimistic and life as utterly hopeless. But, like a doctor who prescribes a remedy for an illness, the Buddha offers both a hope (the third Noble Truth) and a cure (the fourth). The Buddha’s teachings thus give cause for unparalleled optimism and joy. The teachings offer as their reward the noblest, truest kind of happiness, and give profound value and meaning to an otherwise grim existence. One modern teacher summed it up well: “Buddhism is the serious pursuit of happiness.”
Theravada Comes West
Until the late 19th century, the teachings of Theravada were little known outside of southern Asia, where they had flourished for some two and one-half millennia. In the past century, however, the West has begun to take notice of Theravada’s unique spiritual legacy in its teachings of Awakening. In recent decades this interest has swelled, with the monastic Sangha from various schools within Theravada establishing dozens of monasteries across Europe and North America. Increasing numbers of lay meditation centers, founded and operated independently of the monastic Sangha, strain to meet the demands of lay men and women — Buddhist and otherwise — seeking to learn selected aspects of the Buddha’s teachings.
The turn of the 21st century presents both opportunities and dangers for Theravada in the West: Will the Buddha’s teachings be patiently studied and put into practice, and allowed to establish deep roots in Western soil, for the benefit of many generations to come? Will the current popular Western climate of “openness” and cross-fertilization between spiritual traditions lead to the emergence of a strong new form of Buddhist practice unique to the modern era, or will it simply lead to confusion and the dilution of these priceless teachings? These are open questions; only time will tell.
Spiritual teachings of every description inundate the media and the marketplace today. Many of today’s popular spiritual teachings borrow liberally from the Buddha, though only rarely do they place the Buddha’s words in their true context. Earnest seekers of truth are therefore often faced with the unsavory task of wading through fragmentary teachings of dubious accuracy. How are we to make sense of it all?
Fortunately the Buddha left us with some simple guidelines to help us navigate through this bewildering flood. Whenever you find yourself questioning the authenticity of a particular teaching, heed well the Buddha’s advice to his stepmother:
[The teachings that promote] the qualities of which you may know, ‘These qualities lead to passion, not to dispassion; to being fettered, not to being unfettered; to accumulating, not to shedding; to self-aggrandizement, not to modesty; to discontent, not to contentment; to entanglement, not to seclusion; to laziness, not to aroused persistence; to being burdensome, not to being unburdensome': You may categorically hold, ‘This is not the Dhamma, this is not the Vinaya, this is not the Teacher’s instruction.’
[As for the teachings that promote] the qualities of which you may know, ‘These qualities lead to dispassion, not to passion; to being unfettered, not to being fettered; to shedding, not to accumulating; to modesty, not to self-aggrandizement; to contentment, not to discontent; to seclusion, not to entanglement; to aroused persistence, not to laziness; to being unburdensome, not to being burdensome': You may categorically hold, ‘This is the Dhamma, this is the Vinaya, this is the Teacher’s instruction.’


Wednesday 23 December 2015

供佛的不思議果報 (佛典故事)


佛陀時代,有修習外道法門的五位兄弟,生活貧苦,因此想學習外道的生天之道,希望可以遠離飢寒交迫之苦。

有一天,老大「耶奢」召集弟弟們商量:「我們五位兄弟年紀都不小了,如此潦倒地過日子,總不是辦法!不如專心修苦行,早日得到禪定,就能夠生到天上去享天福。」老二「無垢」、老三「憍梵波提」及老四「蘇馱夷」,聽到老大這麼說,立刻欣然同意。只有老么「弗那」遲疑了一會,心想:「跟著兄長們修苦行也有許多年了,仍無法解答自己對生命的疑惑,不如留在山下,或許能找到生命的真義。」於是他說:「兄長們,我想先留在山下,如果你們有任何需要,我也好護持你們。」

兄長們也不勉強弟弟,隔天一早就出發上山了。弗那則照常耕種著家中唯一的一畝貧瘠田地。晨風徐徐中,突然,遠遠地走來一群托缽僧侶,彷彿破曉晨曦中一道曙光,尤其是為首的僧眾,散發著無比的祥光瑞氣,莊嚴相好的儀表,令他久久不捨移開目光。

原來這位正是久聞已福慧圓滿的佛陀,來到此地托缽!弗那喜不自勝地飛奔回家,把最好的白飯滿缽地虔誠供養世尊。之後,弗那繼續他一天的耕種,直到太陽下山。

隔天當弗那踏出家門,準備下田時,赫然發現,田裡原本乾枯的稻禾,竟然變成一株株金黃色的稻禾,散發出一片柔和金黃的光芒!而且長得又高又壯,長達數尺,結實累累。

一陣歡呼跳躍後,他立刻小心翼翼地割了一些黃金稻禾,衝到最熱鬧的市集去,讓大家瞧瞧這麼不思議的稻子。當然,這些稻子很快就被大家搶購一空。於是弗那又回去割了許多到市集賣,更不可思議的事情發生了──這些稻子割下來之後,竟然很快又生長出來。於是,這小小的一畝田,竟然怎麼也採收不盡。

消息傳出以後,甚至連國王都帶著大臣們親自下田來採割這神奇的黃金稻子,所有城裡的人們也都好奇地來採割弗那的稻子,同樣地都採割不盡。當然,弗那很快地便成為全國最富有的人。數月後,到深山修苦行的兄長們,想到弟弟一人在山下過著貧苦的生活,便一起下山來看這可憐的弟弟。發現弟弟在短短數月中,竟然成為福可踰國的大富人家,驚訝地久久說不出話來。弗那請他們坐下後,便歡喜地說起供養佛陀一缽飯的事。

耶奢等聽完後,歡喜踴躍地向弟弟說:「原來供養佛陀有這麼殊勝的福報,那麼,請弟弟也幫我們做一些歡喜團,讓我們四人各拿一歡喜團去供養佛陀。我們不求聽聞佛法,或是得到解脫,只求早日生天享福罷了!」

弗那很快地就準備好精緻的歡喜團,讓四位兄長帶到佛陀所駐錫的精舍。見到慈悲的佛陀,老大恭敬地將歡喜團,放入佛陀的缽中,佛陀向他開示:「諸行無常。」接著老二也把歡喜團放到佛陀的石缽中,佛陀告訴他:「是生滅法。」老三恭敬供養時,則聽到:「生滅滅已。」最後老四將歡喜團供養後,聽到佛陀說:「寂滅為樂!」

雖然他們一時並沒有悟到佛陀所說的道理,但是布施之後,都感到滿心的清淨法喜。當他們回到家裡,便興奮地討論起每個人所聽到的法語,這才發現,原來四句話連起來便是:「諸行無常,是生滅法;生滅滅已,寂滅為樂」的偈子。

帶著恭敬供養後的清淨心,他們靜坐下來,各自思惟著偈語的道理,很快地就證到阿那含果。感恩之餘,他們才體悟到外道求生天,享天福,仍是生滅的快樂,天福享完,仍要墮落受苦。於是,他們一起來到佛所,請求剃度出家,繼續用功修行,不久就都證到阿羅漢果,永出三界生死輪迴之苦,進入聖道。

典故摘自:《雜寶藏經.卷四──弗那施佛缽食獲現報緣》 

省思


《四十二章經》中,佛說:「飯千億三世諸佛,不如飯一無念無作無修無證之者。」何謂「無念無作無修無證之者」?即是無所染著的清淨心,因此,一無所求的虔誠供養,方為最無上的供養功德。

諸佛菩薩倒駕慈航,入此堪忍之娑婆世界,乃至為上求下化自降其身而行乞的清淨僧寶,皆為作眾生福田,令眾生植福培福,捨除慳貪、增長智慧,唯願眾生皆能開示悟入佛之知見,究竟圓滿了脫生死之大事,故供養三寶得福甚大。若又能以一念至誠恭敬、無所求之心供養,則所得功德,更非人天生滅福報可以比擬。

Monday 21 December 2015

關于皈依與律儀的問答( 海濤法師) (2)

http://aristeinhk.blogspot.sg/2015/12/1.html

6.殺害所謂的害蟲,蟑螂、蜘蛛、老鼠算殺生嗎?
答:這本來就是殺生,你把它殺掉了就是殺生,殺了它你便跟它結仇,所以不要隨便的殺生,在《六度集經》有記載佛過去生一個事迹,釋迦牟尼佛有一次帶了幾千個出家人,行腳教化,路上遇到下大雪,有一位老居士見到佛很熱誠的招待他們七天,你知道為什麼嗎?因為那個老居士,過去是一只小跳蚤,佛陀把這只小跳蚤找一個安全的地方,讓它在那邊住了七天有得吃,因此得到七日供養的果報。所以我們連一只小跳蚤、小螞蟻都不能殺,各位要有一個信心,千萬不要欺負小動物,雖然它小,但是它跟我們一樣有生命,你把小螞蟻、老鼠丟到水池裏,它也會掙紮,特別老鼠跟人一樣聰明,你想要抓它,它跑到沒半只,跟我們一樣有腦筋。


7.
請問在電子游樂站中殺動物、殺生,是不是犯戒?
答:你在玩電子游戲時,心裏想的是:讓它死!讓它死!這個叫殺心,雖然不是真實的殺生,但是對內心不好,有這個殺心以後,你將來就會犯殺戒,所以最好還是不要。小朋友很喜歡這樣砍來砍去、殺來殺去,他覺得很好玩,那將來就會很喜歡打蟑螂、打蚊子,喜歡打架,所以家長要想辦法。


8.
小學時老師帶同學到一間寺廟遠足,那時候有師父在賣柚子,我拿了一顆沒給錢,現在長大了,不知道那間寺廟在那裏,請問要去哪裏還錢?
答:我們到佛寺裏面拜佛,十方的東西絕對不可以拿,如果寺廟裏面剛好有人在賣柚子,我們要向人家買。你小時候不知道,現在知道了有懺悔心就好,有懺悔心、持不偷盜戒,進一步做布施回向那個惡業。如果你因為拿了一顆柚子,覺得不還錢不好意思,你可以買更多顆,拿去供養很多出家人,這樣也可以。


9.
有一次去爬山,在草堆裏看到一棵小木瓜苗,心裏想這是自然生的,就把它拔起來帶回家種,現在疑惑這樣是不是犯戒?請問該怎麼辦?
答:這不算犯戒,因為自然生的東西、沒有主人的東西,把它拔起來拿回家種,這應該不算犯菩薩戒。不過站在出家人就不可以,出家人為了修柔軟心、慈悲心,有情生命與無情生命,都不願意折斷它。


10.
教兒童認識戒律時,小朋友問什麼是不邪淫?該如何回答?
答:有許多戒律它是有時間性的,所以教孩子認識戒律,要偏重于培養他尊重別人的心態,這是現代訓練小孩子的方法。以小朋友現在純潔的心靈,你告訴他太多不邪淫,小孩子反而會往那方面想;所以讓他保持腦子裏的清白潔淨,多說尊重別人的生命、權利可能會比較好。



。。。。待续  

Sunday 20 December 2015

Will Nana The Tiger Learn?

Once upon a time there was a man who one day was pursued by a ferocious tiger named Nana.  To escape from him, the man climbed as fast as he could into the nearest tree.  Showing no pity, the tiger tried to catch hold of the man’s right foot, which was resting on a broken branch.  With a horrendous aggressive roar, he bounded into the air toward his prey.  The man immediately drew up his right foot and, with his last strength, climbed up a little bit farther toward the top of the tree. The mouth of the tiger, gaping wide, instead of biting the man’s foot, closed down on the broken branch.  The tiger couldn’t get loose. A sharp and unbearable pain spread through his mouth.

The more he twisted and turned trying to free himself, the more deeply he hooked himself on the point of the broken branch.  Blood began flowing from his mouth, down along his muscular neck, and down along his empty belly.  Nana shrieked with pain and begged the man to help him.  Seeing such a noble beast suffering so horribly, the man felt his heart fill with a feeling of compassion that replaced his terror. He quickly climbed down out of the tree and lifted up Nana the tiger best he could in an effort to get his mouth off the hook of the pointed branch.  At last free, the tiger regained his spirits and jumped on the man again with the intention of devouring him.  The man, stunned, cried out,  “I just saved your life. Could it be that you are so wicked and ungrateful that you want to eat me?”

Nana knew nothing but the law of the strongest.  He knew nothing of gratitude and nothing of compassion.  He expressed his way of seeing things, and the man shouted and expressed his regret for his act of kindness.  They had been arguing a good while when a hare approached and asked them what it was they were arguing about.  Glad to have somebody willing to listen to him, the man readily recounted to the hare what had happened. Very slyly the long-eared animal pretended not to fully understand the situation.  He told them that he could help them determine which of them was right, but he would have to gain a better understanding of the situation.

He asked them to show him what position each of them had been in so he could sort out their disagreement.  Right away the man, who had understood the hare’s plan, climbed back up the tree, and Nana, who was without doubt ferocious but also stupid, leaped up as he had before, his mouth open, and once again got himself hooked on the broken branch. Once again the beast shrieked with pain and begged the man for help.  At this moment, the sly hare calmly said, “So there you have it.  The situation is back the way it was before your argument.  Now you have a second chance to think over carefully just what it is you want to do.

Source : Posted by  on December 16, 2015
The Daily Enlightenment.com


Saturday 19 December 2015

【苦才是我們開悟的助緣】

曾經有一個天神,在人世間的市場撿東西吃。那時候,神通第一的目犍連尊者看到說:「奇怪?我看你的外表發光,光明天,你是天神,你怎麼在人間撿東西吃?

天神說:「我雖然過去有布施,佈施錢,但是我浪費食物,又不用食物幫助貧窮人,雖然做天神,在天上都吃不到,所以要在世間撿東西吃。」

雖然是天神,也有這種苦報在,但是有這個苦,才能夠遇到佛法,祂如果在天上就沒辦法了。祂跟目犍連說了祂的業報後,目犍連告訴祂,你要皈依三寶,你聽聞佛法以後,你才會瞭解道理。這個天神才跟目犍連去找佛陀,佛陀就告訴祂四聖諦的道理、苦、輪迴的道理,然後他就證到初果。

所以各位,原來苦才是我們開悟的助緣,所以不怕痛苦。我們剛才說的要有一個出離心,痛苦的原因就是因為我們沒有智慧,無明,有貪、瞋、癡我們才會苦,所以不要把苦怪到別人身上,正因為有這個苦,我們才會對其他眾生的苦產生大悲心,或者發起菩提心,眾生母親都很痛苦,所以我一定要好好修行成佛,來減輕他們的痛苦,哪一天也要讓他們究竟解脫成佛,勸他們念 阿彌陀佛。

總之,你如果沒有苦,你就不會精進;不精進,你就會一直來輪迴,無法解脫。

文章来源:阿弥陀佛的孩子网 


Friday 18 December 2015

The Bodhi Tree

The Bodhi Tree (Bo Tree) or the pipal tree is often mentioned as a Sacred Tree having significant associations with Buddha Gotama.

Prince Siddhattha finally arose fully Enlightened as Gotama Buddha under the shade of the Bodhi Tree which is said to have been “born” simultaneously with Him.

Thus the Bodhi Tree is the sanctified image of worship (pay respect) as a worthy Paribhogha Cetiya or shrine in Buddhist countries.

Buddhists therefore pay respect to the Bodhi Tree that has sacred association with the Buddha.

Source : Posted by Ye' Thu Aung (Buddhism for Beginners)


Thursday 17 December 2015

人與人的緣分四種緣

人與人的緣分四種緣,
報恩、報怨、討債、還債。
在這一生當中,要把過去生中的緣,不管是善緣惡緣,都要把它化解開。

記住,不跟任何人結惡緣,
結善緣不求報,否則他來生
還來報恩,到你家來。

別人欠我的,原諒他,不要了;
我欠別人的,應當要盡心盡力的要還他,把這個緣了了。

債還了,缘盡了,生死了...

~~ 海涛法师  

Wednesday 16 December 2015

Right Speech

Sometimes we speak clumsily and create internal knots in others.  

Then we say, "I was just telling the truth."

It may be the truth, 
but if our way of speaking causes unnecessary suffering,  it is not Right Speech.

The truth must be presented in ways that others can accept.

Words that damage or destroy are not Right Speech.


Before you speak, understand the person you are speaking to. 

Consider each word carefully
 before you say anything, so that your speech is "Right" 
in both form and content.

~ Thich Nhat Hanh