12月13日(農曆 11月15日)星期二 【念阿彌陀佛】

《桃膠紅棗圓肉蓮子糖水》 ——作者：王道安

大約二至三人份量

材料：
1. 桃膠 20g（用水浸過夜後，除掉雜質備用）
（桃膠泡發後可漲大15倍左右）

2. 紅棗8粒去核（洗淨備用）

3. 桂圓肉20g
（洗淨備用）

4. 蓮子50g
（浸水後用水煮淋，隔水備用）

5. 薑2片

6. 冰糖適量

煮法：
用適量開水放入煲內，水滾放入薑片，冰糖和桂圓肉，調教甜度後，加入桃膠和蓮子，煮大約十五分鐘，最後加入紅棗略煮二分鐘，熄火焗十五分鐘。

功效：
桃膠 - 滋陰養顏
紅棗 - 補氣養血
圓肉 - 補益心脾
蓮子 - 養心安神

《佛典故事 - 佛说七種布施》

佛陀為大眾開示有七種布施，可獲殊勝果報。

一是眼施，時常以慈悲、關懷之眼，對待父母、師長、沙門、婆羅門，而不以凶惡的眼神對待。這樣的布施，來世能得清淨眼；未來成佛，得天眼、佛眼，這是第一種布施的果報。

二是和顏悅色施，和顏悅色地對待父母、師長、沙門、婆羅門，不顯現出皺眉蹙額的面色神情。這樣的布施，來世能得端正相貌；未來成佛，得真金色身，這是第二種布施的果報。

三是言辭施，對待父母、師長、沙門、婆羅門，說柔和悅人的柔軟語，不說粗惡語。這樣的布施，來世能得辯才無礙，有所言說人皆信受；未來成佛，得四辯才（義無礙辯、法無礙辯、辭無礙辯、應無礙辯），這是第三種布施的果報。

四是身施，對父母、師長、沙門、婆羅門恭敬承迎禮拜。這樣的布施，來世能得端正色身，身相高大莊嚴，為人所敬重；未來成佛，身如高大的尼拘陀樹（今稱孟加拉榕），無人能見其頂，這是第四種布施的果報。

五是心施，雖然力行以上四種布施，但內心卻不溫和良善，就不能稱為真正的布施。以溫和良善之心、感恩恭敬之心深重供養，就稱為心施。這樣的布施，來世能夠得明瞭心、不癡狂心；未來成佛，得一切種智心，這是第五種布施的果報。

六是床座施，如果見到父母、師長、沙門、婆羅門，為他們鋪設床座，讓他們得以休息安坐，乃至於將自己的座位讓給他們坐。這樣的布施，來世能夠常得尊貴的七寶床座；未來成佛，得師子法座，這是第六種布施的果報。

七是房舍施，讓父母、師長、沙門、婆羅門可以在屋舍中自在地行住坐臥。這樣的布施，來世能夠受用自然而成的宮殿舍宅；未來成佛，能得諸種禪定及無量三昧功德屋宅，這是第七種布施的果報。

以上七種布施，能獲得如此殊勝之功德果報。

典故摘自：《雜寶藏經．卷六（七六）七種施因緣》

省思

行菩薩道，度化眾生，布施為第一。佛陀所開示的七種布施，是在日常生活中就可以落實的布施善行。《法華文句記》云：「凡夫之人，一毫之善，徑成佛因。」時時懷著利益他人的心，放下人我的分別、比較，在待人接物的每個當下，以平等、清淨、歡喜的心，透過身、口、意成就布施的善法，令眾生歡喜。如此不僅能擴展自己的心量，增長慈悲利他之心，更能利益他人，廣結善緣，自他兩利，成就布施的殊勝功德。

【因果故事】人有善願，天必從之

明朝時有一個小沙彌，住在普陀山的寺廟里。

有一天，小沙彌心血來潮，想到郊外走走。他遠眺普陀山最高峰，心想普陀山是觀音菩薩的道場，感應奇跡很多，在那最高峰說不定有道場或修行人呢。在好 奇心驅使下，他向最高峰走去。一路上蔓草叢生，荊棘密布。他不畏艱難地爬上最高的佛頂山。想不到佛頂山是一片廣大的平原。但沒發現一個修行人，只見到一個 石碑，上刻四字：“惠濟禪寺”。小沙彌就發願在這里建一個道場。

　　他回去把自己的想法告訴了師父和師兄們，換來的是大家的嘲笑和譏諷。但是小沙彌並不灰心，他想既然大家看不起我，那我就做給大家看吧!于是拜別了師父，來到大殿跪在觀音聖像前，虔誠默禱，“觀音菩薩，弟子發願建道場，望菩薩保佑，使弟子完成誓願”。

　　于是小沙彌走向人多的鬧市去化緣。他有時候挨家挨戶的化，有時站在市場門口，晚上睡在破廟里，有時候幾天化不到一塊錢，反遭別人的白眼。

　　不知不覺三年過去了。他嘗盡了人間的冷暖，頭發未剪，衣服破爛，仿佛一個又髒又窮的小乞丐，人見人怕，更化不到錢了。

　　有一天，他傷心地走到河邊，看到潺潺的流水，想起悠悠的歲月，三年換來的是理想的破碎，不禁悲從中來，號啕大哭。就在此時，他看見了被他敲了三年的 木魚，早已斑駁不堪了。他突然靈機一動，不如把它放入河里，求菩薩保佑。于是就把木魚放入河里，跟著木魚跑。木魚游到某處停住不動了，小沙彌想這里一定有 大護法吧!可撈起木魚，什麼也沒有，只有一片森林。他就坐在那里敲木魚。邊敲邊念：“南無觀世音菩薩……”敲了三天三夜，念了三天三夜，也看不到半個人 影。

　　有一富貴人家離河邊一里路，家中老夫人臥病在床已數年。雖然兒子在朝為官，聘名醫，服好藥，仍然毫無起色。但連續三天遠處傳來的木魚聲解除了她的痛苦，她感動渾身愉悅，清涼舒泰。于是老夫人吩咐僕人馬上把敲木魚的人請來。

　　小沙彌三天三夜沒吃飯，沒有一點力氣。僕人就扶著他走。

　　看到小沙彌悲慘的樣子，老夫人流淚吩咐道，“立即准備齋飯，僧衣，羅漢鞋，請來剃頭師，把小師父安頓好”。

　　一會兒時間，小沙彌又恢複了原來的清淨莊嚴相。老夫人看了，心里更歡喜了。不解的問道。“你怎麼會這般淒慘呢?”

　　小沙彌就把發願建道場的事一五一十地講給老夫人聽。老夫人聽完後，感慨地說，“真是觀世音菩薩有感應呀，我請來各地名醫，服盡名貴中藥都不能治好我 的病，自從聽了你敲的木魚聲後，我的病卻不治而愈了，真是不可思議啊。你明天起不用再去化緣了，興建道場的事由我來承辦吧。”老夫人告訴在朝廷的兒子趕快 去普陀山的最高峰興建道場。

　　老夫人在朝廷的兒子知道菩薩的感應事跡後非常高興，立即命人上山興建道場。普陀山最高峰佛頂山的惠濟禪寺，就這樣建成了。

　　“天道無親，常與善人。”人有善願，天必從之;人有惡願，天必毀之。一個人如果時時刻刻心懷善念，行善而不圖回報，雖然有時會被惡人所欺，但必然會得到上天的護佑，其善願定能如願，而且還會經常得到意料之外的回饋。

　　修行人若能長期發善願，利益眾生，則福報不可限量，諸佛菩薩、龍天護法都會加持相助。

對佛陀最誠敬的供養 (阿含經故事)

佛陀八十歲那年，抱病來到末羅國的拘尸那城。

那時，佛陀患了嚴重的腹瀉，到城中的沙羅林就無法再走了，遂選擇在林中的雙樹間入滅。

佛陀要求尊者阿難在雙樹間為他鋪床，頭朝北，面向西，雙足交疊，保持正知正念側臥。這時，沙羅樹雖然不在開花的季節，卻開起花來，花朵從樹上掉落下來，紛紛落在佛陀身上。除了沙羅樹花外，還有更多的曼陀羅花與栴檀香末，從空中飄下，落在佛陀身上，也飄滿了附近的地面，空中還響起了樂聲與歌聲。

對這些奇異的景象，佛陀為尊者阿難解釋道：阿難！這是一些棲居在沙羅樹林，篤信如來的夜叉天神，以奇異的花來供養我，但這不是真正的供養如來。

尊者阿難問 : 那怎樣才算是真正的供養如來呢？

佛陀說：只有能受持正法，實踐正法，隨戒、隨法而行的，才算是真正的供養如來！。
　　
於是，就有這樣的偈頌，將這個情形記錄流傳下來：

　　　　「佛在雙樹間，偃臥心不亂。
　　　　　樹神心清淨，以花散佛上。
　　　　　阿難白佛言：云何名供養？
　　　　　受法而能行，覺華而為供。
　　　　　紫金華如輪，散佛未為供；
　　　　　陰界入無我，乃名第一供。」

按語：

修出離心也好，修慈悲行也好，乃至於日常生活的觀照覺察、打坐、參禪、念佛……一定要能將修學的內容，與無我對焦，才算是真正進入了佛法的修學，也才算是對佛陀的禮敬與供養。

The Causes of Becoming A Wretch According To Vasala Sutta

On one occasion the Buddha was staying at the monastery of Anathapindika in Jeta’s Grove. One day while He was going for alms-round, He arrived at the house of a Brahmin named Aggika Bharadvaja.

At that moment the Brahmin was preparing for fire oblation, and when he saw the Buddha coming to his house he shouted angrily in harsh words thus: “Stop there, wretched mendicant, stop there, wretched mendicant!”

The Buddha stopped and said gently to the Brahmin: “Do you know, O! Brahmin, who a wretch is and causes that make one a wretch?”

The Brahmin answered that he didn’t know them and requested the Buddha to explain them to him. Therefore, the Buddha delivered the Vasala Sutta which explains the meaning of a wretch and causes of becoming a wretch.

(1) One, who is hot-tempered, grudging, ungrateful, holding a wrong view, and deceitful in order to hide his fault, is a wretch.

(2) One, who has no pity for living-beings and kill them oneself or makes other kill them, is a wretch.

(3) One, who besieges and destroys villages and towns is a wretch.

(4) One, who does not pay back the loan owed to others, is a wretch.

(5) One, who steals others’ properties, is a wretch.

(6) One, who kills and robs others, is a wretch.

(7) One, who bears false witness, is a wretch.

(8) One, who commits sexual misconduct with others’ spouses, is a wretch.

(9) One, who does not support and attend to one’s parents, is a wretch.

(10) One, who tortures one’s parents, brothers, sisters and relatives bodily and verbally, is a wretch.

(11) One, who when asked a reasonable and beneficial question, gives a detrimental answer or a crooked answer deliberately hiding the true facts, is a wretch.

(12) One, who keeps in secret the evil deeds committed by oneself, is a wretch.

(13) One, who enjoys the generous treatment offered by others in warm welcome but fails to return the same treatment to others when they visit one’s house, is a wretch.

(14) One, who gives many lame excuses and refuses to donate to donees after inviting them for donation, is a wretch.

(15) One, who speaks harshly without donating anything when bhikkhus come for alms-food, is a wretch.

(16) One, who tricks others with false speech in order to gain something from them, is a wretch.

(17) One, who praises oneself and despises others, is a wretch.

(18) One, who provokes others to quarrel, who neither donates anything by oneself nor appreciates others’ donation, who is mean, pretentious, and has no shame and fear to do evil, is a wretch.

(19) One, who abuses the Buddha, His disciples and other noble sages, is a wretch.

(20) One, who claims himself to be an Arahat although one is not an Arahat, is the meanest wretch.

Before Lord Buddha Enter Nirvana

........there were 4 questions to ask Lord Buddha before he enter Nirvana and one of the last question as follow below..........

Ananda went straight to the Buddha’s room. Although he had not washed his face, his eyes were dry and his nose clean, and he was not nearly as unsightly as when he had been crying. The Lord Buddha was on the verge of entering Samadhi, and Ananda had no time to waste. “Buddha?” he said, “World Honored One? I have questions to ask..............

“The third question. You have been our Master, but when you enter nirvana who will our Master be? Will it be the oldest? Great Kasyapa is the oldest. Will it be someone middle aged? That would be Ajnatakaundinya. If it is to be the very youngest, I am the youngest, but I can’t be the Master. I can’t do it, Buddha.”

The Lord Buddha said, “You don’t need to be Master, and neither does Ajnatakaundinya or Great Kasyapa.”

“Who will it be then?”

The Lord Buddha said, “Take the Pratimoksa as your master.” The Pratimoksa is the Vinaya, the precepts and rules. “Take the precepts as Master.”

学佛 ~ 净空法师

You Have The Power To Change Your Karma! – A Story From The Life Of The Buddha

Lord Buddha had a devotee who was also his cousin. He was a brilliant man, and very devoted. In the beginning, Buddha’s sangha or communion was quite small, but in time it became bigger.  So, the devotees close to Buddha became more possessive, and his cousin felt that he owned Buddha, but Buddha can’t be owned by anybody. You cannot say you own the ocean. So, because of this there were some misunderstandings and this cousin turned against Buddha.

When some people have their own opinions or some negativity, there are a few more people who will join them. This cousin of Buddha and a few people become a group, and one day when Buddha was giving a sermon, he went up the hill pushed a boulder from there towards Buddha. The boulder stopped just few centimeters away from Buddha, otherwise it would have killed him.

The other loyal disciples got so angry and upset. They said, “We have to punish him and teach him a lesson”, but Buddha stopped them and just smiled. He said, “It is karma. You don’t do anything. We will not react”.

When someone pushed the boulder at Buddha, what the people did was they reacted, but Buddha asked them not to react and then he smiled, that is an action. When someone is against you, if you show love and compassion and if you turn the other cheek when they hit you on one cheek then they cannot hit you back. That is a bigger weapon!  The principle of non-violence is also an action, a more intelligent and wise action, and not just a reaction.

Source : thebuddhistinformation.com

無不散的筵席 - 依法不依人 (阿含經故事)

稟告尊者阿難說：我的老師尊者舍利弗已經入涅槃了，我將他的骨骸，生前使用的衣、鉢帶來了，都在這裡。

尊者阿難聽了，心裏很難過，領著沙彌純陀來見佛陀，對佛陀說： 世尊！沙彌純陀來說，尊者舍利弗已經入涅槃了。聽到這樣的消息，令我難過得猶如身體就要被支解了，頭昏眼花，心亂如麻，所學的法都用不上了。

佛陀問尊者阿難說： 阿難！舍利弗入滅時，帶走了『戒、定、慧、解脫、解脫知見』嗎？我成佛以來的教說，如：四念處、四正斷、四如意足、五根、五力、七覺支、八正道，都跟隨著舍利弗的涅槃而消失了嗎？

尊者阿難回答說： 不是的！然而，以尊者舍利弗的精進修持、智慧成就，有他在的時候，能夠依著人們不同的根機，而給予有力的教導，也常常讚歎鼓舞大家。我是因為正法，因為受他教導的眾人失去了尊者舍利弗的緣故，而起憂愁苦惱的。

佛陀告訴尊者阿難說： 阿難！你不要憂愁苦惱，為什麼呢？因緣所聚集而生起的有為敗壞法，怎麼能不壞散呢？一切我們所喜愛的，都會離我們而去，是保不住的。

譬如大樹，從大枝幹先折損；大寶山從大塊岩石先崩垮，如來弟子，也從大聲聞弟子先入涅槃。舍利弗可以替我說法教導大眾，有他在的地方，就如同我在那裡一樣，如此一來，我就可以安閒無事了。但一切順意的事，終是要離散的，不要因為自己喜愛的離散了，而受憂愁的毒害。

你應當知道，即使是如來，再不久也會入滅的。所以，阿難！應當以自己為可以依靠的陸洲；以法為可以依靠的陸洲，除此之外，就沒有什麼陸洲明燈，也沒有什麼可依靠的了。怎樣才能夠使自己成為自己

可以依靠的陸洲呢？怎樣的法，才是可以依靠的陸洲呢？ 

應當安住於依著身體、感受、心念、心念對象的法，來修學專注與如實覺察，不論是自身內在的、外在的，或是內、外交錯的，都以熱誠的態度，清晰的覺知，念念分明來調伏世間的貪愛與憂愁。這就是依靠自己，依靠法而不依靠其它的了。

不論是現在，或是我入滅了以後，能安住於以自己為依靠，以自己為歸依；安住於以法為依靠，以法為歸依，不以其他為歸依，這就是我弟子中，最勤於修學的比丘了。」

遇到佛法，真的是无量无边的福报

【佛教故事】去除比較的心態

有一個學僧道岫，雖然精于禪道的修持，但始終不能契悟，眼看比他晚入參禪學道的同參，不少人對禪都能有所體會，想想自己實在沒有資格學禪，既不幽默，又無靈巧，始終不能入門。心想還是做個行腳的苦行僧吧！于是道岫就打點二斤半的衣單，計劃遠行。臨走時便到法堂去向廣圄禪師辭行。

道岫稟告道：“老師！學僧辜負您的慈悲，自從皈投在您座下參學已有十年之久，對禪，仍是一點消息沒有。我實在不是學禪的根器，今向您老辭行，我將雲游他去。”

廣圄禪師非常驚訝問道：“哦！為什麼沒有覺悟就要走呢？難道到別處就可以覺悟嗎？”

道岫誠懇的再稟告道：“我每天除了吃飯、睡覺之外，都精進于道業上的修持，我用功就是因緣不合。反觀同參的道友們一個個都契機的回歸根源。目前在我心的深處，萌發一股倦怠感，我想我還是做個行腳的苦行僧吧！”

廣圄禪師聽後開示道：“悟，是一種內在本性的流露，根本無法形容，也無法傳達給別人，更是學不來也急不得的。別人是別人的境界，你修你的禪道，這是兩回事，為什麼要混為一談呢？”

道岫道：“老師！您不知道，我跟同參們一比，立刻就有大鵬鳥與小麻雀的慚愧。”

廣圄禪師裝著不解似的問道：“怎麼樣的大？怎麼樣的小？”

道岫答道：“大鵬鳥一展翅能飛越幾百里，而我只囿于草地上的方圓幾丈而已。”

廣圄禪師意味深長的問道：“大鵬鳥一展翅能飛幾百里，牠已經飛越生死了嗎？”  道岫禪僧聽後默默不語，若有所悟。

諺雲：“人比人，氣死人。”比較、計較，這是煩惱的來源，怎能透過禪而悟道呢？聰明、機智，大鵬鳥一展翅千八百里，但不能飛越過生死大海。因為小麻雀與大鵬鳥是比較上有快慢、有遲速，但禪要從平等自性中流出的。所以道岫禪僧一旦除去比較、計較，回歸到平等自性中來，就能有所悟了。

What is Suffering

"Suffering is our best teacher because it hangs onto us and keeps us in its grip until we have learned that particular lesson. 
Only then does suffering let go. 
If we haven’t learned our lesson, we can be quite sure that the same lesson is going to come again, because life is nothing but an adult education class, If we don’t pass in any of the subjects, we just have to sit the examination again. 
Whatever lesson we have missed, we will get it again. 
That is why we find ourselves reacting to similar situations in similar ways many times."

Source : Compassion Life Society

10 Interesting Facts About Buddha

1.     The 3 major tenents Buddha taught his followers were not to be ignorant, hate others, or get angry.

2.     Originally born a wealthy prince, he left it all behind to pursue the path of truth when he saw the poverty and sickness beyond his palace walls. This also led him to drop his birth name, Siddartha Gautama.

3.     Buddha was not as chubby as many depictions of him would make it appear– he was mainly portrayed this way because it was symbolic of happiness in the east. He practiced moderation in all things, fasted regularly, and spent most of his time walking hundreds of miles spreading the philosophy of enlightenment. 

4.     A few days after his birth, it was predicted by a wise old man that he would later become a great king or a saint that would change the world.

5.     At the time of Buddha’s quest for enlightenment, there were many religious practices that called for either intense overindulgence in the senses, or strict deprivation such as weeks of fasting. Realizing that neither were truly beneficial, he devised what would later be known as “The Middle Way” to enlightenment…a balanced approach that emphasized inward rather than outward renunciation.

6.     To achieve enlightenment, Young Siddhartha vowed to sit under a fig tree and meditate until he transcended suffering. At the end of an extremely long meditation and mental battle with Mara (the god of desire), he became awakened and was then known as the Buddha.

7.     Unlike most religions or spiritual beliefs, Buddha’s teachings were spread by nonviolent methods such as word of mouth or carvings on prominent stone buildings.

8.     Practicing Buddhists view Buddha as a teacher and not a god or avatar.

9.     Buddha’s spot of enlightenment underneath the bodhi tree is still preserved to this day.

10.   Buddha taught and traveled his entire life until the age of 80 when he passed away. His final request of his followers was this: “All component things in the world are changeable. They are not lasting. Work hard to gain your own salvation.”

Source : thebuddhistinformation.com

农历十一月初一 请吃素