时间：10/11/2025 10/12/2025
地点：星湖禅修中心
主讲：龙示林
佛法修行
行菩萨道的象王
久远劫前，在一处边地的森林里，住着五百只大象，群象之中，有一六牙大白象王。象王志向高远，虽处象类，心中了知有佛、法、僧三宝，常自皈依三宝，时时弘慈济众，并发愿要成佛度一切众生。
象王有一妻一妾，常随不离。有一天，象王在池沼中，摘到一株非常美丽的莲花，就赏赐给正妻，并佩戴在她的身上。象后欣喜万分，娇滴滴地说：「现在天气如此寒冷，象王怎么能找到如此庄严的莲花呢？」在一旁的象妾看在眼里，妒火中烧，愤恨地发下毒誓：「我将来一定要用鸩毒杀死象王！」象妾从此结闷于心，始终无法释怀，日久积郁成疾而身亡。
象妾死后，转世投生为一相貌绝伦、聪明有智、博通古今、能观星宿、知时兴衰的女子。当时的国王听说有这么一个奇女子，心生爱慕，便聘纳为妻。王后善言治国之道，并且能使大臣们和合共事，国王也因此而更加宠信夫人，对于夫人所说的每一句话，无不百般顺从。
有一天，王后告诉国王：「昨夜，我梦见一只大象，它有六根美丽的象牙，真希望能获得那种质地净洁的象牙，制成配饰。如果得不到此宝，我就宁愿死去！」
「夫人呀！不要说这种傻话，人们听了会讥笑的。天底下那有这种奇特的大象呢？」国王满脸疑惑。
「国王！您一定得想办法，否则我就不想活了！」王后骄纵地说着。
眼看着王后整日忧愁，茶不思、饭不想，身体日渐瘦弱，容貌枯槁。国王心里发慌，乃召集群臣会商，其中有一位臣子表示，他曾听闻有六牙白象。国王立即下达命令征召全国猎士，进一步探问此象踪迹。
结果，一位南方射师说，他去世的父亲确实见过这种白象，但在非常遥远的地方，很难找得到！于是，夫人指示这位射师：「你向南走三千里，将会看到一座高山，往山里再走二天就可以遇到这只白象，当你发现白象出入必经之地，就在道旁挖掘坑洞。
你必须剃除须发，穿著袈裟，装扮成出家人的模样，躲在坑里，因为这只白象对三宝十分恭敬。等到白象经过时，你就可以射杀它，拔取象牙回宫。」
猎人奉命前往，并依计执行。果然，象王一见到这一位在坑洞里的出家人，马上升起恭敬心，在失去警戒的状况下，为猎人所射杀。
无辜的象王在临终前疑惑地低头轻语：「至诚皈依僧宝！不知为了何事，远道来此取我的生命？」猎人把事情的原委一五一十地都说了出来，只见象王疼痛难耐并且说：「我曾经发愿要成就菩萨道，行大慈悲、大忍辱，就算剁我的骨、腌我的肉，我也不退悔！我不在乎这无常的色身，因为修持仁心德行，必能速证涅盘。」于是象王便向大树撞去，并以鼻子将象牙拔起交给猎师，且发愿：「但愿藉布施此牙，将来可拔除众生的贪、瞋、痴三毒牙。」
猎人遵照慈悲象王的叮咛，逐一灭去足迹，以避免被象群报仇追杀。象王一直等到猎人走远了，才闭目死去。这时，象群从四处集来，找不到杀象王的人，便守在象王身边嚎啕大哭，哀恸不已。
射师带着象牙回宫，国王见到象牙，心生巨大恐怖。而夫人拿到象牙，正想仔细看清楚时，一阵雷电霹雳大作，打击在她身上，当场吐血而死，落入地狱。
慈悲的象王正是释迦牟尼佛的前身。
Date: 10/11/2025 10/12/2025
Location: Star Lake Meditation Center
Teacher: Shilin Long
Dharma Talk
The Elephant King Who Practiced the Bodhisattva Path
A long time ago, in a remote forest on the borderlands, there lived five hundred elephants. Among them was a great white elephant king with six tusks. This elephant king had lofty aspirations.
Although born among elephants, in his heart he already knew of the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha, and he constantly took refuge in the Three Jewels. He always practiced great compassion to help beings and made vows to become a Buddha in order to save all sentient beings.
The elephant king had one queen and one consort who always stayed by his side. One day, while in a pond, the elephant king picked a beautiful lotus flower and presented it to his queen, adorning her with it. The queen was overjoyed and said sweetly: “How is it that in such cold weather, the king could still find such a splendid lotus?”
The consort, watching from the side, was consumed with jealousy. Burning with resentment, she swore a poisonous oath: “One day I will kill the elephant king with poison!” From then on, she harbored hatred in her heart, unable to let go. Over time, the bitterness grew, and she became ill and died.
After her death, she was reborn as a woman of unparalleled beauty, intelligent and wise, well-versed in history, able to read the stars and know the rise and fall of fortune. The king of that land, upon hearing of such an extraordinary woman, grew enamored and married her as his queen.
The queen was skillful in speaking of the ways of governing a country, and she was able to unite the ministers so that they worked harmoniously. The king, deeply trusting her, obeyed her every word.
One day, the queen said to the king: “Last night I dreamed of a great elephant with six magnificent tusks. I wish to obtain such pure ivory to make ornaments. If I cannot have this treasure, I would rather die!”
The king replied anxiously: “My queen, do not speak such foolish words. People will laugh if they hear. Where in the world could such a marvelous elephant exist?”
But the queen insisted: “My lord, you must find a way. Otherwise, I have no will to live!”
Day by day the queen grew sorrowful, refusing food and drink, becoming thin and withered. Alarmed, the king summoned his ministers to consult. One of them said he had heard rumors of such a six-tusked white elephant.
The king at once ordered all hunters across the land to investigate its whereabouts. One skilled hunter from the south said his late father had indeed seen such an elephant, but it lived in a very distant place. The queen then instructed the hunter: “Travel three thousand li southward, and you will come upon a tall mountain.
Walk two more days into the forest, and there you will meet this white elephant. Find the path it takes and dig a pit beside it. Shave your head, put on monastic robes, and disguise yourself as a monk, for this elephant pays great respect to the Three Jewels. When the white elephant approaches, you can kill it with your bow and return with its tusks.”
The hunter followed her instructions. As foretold, the elephant king, seeing someone in monk’s robes hiding in a pit, felt great reverence and let down his guard. At that moment, he was struck by the hunter’s arrow.
Wounded and in pain, the innocent elephant king lowered his head and whispered: “I sincerely take refuge in the Sangha! But why have you come such a long way to take my life?” The hunter explained everything. Enduring great pain, the elephant king said: “I once vowed to fulfill the Bodhisattva path, to practice great compassion and great patience.
Even if my bones are crushed and my flesh cut apart, I will not turn back! I do not cling to this impermanent body, for by cultivating kindness and virtue I will soon attain Nirvana.”
Then the elephant king threw himself against a great tree, pulled out his tusks with his trunk, and handed them to the hunter. He made this vow: “May the offering of my tusks in the future remove the three poisonous fangs of greed, hatred, and delusion from all beings.”
The hunter, moved by his compassion, carefully erased his tracks so the herd would not take revenge. Only after the hunter had gone far away did the elephant king finally close his eyes and pass away. Soon, elephants from all around gathered, and unable to find the killer, they surrounded their fallen king, wailing in grief.
When the hunter brought the tusks back to the palace, the king was seized with dread. As the queen reached for the ivory to look more closely, thunder and lightning suddenly struck her down. She vomited blood and died instantly, falling into hell.
That compassionate elephant king was none other than Śākyamuni Buddha in a former life.
