时间：11/15/2025 11/16/2025
地点：星湖禅修中心
主讲：龙示林
佛法修行
贪图供养堕馈鬼缘
佛陀时代，有一位非常富裕的若达多长者，所拥有的财物、奴仆及象马牛羊，不计其数。一天，若达多长者来到祇桓精舍聆听佛陀的开示，看见佛陀相好庄严，全身散发不可思议的光芒，即恭敬地上前顶礼佛足，并退坐一旁听法。听完佛陀的开示，长者充满法喜，决定跟随佛陀出家。
在获得家人的同意后，若达多长者回到精舍，向佛陀请求出家，佛陀即说：「善来比丘，须发自落，袈裟着身。」长者即现出家相。
出家后的若达多比丘，因为过去显贵的身分，所以族中的亲戚及百姓都争相供养其三衣钵具及物品。得到这些丰厚供养的若达多比丘，却心生贪念，舍不得与他人分享。若达多比丘往生后，其他僧众来到他的房间，准备火化及处理遗物时，大家都被眼前的景象吓了一跳！只见一个形貌枯槁、面目狰狞的饿鬼，守在衣钵旁，瞪着大家，不让任何人靠近。
原来若达多比丘因为贪爱生前所拥有的种种供养，所以死后堕入饿鬼，还紧守着他的衣钵。比丘们前去请示佛陀该如何处理？于是，佛陀带领大众来到若达多比丘的房间，向饿鬼开示：「你生前出家修行，却贪爱大众的供养，舍不得与别人分享，以致今日堕入饿鬼道中。怎么还不知忏悔，依然守着这些衣钵不肯离去？」佛陀接着开示贪心的种种过患，堕入饿鬼身的比顿时心开意解，深深惭愧自己的贪念，于是将衣钵及物品分送给众僧。
当夜，长者结束丑形饿鬼的报身，投生为飞行饿鬼，容貌端好，身出光明，并有种种璎珞装饰，仿佛天人一般，再度来到祇桓精舍顶礼佛陀，感恩佛陀的教诲。佛陀慈悲为他开示佛法的道理后，飞行饿鬼欢喜地离开。
次日一早，其他的僧众请示佛陀，昨夜祇桓精舍的光明是四大天王或是二十八部鬼神，还是他方世界的大菩萨前来听法呢？佛陀告诉这些比丘，是若达多比丘已投生为飞行饿鬼，特地持花来供养。
大众听完佛陀详述若达多比丘的因缘后，皆发起舍离悭贪、厌恶生死之心，不仅有得证四果者，更有发无上菩提心，欲上求佛道、下化众生者；诸比丘亦欢喜踊跃，依教奉行。
Date: 11/15/2025 11/16/2025
Location: Star Lake Meditation Center
Teacher: Shilin Long
Dharma Talk
The Greedy Monk Who Fell into the Realm of Hungry Ghosts
During the time of the Buddha, there was a very wealthy man named Yodada, who possessed countless treasures, servants, elephants, horses, cattle, and sheep. One day, he went to the Jetavana Monastery to listen to the Buddha’s teaching.
Seeing the Buddha’s majestic appearance and radiant light, Yodada reverently bowed at the Buddha’s feet and sat to one side to listen to the Dharma. After hearing the teaching, he was filled with joy and decided to renounce the world and follow the Buddha.
With his family’s consent, Yodada returned to the monastery and requested ordination. The Buddha said, “Come, O monk—let your hair and beard fall away, and put on the robe.” Instantly, Yodada took on the appearance of a monk.
After ordination, because he had been a man of great wealth and status, many relatives and townspeople competed to offer him robes, bowls, and other requisites. Receiving such abundant offerings, Yodada became attached to them, unwilling to share with others.
When Yodada later passed away, the monks entered his room to prepare his body for cremation and to arrange his belongings—but they were horrified at what they saw! Before them stood a shriveled, hideous hungry ghost, guarding the monk’s robes and bowl, glaring fiercely and refusing to let anyone approach.
It turned out that because Yodada had clung greedily to his possessions and offerings, he had fallen into the realm of hungry ghosts, still obsessively guarding his former belongings. The monks reported this to the Buddha and sought guidance.
The Buddha led the assembly to Yodada’s room and said to the ghost:
“When you were a monk, you clung to offerings made by others and refused to share. Because of this greed, you have now fallen into the hungry ghost realm. Why do you still not repent and continue to guard these robes and bowls?”
The Buddha then explained the many harms of greed. Hearing the Buddha’s compassionate teaching, the ghost suddenly understood, felt deep remorse, and distributed the robes and belongings to the monks. That very night, he was released from his wretched ghostly form and was reborn as a flying spirit—radiant in appearance, emitting light, adorned with jewels, resembling a celestial being.
He returned once more to Jetavana, bowed before the Buddha, and expressed profound gratitude for the Buddha’s guidance. The Buddha compassionately expounded more Dharma, and the spirit joyfully departed.
The next morning, the monks asked the Buddha:
“World-Honored One, last night Jetavana was filled with great light—was it the Four Heavenly Kings, the twenty-eight celestial spirits, or a great bodhisattva from another world who came to hear your teaching?”
The Buddha replied:
“It was Yodada, who has now been reborn as a flying hungry ghost, and he came bringing flowers as an offering.”
When the monks and laypeople heard the Buddha recount Yodada’s story, they were deeply moved. Many resolved to abandon greed and attachment, to detest the endless cycle of birth and death.
Some attained the four stages of enlightenment, and others aroused the unsurpassed bodhi mind—to seek Buddhahood above and transform sentient beings below. The community rejoiced and followed the Buddha’s teaching with renewed devotion.
