时间：03/30/2024 03/31/2024
地点：星湖禅修中心
主讲：Otto Huang
佛法修行
作福不嫌多，但用于解脱
有一次，佛陀来到憍萨罗国首都舍卫城游化，住在城南郊外的祇树给孤独园。
这天，憍萨罗国波斯匿王盛装前往礼见佛陀，请求佛陀及僧团能在舍卫城住上三个月，接受他的供养。
佛陀默许了。
波斯匿王就在王宫外面，搭建了一座大讲堂，并要求朝中的大臣们，也一起发欢喜心供养。
在一次饮食供养后，波斯匿王对佛陀说：
「世尊！我曾经听世尊说：布施给畜生，可以得到以百计的福报，布施犯戒人为千，布施持戒人为万，布施离欲外道为亿，布施向须陀洹则难以计算，更何况是须陀洹以上的圣者了。我今天供养了世尊及众比丘僧，因此，所获得的福报与功德，应当是难以计算的。今天，我已经算是功德圆满了。」
佛陀听了，告诉波斯匿王说：
「大王！不要这么说！作福是不嫌多的，你怎么能说已经功德圆满了呢？为何说作福不嫌多呢？因为众生的生死轮回，实在长远得难以计算。
在很久以前，我们住的地方有一位名叫『地主』的大王，皇后名叫『日月光』，太子名叫『灯光』。灯光太子长得十分端正，后来出家修道成佛，并且陆续度化了八十亿众成阿罗汉。
地主大王在太子成佛后，迎请灯光如来入宫亲自供养，并且发愿终身供养如来及八十亿众的阿罗汉，获得了灯光如来的默许。
地主大王充分供养了灯光如来七万年。
灯光如来入灭后，地主大王又建了许多寺庙、宝塔，持续供养其它阿罗汉，直到他们一一入灭，并且也为这些阿罗汉的遗骨建塔庙供养，这样又过了七万年，直到灯光如来所传的佛法消失了，才去世。
大王！那位地主大王不是别人，就是我的前身。那时，我七万年供养如来，七万年供养舍利，只想以此所作的功德，在生死中得到福报享用，而不曾修道求解脱。大王！你知道吗？当时所作的福德，到现在已经全部耗尽了，连毛发般大小的福德也没留下来。怎么会这样呢？正是因为，生死轮回长远得难以计算，以致在那么长的时间中，再多的福报都会被耗尽，不留一丝一毫。
所以，大王！不要说：今天我作福已经功德圆满，你应当说：今天我所有身、口、意的所作所为，都要趣向解脱，我不求在生死中享用福报，但求能得到长远无量的安乐。」
波斯匿王听了佛陀这番教说，不由得毛骨悚然地害怕起来。一阵悲伤哭泣后，以手抹掉眼泪，向佛陀顶礼，承认自己的过失。他说：
「世尊！我真是太愚笨了，请世尊接受我的忏悔！我以五体投地之礼，表示我改过的心意。以后，我不会再那样说了，请世尊接受我的忏悔。」
「太好了，大王！你能忏悔改过。我接受你的忏悔，以后不要再那样说了。」
这时，在大众中，有一位名叫迦旃延的比丘尼，起来赞叹佛陀对波斯匿王的劝勉，并且以自己的前世为例，印证应当趣向于解脱，而不是求在生死中享用福报的教说。她说，三十一劫前她的前世，是一位名叫「纯黑」的差使，他在野马城供养当时的式诘如来，供养后，发愿要以这样的功德不堕三恶道，来世见佛闻法而得解脱。她就是以这样的因缘，今世得遇释迦佛，从而修道得解脱的。
佛陀赞叹她是声闻弟子中，信解脱第一的比丘尼。
Date: 03/30/2024 03/31/2024
Location: Star Lake Meditation Center
Teacher: Otto Huang
Dharma Talk
One cannot have too much merit, but it should be used for liberation
Once, Buddha came to visit Shravasti, the capital of the Kosala Kingdom, and stayed at Jetavana, the Park of the Jeta Grove, located just outside the southern gates of the city.
One day, King Pasenadi of Kosala, dressed in regal attire, came to pay homage to Buddha and requested that Buddha and the monastic community reside in Shravasti for three months to accept his offerings.
Buddha silently consented.
King Pasenadi constructed a large lecture hall outside the palace and encouraged his ministers to also joyfully make offerings.
After one of the meal offerings, King Pasenadi said to Buddha:
”World-Honored One! I have heard you say: giving alms to an animal can bring a hundredfold of merit, a thousandfold for giving to a person who violates precepts, ten thousandfold for giving to one who upholds them, a hundred millionfold for giving to an ascetic free from desire, and incalculable for giving to a Stream-Enterer, not to mention those beyond that level.
Today, I have made offerings to you and the monastic community, so the merit and virtue I have gained should be incalculable. Today, I believe my merit is complete.”
Buddha responded to King Pasenadi:
”Great King! Do not speak so! One can never have too much virtue. How can you say your merit is complete? Why is it that one can never have too much virtue? Because the cycle of birth and death is so vast and incalculable.
Long ago, in the place where we lived, there was a king named ‘Landowner,’ his queen was ‘Sun-Moon Light,’ and their prince was named ‘Lamp Light.’ Prince Lamp Light was very noble, and later he renounced worldly life to practice the way and become a Buddha, gradually leading eighty billion beings to Arhatship.
After Prince Lamp Light became a Buddha, Landowner King personally invited the Buddha Lamp Light into the palace to make offerings and vowed to support the Buddha and the eighty billion Arhats for life, gaining silent consent from the Buddha Lamp Light.
Landowner King made offerings to Buddha Lamp Light for seventy thousand years.
After the passing of Buddha Lamp Light, Landowner King built many temples and stupas, continuing to support other Arhats until they also passed away. He also built stupas and temples for these Arhats’ relics, another seventy thousand years passed until the teachings of Buddha Lamp Light disappeared, and then he passed away.
Great King! That Landowner King was none other than a former life of mine. At that time, I made offerings for seventy thousand years to the Buddha and seventy thousand years to the relics, only wishing to enjoy the fruits of my merit in the cycle of birth and death, never seeking liberation.
Great King! Do you know? The merit I accumulated then has already been exhausted, not even the smallest fraction remains. Why is that? Because the cycle of birth and death is so vast and incalculable that over such a long time, even the greatest of merits can be exhausted, leaving nothing behind.
Therefore, Great King! Do not say: ‘Today my merit is complete.’ Instead, you should say: ‘Today, all my actions of body, speech, and mind are directed towards liberation. I do not seek to enjoy the fruits of merit within the cycle of birth and death, but I seek the enduring and immeasurable peace.’”
Upon hearing Buddha’s teachings, King Pasenadi was struck with awe and fear. After weeping with sadness, he wiped away his tears, paid his respects to Buddha, and acknowledged his mistake. He said:
”World-Honored One! I have been so foolish. Please accept my repentance! With a prostration of my entire being, I express my resolve to reform. From now on, I will not speak in such a way again. Please accept my repentance.”
”Very good, Great King! You are capable of repentance and change. I accept your repentance; do not speak like that again.”
At that time, among the assembly, a bhikkhuni named Khema stood up to praise Buddha’s admonition to King Pasenadi and took her own past life as an example, confirming the teaching that one should aspire for liberation rather than seeking the enjoyment of merits in the cycle of birth and death.
She said that thirty-one eons ago, her past life was a messenger named ‘Pure Black,’ who made offerings to the then-Buddha and vowed to use such merit to avoid the three evil realms and attain liberation upon seeing the Buddha and hearing the Dharma in a future life.
It was because of such conditions that in this life she was able to meet Shakyamuni Buddha and attain liberation through practice.
Buddha praised her as the foremost bhikkhuni in faith and liberation among his hearer disciples.
