时间：07/25/2026 07/26/2026
地点：星湖禅修中心
主讲：龙示林
佛法修行
大力毒龙
久远劫前，有一只大力毒龙，它拥有无与伦比的强大威力，虽然能在指掌间毁灭一切，但它却不随便伤害生灵。特别的是，它对寂静的修行生活十分向往，也想要寻求解脱之道。
有一天，毒龙前往道场求受一日一夜的八关斋戒，它以虔诚敬慎的心受完戒后，身心感到无比清凉，来到一处宁静的树林里思惟法义。经过一段时间的用功后，毒龙感到有些疲倦，不知不觉地在大树下睡着了。睡眠时的毒龙身体盘曲，变得像蛇一般，而且表皮鳞片的花纹更显得光彩斑斓。
正当此时，有个猎人经过，他看到熟睡中的大力毒龙，惊讶不已：「想不到这世界上竟然有花纹这么漂亮的大蛇，实在是稀有难得啊！」转念一想：「这大蛇的皮如此罕见，倘若献给国王做成衣饰，说不定还可以获得一番奖赏呢……」猎人越想越高兴，他一步步地接近毒龙，小心翼翼地拿着木杖，靠近毒龙身边，深深吸了一口气后，举起木杖大力一挥，朝毒龙的头部重重敲下并压着不放，另一手则拿出他平日打猎用的刀子，迅速地向毒龙身体划了下去。
一阵锥心刺骨的疼痛从皮肤透至心髓，皮与肉撕裂的痛楚让大力毒龙难以忍受，瞋怒之火油然生起：「到底是谁这么大胆，竟然敢动我，以我的神力，要消灭整个国家可说是易如反掌，难道他不想活了吗！」忿怒的毒龙正想反击时，突然起了觉念：「我现在正受持一日一夜的八关斋戒，应当承佛恩嘱护守净戒，纵使再痛也要忍下来，绝不可因此而破戒、伤生害命。」
毒龙护戒的心意坚决，它忍痛让猎人活生生地把皮给剥下来，一点也不后悔，甚至，又怕猎人因靠近它而中毒，不但不敢睁开眼睛，也闭着气不呼吸，深怕毒气伤害了他。毒龙失去了皮肤的保护，身体血肉直接碰触在粗糙的地面上，刺痛不堪。
艳阳高照下，天气燠热难耐，毒龙原本想到大河里舒缓一下身体，可是，正要起身的时候，却看见许多小虫在自己身上爬动，它心想：「到河里泡水，虽然可使痛苦稍微减轻，但这些小虫必定会因此而淹死，那岂不又犯了杀生戒吗？」于是，它决定留在原地不动，任凭小虫啃噬。种种的煎熬，并未使毒龙生起一丝悔意，反而激发起它那深藏内心的悲愿：「为了成就道业，我宁可布施身体给小虫们；将来，若我成就佛道，更要以正法布施给这些众生！」发了这个誓愿后，大力毒龙便往生了，由于持戒的殊胜功德，它投生至忉利天上。
大力毒龙，为释迦牟尼佛的过去生，猎人则是提婆达多，而那些小虫就是释迦牟尼佛成道时最初度化的八万天人。
Date: 07/25/2026 07/26/2026
Location: Star Lake Meditation Center
Teacher: Shilin Long
Dharma Talk
The Powerful Dragon
Long ago, in a distant age, there lived a mighty poisonous dragon. It possessed incomparable power and could destroy anything in an instant. Yet despite its tremendous strength, it never harmed living beings without cause. More importantly, it longed for a quiet life of spiritual practice and sought the path to liberation.
One day, the dragon went to a monastery and requested to undertake the Eight Precepts for one day and one night. After receiving the precepts with utmost sincerity and reverence, its body and mind felt incomparably pure and peaceful. It then went to a tranquil forest to contemplate the Dharma. After practicing for some time, the dragon became tired and gradually fell asleep beneath a large tree. While sleeping, its body curled up like a serpent, and the colorful patterns on its scales appeared especially radiant and beautiful.
At that moment, a hunter happened to pass by. Seeing the sleeping dragon, he was astonished.
“I never imagined there could be such a beautifully patterned serpent in this world. It is truly rare and extraordinary!”
Then another thought arose:
“The skin of this great serpent is so unusual. If I present it to the king and have it made into a garment, perhaps I will receive a handsome reward.”
The more he thought about it, the happier he became. Step by step, he approached the dragon. Holding a wooden club carefully, he drew near, took a deep breath, and swung the club down with all his might, striking the dragon heavily on the head and pinning it down. With his other hand, he drew the hunting knife he always carried and swiftly sliced into the dragon’s body.
A piercing pain shot through the dragon’s skin into its very marrow. The agony of flesh being torn apart was almost unbearable. Anger instantly arose:
“Who dares to do this to me? With my supernatural power, destroying an entire kingdom would be effortless. Does this person not value his life?”
Just as the enraged dragon was about to retaliate, mindfulness suddenly arose:
“I am now observing the Eight Precepts for one day and one night. I should uphold the pure precepts entrusted by the Buddha. No matter how painful this may be, I must endure it. Under no circumstances should I break my precepts by harming another living being.”
The dragon’s determination to protect the precepts was unwavering.
It endured the pain and allowed the hunter to skin it alive without resistance. Not only did it feel no regret, but it was also afraid that the hunter might be poisoned by coming too close. Therefore, it dared not even open its eyes, and it held its breath, fearing that its poisonous breath might injure him.
After losing its skin, the dragon’s raw flesh came into direct contact with the rough ground, causing unbearable suffering.
Under the blazing sun, the heat became intense. The dragon wished to enter a nearby river to soothe its pain. Yet as it prepared to move, it noticed many small insects crawling over its body.
It thought:
“If I enter the river, my suffering may be eased somewhat, but these insects would certainly drown. Would that not violate the precept against killing?”
Therefore, it chose to remain where it was, allowing the insects to feed upon its flesh.
Despite all these torments, not a trace of regret arose in its heart. Instead, its profound compassion grew even stronger:
“For the sake of attaining the Way, I willingly offer my body to these insects. In the future, when I attain Buddhahood, I will offer them the Dharma as well.”
After making this vow, the great dragon passed away. Through the extraordinary merit of upholding the precepts, it was reborn in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three Gods (Trāyastriṃśa Heaven).
The great dragon was a former life of the Buddha, Shakyamuni Buddha. The hunter was the Buddha’s future rival, Devadatta. The insects were the eighty thousand heavenly beings who became the first to receive the Buddha’s teachings after his enlightenment.
