时间：10/12/2024 10/13/2024
地点：星湖禅修中心
主讲：Otto Huang
佛法修行
遍寻不着瞿低迦的识
有一次，佛陀游化到摩揭陀国，住在首都王舍城东方的毗婆罗山七叶窟中。
那时，尊者瞿低迦也在王舍城附近的仙人山，住在黑岩石洞中，独自一人精进禅修。
尊者瞿低迦在禅修中，因禅定力的专注，获得了暂时的「意解脱」，但不久之后，又因定力不足而退失了。尊者瞿低迦继续努力，精进不懈，不久，又再一次地进入了「意解脱」。不过，和上一次一样，这回的「意解脱」，也只是暂时性的留驻，不久之后就又退失了。就这样，得证、退失，反复发生了六次。
虽然反复经历了六次退失，但尊者瞿低迦仍然不气馁的继续精进禅修，当第七次又证入解脱时，他心想：
「我独自在这里精进禅思，努力修行，为的是让自己能够从修行中成就获益。之前已经得证「意解脱」六次，也退失了六次，现在是第七次证入了，我应当把握这次机会，趁还没退失之前，以刀自杀，断绝这来自生理的干扰，以免又发生第七次的退失。」
当尊者瞿低迦这么打算时，恶魔王波旬知道了，心想：
「如果真的让这位比丘自杀成功了，他必然会离开我掌管的世界。不能让他自杀！我应当去告诉他的老师，来阻止他自杀。」
于是，恶魔王波旬就来到佛陀住处，告诉佛陀说：
「这位大智、大雄、大自在神力的成就者啊！你有一位被炽火攻心的弟子，正准备自杀呢！大牟尼！你应当去制止他，不要让他自杀了。哪有在世尊正法、律中修学的比丘，会因无法修成而自杀的道理呢？」
就在恶魔王波旬对佛陀讲这些话时，尊者瞿低迦举刀自杀了。
佛陀听了恶魔王波旬的这番激将之辞，同时也知道尊者瞿低迦举刀自杀了，就回答恶魔王波旬说：
「放逸的波旬！你一定是为了自己自私的目的才来找我的，哪里是为了瞿低迦呢！瞿低迦是位坚定于修学的比丘，他常让自己安住在禅定中，不论是在白天或在夜里，他都不顾自己性命精进勤修。他已经很清楚地明白，在欲界、色界、无色界中生死流转的恐怖，而彻底的断除了贪爱，他已经摧毁了你们魔军的干扰，证得解脱，入涅槃了。」
听了佛陀这么说，失望的恶魔王波旬，觉得自己又失去了一位眷属，所以既懊恼又忧心，就悄悄地消失离开了。
恶魔王波旬一离开，佛陀就邀集了附近的比丘们，一同到仙人山的黑岩石洞，去探望自杀入涅槃的尊者瞿低迦。
远远地，世尊就看到在石洞内，枕臂卧在床上的尊者瞿低迦躯体，又看到有一股朦胧的黑雾，在尊者瞿低迦躯体的四周上下飘绕。于是，佛陀告诉比丘们说：
「比丘们啊！你们看到一股朦胧的黑雾，在尊者瞿低迦躯体的四周上下飘绕了吗？」
「世尊！看见了，正如您所说的。」
「比丘们！这是恶魔王波旬，在尊者瞿低迦躯体的四周上下飘绕，他正在找寻瞿低迦死后的识到哪里去了。然而，瞿低迦比丘举刀自杀时，心中没有丝毫的贪爱与执着，他的识已经入涅槃而不再有安住处了，哪里还找得到呢！」
佛陀这么说，是肯定尊者瞿低迦已经成就解脱，也就是受了「第一记」。
这时，恶魔王波旬又来找佛陀，对佛陀说：
「东、西、南、北、上、下，我遍寻不着瞿低迦的识往哪里去了。」
佛陀回应他说：
「这么一位坚定、一切无所求的修行者，他彻底的拔除了贪爱的根本，瞿低迦已经入涅槃了。」
Date: 10/12/2024 10/13/2024
Location: Star Lake Meditation Center
Teacher: Otto Huang
Dharma Talk
Unable to Find Kutikha’sConsciousness Anywhere
Once, Buddha traveled to the kingdom of Magadha and stayed in the Seven-Leaf Cave on Mount Vulture’s Peak, east of the capital city of Rajagriha.
At that time, the venerable Kutikha was also living near Rajagriha, in the Black Rock Cave on Mount Sennin, practicing meditation alone with great diligence.
During his meditation, Venerable Kutikha, due to the power of concentration, attained temporary “mental liberation,” but shortly after, he lost it due to insufficient concentration. He continued to make efforts, practicing diligently without any slack, and soon entered “mental liberation” once again. However, like the last time, this state of “mental liberation” was also temporary and faded away shortly after. This happened repeatedly, with attainment and loss occurring six times.
Despite experiencing loss six times, Venerable Kutikha did not get discouraged and continued to practice diligently. When he entered liberation for the seventh time, he thought to himself:
”I am here practicing diligently and meditating alone, striving to achieve and benefit from my practice. I have attained ‘mental liberation’ six times before, and lost it six times. Now, for the seventh time, I should seize this opportunity before losing it again by using a knife to commit suicide and cut off this physical interference, to prevent the seventh loss.”
When Venerable Kutikha made this decision, the demon king Mara knew about it and thought:
”If this monk successfully commits suicide, he will definitely leave my control. I must stop him from committing suicide! I should inform his teacher to prevent him from killing himself.”
So, the demon king Mara went to Buddha and told him:
”O great wise, powerful, and omnipotent one! One of your disciples, who is tormented by burning desires, is preparing to commit suicide. Great sage! You should go and stop him from committing suicide. How can a monk, who is learning the noble path and discipline under the guidance of the World-Honored One, think of committing suicide because he cannot achieve his practice?”
While the demon king Mara was speaking these words to Buddha, Venerable Kutikha raised the knife and committed suicide.
Buddha, knowing both Mara’s provocations and Venerable Kutikha’s act of suicide, responded to Mara:
”Negligent Mara! You are here for your selfish purposes, not for Kutikha! Kutikha is a monk dedicated to his practice. He often abides in meditation, whether day or night, diligently practicing without regard for his life. He clearly understands the horrors of the cycle of birth and death in the realms of desire, form, and formlessness, and has completely eradicated greed and love. He has destroyed your army of demons and achieved liberation, entering Nirvana.”
Hearing Buddha’s words, the disappointed demon king Mara, realizing he had lost another follower, felt both frustrated and worried, and quietly disappeared.
After Mara left, Buddha gathered the nearby monks and went to the Black Rock Cave on Mount Sennin to visit the body of Venerable Kutikha, who had achieved Nirvana through suicide.
From a distance, the World-Honored One saw the body of Venerable Kutikha lying on a bed in the cave, with a faint black mist swirling around it. Buddha told the monks: “Monks, do you see a faint black mist swirling around the body of Venerable Kutikha?”
”World-Honored One, we see it, just as you said.”
”Monks, this is the demon king Mara, swirling around Venerable Kutikha’s body, trying to find where Kutikha’s consciousness has gone after his death. However, when Venerable Kutikha committed suicide, his mind had no trace of greed or attachment. His consciousness has entered Nirvana and has no place to dwell anymore, so how can it be found?”
Buddha’s words confirmed that Venerable Kutikha had achieved liberation, which is known as receiving the “first confirmation.”
At this moment, the demon king Mara approached Buddha again and said:
”I searched everywhere, east, west, south, north, above, and below, but I couldn’t find where Kutikha’s consciousness went.”
Buddha responded:
”Such a steadfast practitioner, with no desires, has completely eradicated the roots of greed. Kutikha has entered Nirvana.”
