时间：04/26/2025 04/27/2025
地点：星湖禅修中心
主讲：龙示林
佛法修行
摩诃卢应供
过去在印度有座寺院，里面住着百余名僧众。距寺院不远之处，住着一位潜心向道的优婆夷(受五戒之女子)，她平日喜好研读经典，还发愿每日供养一位出家法师。寺院里的僧众，一日轮流一位至其家中接受供养，精进的优婆夷并藉此机会请示经文之义理，所以自认学浅的僧众都不太愿意前往应供。
有一天，轮到一位名叫摩诃卢的老比丘前往应供。年岁已高、刚出家不久的摩诃卢，对许多经典义理都尚未深入了解，这一天的来临，使他内心忐忑不安；由于不知该如何婉拒，他只好硬着头皮，拖着沉重的脚步前去。优婆夷在家中等了许久，心想：午斋时间已过，寺里的僧众怎么迟迟未到呢？
于是她开门一探究竟……此时，远方走来一位年老的僧人，他正安详徐步地朝向优婆夷的家门。优婆夷见到老比丘行走的步履如此安稳，认为这位长者必定是个有智慧、有定力的大修行者，更期待等一下能从老比丘的开示中体悟些道理。
进入屋里，老比丘压抑着自己七上八下的心情，暗暗地思索着下一刻该如何应对。一念接着一念──老比丘用斋的速度，显然比平常更慢了。然而，漫长的等待，丝毫未减少优婆夷求法的诚心，午斋过后，她便恭敬地请老比丘上座说法。
看到优婆夷这般虔诚，老比丘惶恐不已，想到自己一大把年纪才出家，对深奥的佛法道理又不太懂，心中既惭愧又苦恼，于是感慨地说：「愚痴无知、缺乏智慧，实在非常的痛苦啊！」优婆夷听了这段话，仔细思惟其中的道理：愚痴无智慧，这不就是十二因缘法的根本吗？因为没有清明的智慧，无明妄想之心不断攀缘外在的尘境，导致一再地生死轮回，实在是非常痛苦……在反复思惟的当下，她竟证得须陀洹果。
优婆夷甚是欢喜，她转身进入储藏室中，准备取出珍贵的毛毯来供养老比丘，怎知坐立难安的老比丘，却趁机下座，匆匆的跑回精舍中。当优婆夷发现老比丘已不在座上，出门又看不到他的踪影，心想这位老比丘可能是以神足通飞走了，她决定带着那件毛毯，前往精舍向老比丘致意。
老比丘回到精舍后，便躲入房内不敢出来，由于他的师父是位俱足神通的阿罗汉，早已观察出事情的因由，于是唤摩诃卢出来接受供养，并为摩诃卢讲诉缘起法，摩诃卢听了师父的开示后，豁然体悟，也在消除烦恼的当下证得须陀洹果。
Date: 04/26/2025 04/27/2025
Location: Star Lake Meditation Center
Teacher: Shilin Long
Dharma Talk
Mahālū Accepting Offerings
In the past, in India, there was a monastery where more than a hundred monks resided. Not far from the monastery lived a devout Upāsikā (a laywoman who had taken the Five Precepts). She was deeply devoted to the path and enjoyed studying the scriptures. She also made a vow to offer daily meals to a monk.
Each day, one monk from the monastery would take turns going to her house to receive the offering. Since this diligent Upāsikā would also take the opportunity to ask about the meanings of the scriptures, many monks who considered themselves to have shallow knowledge were reluctant to go.
One day, it was the turn of an elderly monk named Mahālū to receive the offering. Mahālū was already advanced in age and had not been ordained for long. He had yet to gain deep understanding of many Buddhist scriptures. The arrival of this day made him extremely uneasy. However, since he did not know how to decline the invitation tactfully, he had no choice but to brace himself and drag his heavy steps forward.
The Upāsikā had been waiting at home for a long time and thought, “The time for the midday meal has already passed, why has the monk from the monastery not arrived yet?” She opened the door to take a look… At that moment, she saw an elderly monk walking calmly and steadily toward her house.
Seeing that the elderly monk walked with such a composed and steady gait, the Upāsikā believed that this elder must be a wise and deeply meditative practitioner. She became even more eager, hoping that she could gain insights from his teachings.
Upon entering the house, the elderly monk suppressed his inner anxiety, secretly wondering how he should respond next. One thought followed another—his eating pace was noticeably slower than usual.
However, despite the long wait, the Upāsikā’s sincerity in seeking the Dharma remained unwavering. After the midday meal, she respectfully invited the elder monk to ascend the seat and give a teaching.
Seeing the Upāsikā’s deep reverence, the elderly monk became even more uneasy. He thought to himself, “I am already so old, yet I only recently ordained. I do not understand the profound principles of the Dharma very well. This is truly shameful and distressing.”
Feeling this deep lamentation, he sighed and said, “Ignorance and lack of wisdom—this is truly a great suffering!”
Hearing these words, the Upāsikā carefully contemplated their meaning:
Ignorance and lack of wisdom—is this not the very root of the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination?
Because one lacks clear wisdom, the deluded mind constantly grasps at external objects, leading to endless cycles of birth and death.
This is indeed a great suffering…
As she repeatedly reflected on this truth, she suddenly attained the fruition of Sotāpanna (Stream-entry).
The Upāsikā was overjoyed. She turned to enter her storeroom, intending to take out a precious woolen blanket to offer to the elderly monk as an expression of gratitude.
However, the elderly monk, who had been feeling restless all along, took the opportunity to step down from the seat and hurriedly ran back to the monastery.
When the Upāsikā returned, she found that the elderly monk was no longer there. She stepped outside but could not see any trace of him. She thought, “Perhaps this venerable elder has flown away using supernatural powers.”
Determined, she took the woolen blanket and went to the monastery to personally offer it to the elder monk.
After returning to the monastery, the elderly monk hid inside his room, too embarrassed to come out.
His teacher, however, was an Arahant with complete mastery of supernatural powers. Observing the entire situation with his divine vision, he called out to Mahālū to come out and accept the offering.
Then, the teacher explained the doctrine of Dependent Origination to Mahālū.
Upon hearing his teacher’s discourse, Mahālū suddenly gained great insight.
At that very moment, as he eradicated his defilements, he too attained the fruition of Sotāpanna (Stream-entry).
