时间：05/10/2025 05/11/2025
地点：星湖禅修中心
主讲：龙示林
佛法修行
舍利弗世世心坚
一日，佛陀打坐后起而经行，罗睺罗即跟随在佛陀身旁。佛陀看到罗睺罗脸色不好，便问：「为何你看起来如此瘦弱呢？」罗睺罗回答：「世尊，您也知道吃了胡麻油和酥酪，才能增长力气，身体健康，但我们现在每天只吃一些胡麻渣和野菜，营养不足，所以身体常常困倦，不能专心修持！」
佛陀接着问：「谁是统领大众的上座？」罗睺罗回答：「是舍利弗尊者。」佛陀观察其中的因缘后，知道舍利弗并未善尽长老比丘的责任，便说：「舍利弗吃了不符合戒律的食物。」舍利弗辗转听到这句话后，马上将当日所受的饮食吐出，并发下誓愿：「今日起，我舍利弗不再参加居士的斋供。」
当时，波斯匿王、须达多长者等人听到这个消息，立刻来到舍利弗尊者居住的地方，向尊者说：「佛陀应供都是有因有缘，无事不会接受他人的祈请。若尊者您也不再应供，我们这些在家居士如何增长对佛法的信心呢？」舍利弗尊者回答：「世尊说我所吃的食物不合乎戒律，所以我决定不再受人之请。」
于是，波斯匿王一行人来到佛陀的住处，禀告佛陀：「世尊，您平时不常接受居士的供养，若舍利弗尊者也不再应供，我们该从哪里获得对佛法的信心呢？希望世尊可以劝劝舍利弗尊者改变心意，接受我们的供养。」佛陀回答：「舍利弗的心一向都很坚定，很难让他改变。」于是，世尊对大众说明舍利弗尊者过去生的因缘。
昔日，有位国王为毒蛇所咬，命在旦夕，于是他请来全国各地最好的医生，为他治疗毒伤。医生们都说，只有让毒蛇再吸出毒气才能治好国王的病，于是他们施展各种咒术，让咬伤国王的毒蛇来到王宫。医生们抓到这条毒蛇后，堆起柴火，威胁地说：「只要你将国王身上的毒吸出，我们就让你活命，否则就把你丢进火堆里。」
毒蛇暗自寻思：「我既已吐出毒液，就没有再吸回来的道理？我死也办不到。」打定主意后，毒蛇便迅速钻入火堆里。当时的毒蛇就是今日的舍利弗尊者，从过去到现在，舍利弗生生世世都是意志坚定，无法轻易动摇。
Date: 05/10/2025 05/11/2025
Location: Star Lake Meditation Center
Teacher: Shilin Long
Dharma Talk
Śāriputra’s Unwavering Resolve Across Lifetimes
One day, after finishing his meditation, the Buddha rose and began walking. Rāhula immediately followed by his side. Seeing that Rāhula looked unwell, the Buddha asked, “Why do you appear so thin and weak?”
Rāhula replied, “World-Honored One, you know that consuming sesame oil and ghee helps build strength and maintain good health. However, we now only eat sesame dregs and wild vegetables every day, which lack sufficient nutrition. As a result, our bodies often feel fatigued, making it difficult to focus on our practice.”
The Buddha then asked, “Who is the elder in charge of overseeing the monastic community?”
Rāhula answered, “It is Venerable Śāriputra.”
After observing the underlying causes and conditions, the Buddha realized that Śāriputra had not fully carried out his duties as a senior monk. He then said, “Śāriputra has consumed food that is not in accordance with monastic discipline.”
When Śāriputra heard this statement through others, he immediately vomited out the food he had eaten that day and made a solemn vow: “From this day forward, I, Śāriputra, will no longer accept laypeople’s meal offerings.”
At that time, King Prasenajit, Elder Sudatta (Anāthapiṇḍika), and others heard this news and immediately went to Śāriputra’s residence. They said to the venerable one, “The Buddha only accepts meal offerings when there are causes and conditions; he never accepts offerings without reason. If you, Venerable Śāriputra, also refuse to accept meal offerings, how can we lay practitioners strengthen our faith in the Dharma?”
Śāriputra replied, “The World-Honored One has said that the food I ate was not in accordance with monastic discipline. Therefore, I have decided not to accept invitations for meals anymore.”
Hearing this, King Prasenajit and his companions went to the Buddha’s residence and reported to him: “World-Honored One, you seldom accept offerings from laypeople. If Venerable Śāriputra also refuses meal offerings, where will we find confidence in the Dharma? We humbly ask the World-Honored One to persuade Śāriputra to change his mind and accept our offerings.”
The Buddha replied, “Śāriputra’s mind has always been firm. It is very difficult to change his resolve.”
Then, the World-Honored One explained to the assembly the past-life causes and conditions of Venerable Śāriputra.
In a past life, there was a king who was bitten by a venomous snake and was on the brink of death. He summoned the most skilled doctors from across the country to treat the poison. The doctors all said, “The only cure is for the same snake to suck out the venom it injected into the king.”
Thus, the doctors used powerful incantations to summon the venomous snake that had bitten the king to the palace.
After capturing the snake, they built a firewood pile and threatened it, saying, “If you suck the poison out of the king, we will spare your life. Otherwise, we will throw you into the fire and burn you alive!”
The venomous snake pondered silently, thinking, “Once I have released my venom, there is no reason for me to take it back. Even if I die, I will not do this.”
Having made up its mind, the snake swiftly burrowed into the fire and perished.
The venomous snake of that time was none other than Venerable Śāriputra in this present life. From past lives to the present, Śāriputra has always been unshakable in his determination, never easily swayed.
