时间：06/07/2025 06/08/2025
地点：星湖禅修中心
主讲：龙示林
佛法修行
墓魄太子
久远以前，在印度的波罗奈国，有一位墓魄太子，天生具有无碍的智慧，能够知道自己的宿命，以及过去未来一切善恶苦乐等事，举国上下都很爱戴这位智慧圆满的太子。
然而，在太子十三岁的那一年，却忽然闭口，一句话都不说，就如同是一个木头人一般。国王和皇后见到即将继承王位的太子，突然间判若两人、形同木石，心里非常地焦急担心。正在苦思之际，国王突然心生一计，派人找了一位知名的婆罗门来替太子看病。
心急如焚的国王问道：「太子为什么不说话了？」
占相的婆罗门从来都没有见过如此的症状，便胡乱地东扯西掰：
「禀告国王，太子的相貌虽然端正，但却身藏祸害，日后恐怕伤及父母、祸害国家。其次，国王没有能够再继续生育儿女，其实都是因为这个恶子的缘故！按照习俗应该要将他活埋，才能保全国家的和平，以及让国王再生贵子。不然，恐怕国王和国家都将会陷入危难之中！」
国王听了婆罗门的谏言之后，心中非常地忧愁，坐立难安、食不知味，只好召集了王后与大臣们，共同商量这件进退两难的国家大事……。
一个愁苦的夜晚过去了，众人最后仍是不得已地决定在一处荒郊野外，挖一个深坑将太子活埋。
消息传开了，举国上下的百姓全都哀痛不已，就如同家中至亲往生了一般。而王后更是伤心欲绝，泪流满面地说：「我的儿子命薄、福薄，才会遭遇这种灾殃啊！」 悲伤中的皇后，悉心将珍贵的珠宝、华服替太子准备好，差人送往野外的地洞，做为自己心爱孩子的最后陪礼。
此时，太子正在被送往郊外的途中，心想：「父王、母后和百姓都相信我痴哑了，并且还是个大祸害，却不明白闭口不说话的我，是为了净化口业、避免造业。如今反而被邪人诬害，如果我再不说清楚，恐怕就要危害到更多的人。」
于是，墓魄太子静静地拿着璎珞宝珠及华服，到河水边沐浴后，穿戴着华服、珠宝来到挖坑造室的地方。
太子见到工人便问：「你们在这里做什么？」
工人眼见是一位举止得体的贵人，便毫不隐瞒地回答说：
「我们的太子由于痴聋喑哑，对国家很不吉祥，而国家又不能没有太子，所以国王采纳婆罗门的建议，命令我们挖洞将太子活埋，这样皇后就可以早日生下健康吉祥的新太子了。」
太子听了之后，就告诉在场所有的工人说：「我就是墓魄！」
工人们全都瞪大了眼睛、不敢相信，便三步并作二步地跑到太子的马车上去看──太子确实已经不在车内。
回过神来才又发现，在眼前的这位「太子」神情安详、谈吐文雅、和蔼诚挚，实在不像是会危害父母、祸乱国家的人……。
在场的工人们起先是只惊讶、怀疑，继而才惊觉到－－自己差点错手杀害了无辜的太子！大家马上惶恐地匍伏在地，哀求太子能够赦罪……。
朝中的大臣们火速地通报这个好消息，国王和王后听了都心生大欢喜，立刻驱车去迎接太子。
国王和王后抵达后，太子赶忙起身，恭敬地五体投地顶礼，至诚恳切地迎接。
国王、皇后看到久违的太子如此举止安详、出言和悦，欣喜无比，便对大众说道：
「朕今日有这样的太子，实在是一件令朕及全国人民欢喜的无上好事，我们要重新迎接太子一起回国，好让他将来登基王位、造福国民。」
话毕，太子却向后退了几步，恳切地告诉国王：
「敬爱的父王，我明白在过去生中，自己也曾经是一位国王，名叫须念。当时，我以仁德治理国家几十年，向来惠施仁爱、救济贫穷、奉行诸善，并严禁使用杀人凶器，以致全国上下一片祥和、无人怨怼，乃至监狱里更是一个犯人也没有，而邻近许多国家也都前来真诚归顺。
但是，有一天，为了接待远来的宾客，御厨前来请示是否要屠杀六畜大设宴席宴请贵宾时，当时我念及面子，一时疏忽就点头应许。然而，就因为这一句话，使我死后堕于大地狱中，以偿还杀生的血债，六万年中，遭煎煮剥皮等罪报，惨苦难忍、求死不得。我本有眷属无数、百官群臣和成千上万的资产，集富贵与享受于一身，可是有谁知道我在烈煮剥裂地狱所受的种种苦痛？又有谁能替我分担或代受？
每当墓魄想起这些无量无边的大苦，就会心寒胆战、冷汗直流、毛骨耸然，『因一言之失而受众苦』的因果业报，不时地在提醒自己……，为谨守口业，所以决定不再开口说话。但是，今日念及父王将会因为偏信邪说而杀害生命的过失，堕到地狱当中受苦，所以才又开口。
墓魄因为了达了这些宿世因果，所以希望往后能如法精进学道修行，永断众生生老病死等一切痛苦，恳请父王不要怪罪我才好！」
语毕，天雨香花，帝释天神欢喜拥护，并当下将太子身上的宝衣化做一缕袈裟。
国王在听完墓魄太子述说过去因缘之后，欢喜赞同了墓魄太子出家修行的选择，并说道：
「你过去为人国君，勤政爱民，仁德治国，操守高洁，道德崇高，修持了种种善法，只不过说错了一句话，而致招感了无量无边的地狱苦报。如今我也是一国之主，却都随顺自己的喜好来做事，甚至于不行正道、不以正法治国、不行善法，在我死后，不知要堕到何处受苦啊！」
国王回国之后，便努力改恶修善，实践以正法治国、勤修善法爱护百姓的德政，因此国家从此昌盛不衰、丰衣足食，全国上下一片和乐。
墓魄太子最终也因为精进求道，而圆成佛道，并且广开法筵接引众生，普度有情。
当时的墓魄太子就是释迦牟尼佛的前身，而国王、王后就是世尊出家前的父母──净饭王与摩耶夫人。
Date: 06/07/2025 06/08/2025
Location: Star Lake Meditation Center
Teacher: Shilin Long
Dharma Talk
Mu Po Prince
A long time ago, in the Kingdom of Benares in India, there was a prince named Mu Po. He was born with unobstructed wisdom and was able to know his past lives, his destiny, and all matters of good and evil, suffering and joy, in the past and future. The entire country loved this prince with perfect wisdom.
However, in the year the prince turned thirteen, he suddenly stopped speaking, not uttering a single word, as if he had become a wooden figure. The king and queen saw that their son, who was to inherit the throne, had suddenly become like a block of wood or stone.
They were extremely anxious and worried. While racking their brains for a solution, the king suddenly came up with an idea and sent for a famous Brahmin to treat the prince.
The king, burning with anxiety, asked, “Why has the prince stopped speaking?”
The Brahmin diviner had never seen such a condition before, so he fabricated a response at random:
“Your Majesty, although the prince appears dignified in appearance, he hides misfortune within him. In the future, he may harm his parents and bring disaster to the kingdom. Moreover, Your Majesty has been unable to have more children, which is actually due to this wicked son!
According to tradition, he should be buried alive to ensure peace in the kingdom and allow Your Majesty to have another noble son. Otherwise, the king and the country will fall into peril!”
The king, after hearing the Brahmin’s advice, became deeply troubled. He could neither sit nor eat in peace. He had no choice but to summon the queen and ministers to discuss this national dilemma.
After a sorrowful night passed, everyone finally, though reluctantly, decided to dig a deep pit in a desolate area and bury the prince alive.
When the news spread, the people throughout the kingdom were grief-stricken, as if a dear family member had died. The queen was even more heartbroken. She wept as she said, “My son’s life and blessings are so thin, which is why he’s suffering this misfortune!”
In her grief, the queen carefully prepared precious jewels and fine clothing for the prince and sent them to the wilderness pit as final offerings for her beloved child.
At that time, the prince was on his way to the outskirts. He thought to himself, “My father, mother, and the people all believe that I am mute and a great disaster, but they do not understand that my silence is to purify my speech karma and avoid creating further karma. Now, I am being slandered by evil men. If I do not explain myself, more people will be harmed.”
Then, Prince Mu Po quietly took the ornaments and fine clothes, went to the riverside to bathe, and dressed himself with the garments and jewels before heading to the site where the pit was being dug.
The prince asked the workers, “What are you doing here?”
Seeing a noble figure with composed manners, the workers answered without hiding anything:
“Our prince has become mute and deaf, which is considered inauspicious for the kingdom. Since the nation cannot be without a crown prince, the king accepted the Brahmin’s advice and ordered us to dig a pit and bury the prince alive. This way, the queen may soon give birth to a new, healthy, and auspicious prince.”
The prince, after hearing this, told all the workers present, “I am Mu Po!”
The workers all opened their eyes wide in disbelief and ran to check the prince’s carriage—sure enough, the prince was no longer inside.
They turned around and saw that the man before them—the “prince”—looked calm, spoke elegantly, and was kind and sincere, nothing like someone who would harm his parents or bring disaster to the country…
At first, the workers were only shocked and doubtful. Then they realized—they had almost wrongly killed an innocent prince! They immediately prostrated themselves in fear and begged the prince for forgiveness.
The ministers at court quickly reported the good news. Upon hearing it, the king and queen were overjoyed and immediately rode out to welcome the prince.
When the king and queen arrived, the prince respectfully rose and prostrated with full sincerity to greet them.
The king and queen, seeing their long-lost prince so composed and speaking kindly, were overjoyed and said to all:
“Today, having such a prince is the greatest blessing for me and the people of the nation. We must welcome the prince back to the palace so that he may inherit the throne and bring prosperity to the people.”
After speaking, however, the prince took a few steps back and sincerely said to the king:
“Dear father, I understand that in a past life I was once a king named Xu Nian. At that time, I ruled the kingdom with virtue for decades, practiced kindness, helped the poor, upheld all good deeds, and strictly forbade the use of deadly weapons. The whole nation was peaceful and without complaints. Even the prisons had no inmates. Many neighboring countries came to sincerely submit.
However, one day, in order to receive visiting guests, the royal chef asked whether he could slaughter livestock to prepare a grand banquet. Thinking of appearances, I carelessly nodded in approval. But because of that one word, after death, I fell into a great hell to repay the karmic debt of killing.
For sixty thousand years, I endured boiling and skinning punishments, unbearable torment, wishing to die but unable to. Though I had countless relatives, officials, and enormous wealth and luxury in life, who knew of the pain I suffered in the searing hell? Who could share or bear it for me?
Whenever Mu Po recalls this boundless suffering, I tremble in fear, break out in cold sweat, and my hair stands on end. The karmic retribution of ‘suffering due to a single wrong word’ constantly reminds me… To guard my speech karma, I decided never to speak again. But today, thinking that my father may commit the sin of taking life due to false belief in evil words and fall into hell, I decided to speak once more.
Because I have understood the causes and effects of past lives, I now wish to lawfully and diligently study and cultivate the path, to forever end the suffering of birth, aging, sickness, and death for all beings. I sincerely beg my father not to blame me!”
As soon as he finished speaking, fragrant flowers rained down from the sky, and Indra joyfully came to protect him. In that moment, the prince’s jeweled garments transformed into a monastic robe.
After hearing Prince Mu Po’s account of past causes and conditions, the king happily agreed to his choice to renounce the world and cultivate the path. He said:
“In the past, you were a king who governed diligently, loved the people, ruled with virtue, upheld pure conduct, and practiced all kinds of good Dharma. But you still suffered immeasurable hellish punishment for one wrong word. Now, I too am a king, yet I do as I please, fail to follow the right path, neglect proper governance, and do not practice good Dharma. After death, where will I fall and suffer?”
After returning to the palace, the king worked hard to correct his faults and cultivate goodness. He ruled with the righteous Dharma, practiced virtuous policies, and cared for the people. Thus, the kingdom became prosperous, the people well-fed and clothed, and harmony spread throughout the land.
Prince Mu Po ultimately attained Buddhahood due to his diligence in seeking the path. He widely opened Dharma assemblies to guide all beings and universally deliver the sentient.
At that time, Prince Mu Po was the previous incarnation of Shakyamuni Buddha. And the king and queen were the Buddha’s parents before he renounced the world—King Suddhodana and Queen Māyā.
