时间：07/05/2025 07/06/2025
地点：星湖禅修中心
主讲：龙示林
佛法修行
师质子摩头罗瑟质
舍卫国中，有位名叫师质的婆罗门，虽然拥有万贯家财，却始终没有子息。烦恼的师质跑去请教当地的外道，外道观看他的面相后，便斩钉截铁地告诉他没有子女的因缘。师质回家后，一想到没有子女继承家业，死后所有财产便会通通归入国王手中，不禁愁眉不展，郁郁寡欢。
一天，与师质之妻相识的比丘尼，刚好到婆罗门家托钵，见到师质如此忧愁憔悴，关心地询问：「你的丈夫为何看来如此忧愁，到底发生了什么事？」妻子便将事情原委一一道出。比丘尼一听，告诉婆罗门夫妇说：「这些外道的智慧还未究竟圆满，怎能了知人的三世因果呢？你们可以去请示尊贵的佛陀，他是一位证道开悟的觉者，能够了达诸法实相，洞彻过去未来，事事无所障碍。」
听了比丘尼的建议，师质心中升起一线曙光，满怀希望来到祇树给孤独园。他以至诚恭敬之心顶礼佛陀，并且表明来意。世尊观察因缘后，告诉他：「请不要担心，你将来会有个福德具足的儿子，长大后还会出家修行。」师质听了欣喜若狂，欢喜之余，更祈请佛陀与众比丘隔日到家中应供。
第二天，师质夫妇尽心准备了丰盛的斋点供养僧众。结束后，佛陀一行人于归途中，经过一个湖泊，湖水清澈甘美，于是大众便停下来歇息，并至湖边清洗钵器。正当大众在树下休息时，忽然有一只弥猴跑到阿难尊者身边向他索钵。阿难见状，不晓得弥猴的用意，也深怕它会弄破钵，便不加以理会。佛陀告诉阿难：「你就将钵交给它吧！不要担忧。」
弥猴拿到钵后，飞快地跑到有蜂窝的树上去汲取蜂蜜，并以清凉的泉水调和，供养世尊。慈悲的佛陀将蜜水分给大众享用，也让弥猴的福报再增福报。弥猴看到自己能有此殊胜因缘供养佛陀及众比丘，不禁欢喜非常，手足舞蹈，一不小心竟跌落至大坑中，因此命终。
弥猴往生后，投生至师质家中。等到足月，师质的妻子产下一名相貌端严的男婴。最不可思议的是在生产过程中，家中所有的器皿都涌满蜜汁，其瑞相让夫妇俩高兴不已。初为人父的师质特别请了几位相命师来占卜儿子的命运，相命师除了为他取名为「摩头罗瑟质」（义为满蜜）外，也都说这位孩子具足无上福德，将来必有光明的前程。
摩头罗瑟质长大后，非常向往出家的生活，于是央求父母让他出家修行。但是爱子心切的师质夫妇，面对唯一的儿子，却始终无法割舍放下。心意已决的摩头罗瑟质，于是告诉双亲：「出家修行是我今生最大的心愿，如果你们还是不能成就我的愿行，我将结束我的生命，离开人世。」父母一听，回想起当初世尊所说的话，发觉再阻止也没有意义，便答应了儿子的请求。
摩头罗瑟质拜别父母，来到祇树给孤独园，以至诚恭敬之心顶礼佛陀，恳求出家。世尊知道摩头罗瑟质的因缘已经成熟，于是慈悲说道：「善来比丘，须发自落，袈裟着身。」摩头罗瑟质由于自身的愿力与佛的威神力加持，马上示现比丘相，在聆听佛陀微妙法音的同时，即证阿罗汉果。日后，众比丘每每到人间行脚教化时，只要口渴，摩头罗瑟质便将钵掷向空中，钵里自然就会涌满蜜水，让大众解渴。
阿难尊者见摩头罗瑟质如此殊胜的果报，感到非常好奇，便向佛陀请示原因，世尊于是将他过去生的因缘娓娓道来。
阿难尊者听了之后又问：「世尊，为何摩头罗瑟质前世会投生为弥猴呢？」佛陀告诉阿难：「在迦叶佛时，有一位年轻比丘，因为无知而取笑一位证果沙门跳跃沟渠的动作像弥猴。比丘知道自己的过失后，诚心忏悔，虽然免堕地狱之苦，但仍要承受五百世弥猴身的果报。这只弥猴由于之前出家修行，执持净戒的善根，所以欢喜以蜜供养佛陀，又因供养累增福德，才能脱离苦难之身。这位年轻比丘，就是摩头罗瑟质。」
众比丘听完开示后，深深体会戒行的重要，世尊亦劝勉大众于日常中当勤护身口意三业，心垢除尽，必能断除烦恼，了生脱死。
Date: 07/05/2025 07/06/2025
Location: Star Lake Meditation Center
Teacher: Shilin Long
Dharma Talk
Śikṣaṭi and the Birth of Madhurasatya
In the country of Śrāvastī, there once lived a wealthy brāhmaṇa named Śikṣaṭi. Although he possessed vast wealth, he had no children. Troubled by this, he consulted local heretics who, after reading his features, flatly declared that he had no karmic conditions for having children.
Returning home, Śikṣaṭi brooded over the thought that, without an heir, all his property would revert to the king after his death. This weighed heavily on him, leaving him visibly distressed and joyless.
One day, a bhikṣuṇī who was acquainted with Śikṣaṭi’s wife came to the house on her alms round. Seeing Śikṣaṭi so pale and anxious, she inquired with concern, “Why does your husband look so sorrowful? What has happened?”
His wife explained the situation in detail.
Upon hearing it, the bhikṣuṇī said, “These heretics lack ultimate wisdom. How can they know the karma of past, present, and future lives? You should consult the Venerable Buddha. He is an awakened being who has realized the truth of all phenomena and can penetrate past and future without obstruction.”
Following her advice, Śikṣaṭi felt a glimmer of hope. Filled with reverence, he went to the Jetavana Monastery and respectfully bowed before the Buddha, expressing his concerns.
The Buddha, observing the karmic conditions, said, “Do not worry. In the future, you shall have a son of great merit. When he grows up, he will renounce the world and cultivate the path.”
Śikṣaṭi was overjoyed. In his happiness, he invited the Buddha and the bhikṣus to his house the next day for alms offering.
The following day, Śikṣaṭi and his wife prepared a grand feast to offer to the Sangha. After the offering, the Buddha and the monks were returning when they passed by a clear and sweet lake. The group stopped to rest and wash their alms bowls by the lakeside.
While they were resting under a tree, a monkey approached Venerable Ānanda, gesturing for his alms bowl. Ānanda was unsure of the monkey’s intentions and feared it might damage the bowl, so he ignored it. The Buddha then said, “Ānanda, give it the bowl. Do not worry.”
The monkey, holding the bowl, ran swiftly to a tree with a beehive. It drew out honey, mixed it with cool spring water, and offered it to the Buddha. The compassionate Buddha shared the honey water with the assembly, thus increasing the monkey’s merit.
Delighted to have the chance to offer to the Buddha and the Sangha, the monkey danced with joy—but in its exuberance, it slipped and fell into a deep pit and died.
The monkey was reborn in Śikṣaṭi’s house. When the time came, Śikṣaṭi’s wife gave birth to a boy of noble and handsome appearance. Most miraculously, during the birth, all the household vessels overflowed with honey. This auspicious sign filled the couple with great joy.
As a new father, Śikṣaṭi invited astrologers to divine his son’s future. They named him Madhurasatya (meaning “Sweet-Filled”) and predicted that he possessed great merit and would have a bright future.
As Madhurasatya grew, he developed a strong desire for monastic life and begged his parents to let him renounce the world. But his parents, deeply attached to their only child, could not bring themselves to consent.
Resolute in his aspiration, Madhurasatya said to them, “Ordaining is my greatest wish in this life. If you do not allow me to fulfill it, I will end my life and leave this world.”
Alarmed, his parents remembered the words the Buddha had spoken years ago and realized there was no point in stopping him. They tearfully gave their consent.
Madhurasatya took leave of his parents and went to the Jetavana Monastery. He respectfully prostrated before the Buddha and requested to be ordained. Seeing that the conditions were ripe, the Buddha compassionately said, “Welcome, bhikṣu,” and immediately, his hair fell away and robes appeared on his body.
With his own vow and the Buddha’s spiritual power, Madhurasatya instantly manifested the appearance of a monk. Upon hearing the subtle Dharma, he attained Arhatship.
Later, when bhikṣus went traveling to teach in the world, if they were thirsty, Madhurasatya would throw his bowl into the sky, and it would naturally fill with sweet honey water to quench their thirst.
Venerable Ānanda, witnessing this extraordinary reward, felt curious and asked the Buddha about its cause. The Buddha then recounted Madhurasatya’s past-life story.
Ānanda further asked, “World-Honored One, why was Madhurasatya born as a monkey in his previous life?”
The Buddha replied, “In the time of Kāśyapa Buddha, there was a young monk who once mocked an Arhat for leaping over a ditch, saying he looked like a monkey. Realizing his offense, the monk sincerely repented. Though he avoided rebirth in hell, he still had to undergo five hundred rebirths as a monkey.
“Because he had formerly renounced the world and upheld pure precepts, he retained wholesome roots. Rejoicing in offering honey to the Buddha, he thereby accumulated even more merit and was able to escape the animal realm.
That young monk is now Madhurasatya.”After hearing this teaching, the bhikṣus deeply understood the importance of precepts. The Buddha further encouraged the assembly to diligently guard body, speech, and mind in daily life. By purifying the mind of defilements, one can sever afflictions and attain liberation from birth and death.
