时间：09/13/2025 09/14/2025
地点：星湖禅修中心
主讲：龙示林
佛法修行
给孤独长者和他的儿子
一统大地者，得生天上者，
一切世界主，不及预流胜。
【世品 (第 178 偈颂)】
此一偈颂是佛陀在祇树给孤独园的时候，为给孤独长者之子卡拉所说的：
给孤独长者是佛陀最虔诚的弟子之一，但他的儿子卡拉( kala )，从来没有想过要去看佛陀，对出家比丘也不恭敬，长老屡次规劝、教导，他都不听。
有一天长老心想：「如果我儿子以这样的邪知邪见来虚渡此生，死后必下无间地狱无疑，这样对他实在可怜，对我这做父亲的也不好─ ─未尽教养之责。世界上除了证果的阿罗汉和具足正知正见的人外，没有一个人不『向钱看』的，『欲令入佛智，先以欲钩牵』，我要用钱来打开他的观念。」
于是长老告诉儿子说：「今天你到寺庙去受八关斋戒，回来我给你一两黄金。」儿子睁大着双眼说：「真的吗? 」「真的。」父亲肯定的答道，儿子有些不敢相信，又连续问了两次，父亲都斩钉截铁的予以肯定。重赏之下，儿子毫不犹疑的立刻到寺庙受持一天的八关斋戒。
儿子到了寺庙之后，选了一个最舒适的地方，心想：「只要在这儿熬过一天，回去就有一两黄金可赚，天下再没有这样便宜的事了。」他也不去听佛说法，只是整夜睡觉，清晨睡醒，就立刻回家向父亲领「赏」，父亲问道：「有没有受八关斋戒？」「有。」「很好！肚子一定饿了，先吃早餐吧！」
父亲赶忙叫人备了一份早餐送到儿子面前，儿子心里只惦记着那一两黄金，他把食物推到一旁，迫不及待的问父亲说：「你要给我的一两黄金呢？」长老于是取出一两黄金，儿子这才一手接了黄金，一手又把食物拿过去吃了。
不久，给孤独长者又对儿子说：「儿子啊！如果你能够去听佛陀说法，把你记得的一句一偈，回来念给我听，我给你十两黄金。」儿子听后立刻答应了，急忙赶来佛陀这里，佛陀知道他是为了十两黄金而来，故意讲一些必须很用心听才听得懂的法。
给孤独长者的儿子为了十两黄金的缘故，可说是「万缘放下，一念提起」，很专心的将佛陀所开示的听得仔仔细细，一字不漏，终于，卡拉豁然有悟，证入初果。
翌日，佛陀率领比丘们到长者家接受供养，卡拉也在行列之中，长者看到自己的儿子，不知他已证入预流初果，只觉得：「我儿今天看起来容光焕发，光鲜耀目。」儿子心里也想着：「如果我父亲今天不要当着大家的面给我十两黄金就好了；如果佛陀知道我为了一两黄金才去受八关斋戒，那太丢脸了。」
长老一一供养佛陀及比丘们，卡拉心虚，只默默的低头吃饭，不料长者突然取出十两黄金送到儿子卡拉面前，不等儿子开口，便道：「儿子：我答应你到佛陀面前听法，给你十两黄金，哪！这就是你的十两黄金。」卡拉非常不好意思，支吾地说：「父亲，我不要，够了。」「拿去！这是你的钱！」卡拉连连推辞，丝毫没有拿取那些黄金的意念。
长老顶礼佛陀道：「感谢世尊！今天我儿子看起来容光焕发，法喜充满。」佛陀佯装不解其意：「我不懂你说什么？」「啊！世尊！昨天我用一两黄金拜托我儿卡拉到寺庙受持八关斋戒，回来时，他没拿到钱不肯吃饭。今天我花了十两黄金请他去您那儿听法，回来要给他钱，他却不拿了，这实在太奇妙了。
佛陀这才笑着说：「是的，今天你儿子得到的，比起大地所有的财产、天堂所有的和一切梵天所有的财产，都不及你儿子所得到的预流(须陀洹)果殊胜啊！」
佛为重宣此义而说偈道：「一统大地者，得生天上者，一切世界主，不及预流胜。」在座很多比丘闻佛所说，也证初果须陀洹。
Date: 09/13/2025 09/14/2025
Location: Star Lake Meditation Center
Teacher: Shilin Long
Dharma Talk
Anathapindika the Elder and His Son
Ruler of all the earth,
One who attains birth in the heavens,
The master of all worlds —
None surpass the glory of the Stream-enterer.
[Chapter on the World, Verse 178]
This verse was spoken by the Buddha at Jetavana Monastery for the sake of Kala, the son of Anathapindika the Elder.
Anathapindika was one of the Buddha’s most devoted lay disciples, but his son Kala had never once thought of visiting the Buddha, nor did he show respect toward the ordained monks. Despite repeated admonitions and guidance from his father, he would not listen.
One day, the elder thought: “If my son continues to waste his life with such wrong views and wrong understanding, there is no doubt he will fall into the Avici Hell after death. That would truly be pitiful for him, and as his father, it would mean I have failed in my duty to guide him. In this world, apart from Arahants and those who possess right knowledge and right view, no one is free from ‘looking toward wealth.’ As the saying goes, ‘To lead one into the Buddha’s wisdom, first draw them in with desire.’ I will use money to open his mind.”
So the elder told his son: “Today, if you go to the monastery to observe the Eight Precepts for a day, I will give you one tael of gold when you return.” The son’s eyes widened: “Really?” “Really,” the father confirmed. Still doubtful, the son asked twice more, and each time the father firmly confirmed it. Tempted by the rich reward, the son immediately went to the monastery to observe the Eight Precepts for the day.
Upon arriving, he chose the most comfortable spot, thinking: “All I need to do is endure here for a day, and when I return I will get a tael of gold — there’s no deal better than this in the whole world.” He made no effort to listen to the Buddha’s teaching, instead sleeping through the night. At dawn, he went straight home to claim his reward.
“Did you keep the Eight Precepts?” the father asked. “Yes.” “Good! You must be hungry; have breakfast first.” The father ordered food to be brought. But the son, thinking only of the gold, pushed the food aside and impatiently asked: “Where is my tael of gold?” The elder took it out, and only then did the son take the gold in one hand and the food in the other to eat.
Before long, Anathapindika said again: “Son, if you can go listen to the Buddha’s teaching and then recite for me just one line or one verse that you remember, I will give you ten taels of gold.” The son agreed at once and hurried to where the Buddha was. The Buddha, knowing that Kala had come only for the ten taels, deliberately spoke on a teaching that required focused attention to understand.
Because of the lure of the ten taels, Kala let go of all other concerns and concentrated with one-pointed attention on the Buddha’s words, listening carefully without missing a single word. In doing so, he suddenly gained insight and attained the first stage of enlightenment — Stream-entry (Sotāpanna).
The next day, the Buddha came with the monks to the elder’s home to receive alms. Kala was among them. Seeing his son, the elder did not know that he had attained Stream-entry; he only thought, “My son looks radiant today, his appearance bright and dignified.”
Kala, meanwhile, was thinking: “If only my father doesn’t give me the ten taels in front of everyone today. If the Buddha knew I first went to the monastery for a tael of gold to keep the Eight Precepts, how shameful that would be.”
The elder served the Buddha and each monk in turn. Kala, feeling guilty, kept his head down in silence as he ate. Unexpectedly, the elder took out ten taels of gold and placed them before Kala: “Son, I promised you ten taels of gold for going to the Buddha and listening to the Dhamma. Here — this is yours.”
Flustered, Kala stammered: “Father, I don’t want it. That’s enough.” “Take it! It’s yours!” The elder urged, but Kala kept refusing, without the slightest thought of accepting the gold.
The elder bowed to the Buddha and said: “Thank you, Blessed One! Today my son appears radiant, filled with joy in the Dhamma.” The Buddha feigned ignorance: “I don’t understand what you mean.”
“Ah, Blessed One! Yesterday I gave my son one tael of gold to go to the monastery to observe the Eight Precepts. When he returned, he refused to eat without first receiving the gold. Today I offered ten taels to have him go listen to your teaching, but when I tried to give it to him afterward, he would not take it. This is truly marvelous!”
The Buddha smiled and said: “Yes, today your son has gained something far greater than all the wealth of the earth, all the treasures of the heavens, and all the possessions of the Brahma worlds — for he has attained the fruit of Stream-entry (Sotāpanna).”
To reaffirm this truth, the Buddha recited the verse:
“Ruler of all the earth,
One who attains birth in the heavens,
The master of all worlds —
None surpass the glory of the Stream-enterer.”
Many monks present, upon hearing the Buddha’s words, also attained the first fruit of enlightenment — Stream-entry.
