时间：09/26/2026 09/27/2026
地点：星湖禅修中心
主讲：龙示林
佛法修行
法护王请佛洗浴缘
过去，世尊在舍卫国祇树给孤独园弘法时，另一个城市中有五百位商人要到远地作生意，不料，却在旷野中迷失了方向。当时天气炽热，附近又没有水源，每个人都又累又渴。在孤立无援的情况下，商人们开始担忧自己的安危，于是个个跪拜天神，祈求护佑，然而，却得不到丝毫回应。
在这叫天不应、叫地不灵的时候，当中有一位受持五戒的优婆塞向大家表示：「佛陀有大慈悲心，不分昼夜时时观照众生，救济困厄，所以我们应当至心称念佛陀名号，以求解难。」众人听闻此语，心中有所依靠，皆以至诚之心称念「南无佛陀」。当时，佛陀观察到在遥远的地方有众人遭逢困境，立即与天帝释提桓因前往救护，普降甘霖。五百商人因这一场大雨得脱困境，欢喜非常，于是至诚邀请佛陀及诸比丘接受供养。
商人们回国后，以感恩之心立法幢、悬宝铃，香水洒地，散诸妙华，燃种种香，并备以上好佳肴迎接佛陀及比丘们的到来。供养毕，佛陀为大众演说妙法，五百商人以感恩、清净之心听闻真实义谛后，当下心开意解，证种种道果，乃至发无上菩提心。
在场比丘向佛陀请示：「不知这五百位商人过去因何因缘，以致今日准备种种佳肴供养佛陀，并在听闻佛法后，证得种种果位？」佛陀告诉大众：「很久以前，有一波罗奈国，当时住世之佛名为『栴檀香』。有一次，栴檀香佛带领弟子前往法护王国弘法，当地正值干旱，所种植的草木苗稼皆无法生长。国王一听说佛陀即将前来，便带领大臣们到城外迎接，发心以种种饮食、衣服、卧具、汤药供养长达三个月之久；此外，并建造浴池，供佛及僧洗浴。
国王发大誓愿：『希望供养佛陀及众僧的功德，能让天帝释提桓因普降甘霖，遍及阎浮提，不仅滋养所有种植的苗稼，并且救济一切众生。』当国王发如此大悲愿心后，世界普降甘霖，大地皆蒙润泽。国王感受到佛陀的功德庄严，有如甘露法雨普润众生，便造了八万四千宝瓶来盛装佛所洗浴过的水，并且赐予阎浮提八万四千城，令其建塔供养。由于法护国王发起无上菩提心，栴檀香佛即为其授记：『法护国王于未来世当得成佛，号释迦牟尼，度化无量众生。』」
说完这段因缘，佛陀即告诉弟子们：「当时的法护王就是我的前身，而当时的诸大臣，则是今日闻法得悟的五百商人。因为过去生中供养佛的殊胜因缘，所以无量世中不堕恶道，于天上、人间常享安稳快乐的果报。这也是为什么我于今世成佛，有人天供养的因缘。」众比丘听闻开示后，皆依循佛陀教诲，精进修行。
Date: 09/26/2026 09/27/2026
Location: Star Lake Meditation Center
Teacher: Shilin Long
Dharma Talk
The Story of King Dharma Protector Inviting the Buddha to Bathe
In the past, when the World-Honored One was teaching the Dharma at Jetavana Monastery in Śrāvastī, there were five hundred merchants in another city who set out on a journey to conduct business in a distant land. Unexpectedly, they lost their way in a vast wilderness. The weather was extremely hot, and there was no water nearby. Everyone became exhausted and thirsty. Isolated and without any help, the merchants began to worry about their safety. One after another, they knelt down to pray to the heavenly deities for protection, but they received no response at all.
At this moment, when neither heaven nor earth seemed to answer their cries, one upāsaka among them, who faithfully observed the Five Precepts, said to the others, “The Buddha possesses great compassion. Day and night, He constantly watches over all beings and rescues those who are suffering. Therefore, we should wholeheartedly recite the Buddha’s name and seek His help.” Upon hearing these words, the merchants found something upon which to place their trust. With utmost sincerity, they all recited, “Homage to the Buddha.”
At that time, the Buddha observed that many people in a distant place were facing great hardship. He immediately went there together with Śakra, Lord of the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven, to rescue them, causing a great rain to fall everywhere. Because of this rainfall, the five hundred merchants escaped from their desperate situation. Filled with great joy, they sincerely invited the Buddha and the bhikkhus to accept their offerings.
After the merchants returned to their homeland, they established Dharma banners and hung jeweled bells out of gratitude. They sprinkled the ground with fragrant water, scattered wonderful flowers, burned various kinds of incense, and prepared the finest food to welcome the arrival of the Buddha and the bhikkhus. After the offering was completed, the Buddha expounded the profound Dharma to the assembly. With grateful and pure minds, the five hundred merchants listened to the true meaning of the Dharma. Their minds immediately opened to understanding, and they attained various stages of realization, with some even giving rise to the unsurpassed aspiration for Buddhahood.
The bhikkhus present asked the Buddha, “World-Honored One, what causes and conditions did these five hundred merchants create in the past that enabled them today to prepare such excellent offerings for the Buddha and, after hearing the Dharma, attain various fruits of realization?”
The Buddha told the assembly, “Long ago, there was a kingdom called Bārāṇasī. At that time, a Buddha named Candanafragrance was living in the world. Once, Buddha Candanafragrance led His disciples to the kingdom of King Dharma Protector to teach the Dharma. At that time, the land was suffering from a severe drought, and none of the grasses, trees, or crops could grow. When the king heard that the Buddha was about to arrive, he led his ministers outside the city to welcome Him. He made the sincere aspiration to provide the Buddha and the Saṅgha with food and drink, clothing, bedding, and medicine for a full three months. In addition, he built bathing pools for the Buddha and the monks to bathe in.
The king made a great vow: ‘May the merit of making offerings to the Buddha and the Saṅgha cause Śakra, Lord of the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven, to send abundant rain throughout Jambudvīpa, nourishing all the growing crops and relieving the suffering of every living being.’
After the king gave rise to such a great compassionate vow, rain fell throughout the world, and the entire earth was thoroughly nourished. Deeply moved by the majestic virtue of the Buddha, which was like the sweet dew of the Dharma raining down to benefit all beings, the king made eighty-four thousand precious vases to contain the water with which the Buddha had bathed. He then distributed them among the eighty-four thousand cities of Jambudvīpa, instructing each city to build a stupa in reverence. Because King Dharma Protector had generated the unsurpassed Bodhi mind, Buddha Candanafragrance bestowed upon him this prediction: ‘In a future age, King Dharma Protector will attain Buddhahood with the name Śākyamuni and liberate immeasurable numbers of sentient beings.'”
After explaining these causes and conditions, the Buddha told His disciples, “The King Dharma Protector of that time was my former life, and the ministers of that time are the five hundred merchants who have attained realization upon hearing the Dharma today. Because of the supreme causes and conditions created by making offerings to the Buddha in a past life, they have not fallen into the evil realms throughout countless lifetimes. Instead, they have continually enjoyed peace and happiness among gods and humans. This is also why, in this present life after I attained Buddhahood, I receive offerings from both humans and heavenly beings.”
After hearing the Buddha’s teaching, all the bhikkhus followed His instruction and practiced diligently.
