时间：11/14/2026 11/15/2026
地点：星湖禅修中心
主讲：龙示林
佛法修行
佛度毗低罗
护法护教的须达长者，不但布施祇园精舍，平日也虔诚供养僧团饮食、医药等一切所需。但是掌管仓库的老奴婢毗低罗，却悭贪不舍，不信佛法，对经常来化缘的病比丘，感到十分厌恶。「我们老爷被出家人的法术所迷惑，实在很愚痴！他们常来要东要西的，那里有修行！我来世绝对不要再听到佛陀和比丘的名字。」毗低罗到处向人抱怨，而且还发了恶愿。
不久，消息传遍整个舍卫城，连王后末利夫人都知道这件事，便把须达的夫人阿那邠坻驰唤进宫廷，询问她为何不把恶口谤佛的老婢驱走。阿那邠坻驰跪着回答说：「王后，佛陀就像光明灿烂的太阳，遍照每一个人，连那十恶不赦的鸯掘摩罗，以及首陀罗阶级的贱民尼提都能得度，何况是个老奴婢呢！」听完这席话，王后很感动：「这样吧，我明天想供养佛陀，你就派毗低罗拿供品过来。」
第二天，毗低罗欢喜地带着主人托付的满瓶金银珠宝，到难得一见的皇宫去。这时，刚巧瞥见佛陀正要进门，心生烦恼，马上准备从旁边的狗洞钻出去，不料狗洞却自动关闭，连周围的门、巷口都关了起来。一惊之下，便用手中的扇子赶紧遮着脸，不想见佛，此时扇子突然变为透明。她又把脸转了方向，上下四边还是有佛，于是只好直接用手摀住脸；怎知十根指头顿时也化成佛像。老婢最后干脆闭起双眼：「这下他总该没办法吧！」但眼前却遍满了无量无边的化佛。
不得已见到佛的老婢，回去后逢人便说：「我今天遇到那个邪恶的瞿昙道人，在王宫前大施妖术，他的身上像七宝闪耀的金山，眼睛比青莲花还庄严，而且放出数不清的万丈光芒。你们最好不要看着他，以免受到幻术蛊惑。」说完便回到家里，急忙以上百张的皮覆盖住竹笼，头裹着白毯，整个人关进竹笼子，躲在暗处，恐怕佛陀会再找到她。
佛陀知道罗怙罗尊者有度化毗低罗的因缘，所以派他到须达长者家去。罗怙罗化身为金转轮圣王，乘着七宝马车，佛陀的一千二百五十位常随弟子，则化现成宝藏臣、典藏臣及千位王子，从天而降来到长者家。此时天神在空中大声传报：「圣王出世，驱除恶人，宣扬善法。」老婢听到以后，觉得自己终于得救，欢喜地从竹笼跑出来，并脱掉头上的白毯，来到圣王前顶礼跪拜。
阿难化现的宝藏臣对老婢说：「你的相貌巍巍庄重，圣王希望你作他的玉女宝。」「奴婢出身低贱，圣驾的眷顾已经令我庆喜，那里配当王后！若王愿意帮我脱离奴隶身，放我自由，就感激不尽了！」于是须达在旁便点头答应。老婢高兴得眼泪直流，同时看到圣王如意宝珠上的自己，宛若天仙，感动地说：「圣王出世真的有大利益，连我这老朽都能变成貌美的玉女！」说完又是五体投地顶礼。
这时难陀化现的典藏臣，奉圣王命令，为老婢讲述十善殊胜的内容，随后与僧众们回复出家的形相。听闻了佛法，见到僧众后的老婢，恍然觉悟：「佛陀真是大慈悲不舍一众生啊！像我这样卑恶的人，还用心良苦地来度化。」因此自责自己先前的恶行恶状。于是，罗怙罗为她授三皈五戒，受戒完还没抬头的剎那，老婢就证得初果；并跟着罗怙罗回到僧团，向佛忏悔求出家。佛陀慈悲的说：「罗怙罗，请带着毗低罗到大爱道比丘尼那里剃度吧！」前往比丘尼僧团途中，罗怙罗又说了苦集灭道四圣谛的道理，毗低罗听完，头发顿时落地成为比丘尼，进一步又证得阿罗汉果，跃入空中现十八种神通变化。看到这一幕的波斯匿王、末利夫人都非常欢喜，心生赞叹：「佛陀的大威德，真是如同天上的太阳！照破世间所有的无明黑暗，让原先邪见不舍的老婢，都能证得阿罗汉道呀！」
Date: 11/14/2026 11/15/2026
Location: Star Lake Meditation Center
Teacher: Shilin Long
Dharma Talk
The Buddha Liberates Vṛddhā
The elder Sudatta, who protected and upheld the Dharma, not only donated Jetavana Monastery but also devoutly provided the Saṅgha with food, medicine, and all other necessities in daily life. However, the elderly maidservant Vṛddhā, who was in charge of the storeroom, was miserly and unwilling to give, did not believe in the Buddha’s teachings, and greatly detested the sick bhikkhus who frequently came to request offerings. “Our master has been deluded by the magical arts of these renunciants. He is truly foolish! They are always coming to ask for this and that—how could that be cultivation? In my next life, I absolutely do not want to hear the names of the Buddha or the bhikkhus again.” Vṛddhā complained about this everywhere and even made an evil vow.
Before long, the news spread throughout the entire city of Śrāvastī. Even Queen Mallikā heard of it, so she summoned Sudatta’s wife, Anāthapiṇḍadā, to the palace and asked why she had not driven away the old maidservant who used abusive speech to slander the Buddha. Anāthapiṇḍadā knelt and replied, “Your Majesty, the Buddha is like the brilliantly shining sun, illuminating everyone. Even Aṅgulimāla, who committed the ten gravest evil deeds, and Nidhi, an outcaste of the Śūdra class, could be liberated. How much more so an elderly maidservant!” Queen Mallikā was deeply moved after hearing these words. “In that case, I would like to make offerings to the Buddha tomorrow. Send Vṛddhā to bring the offerings here.”
The next day, Vṛddhā happily carried a jar filled with gold, silver, pearls, and jewels entrusted to her by her master and went to the rarely visited royal palace. At that moment, she happened to catch sight of the Buddha preparing to enter the gate. Afflictions immediately arose in her mind, and she quickly prepared to crawl out through a dog hole at the side. Unexpectedly, the dog hole closed by itself, and even the surrounding gates and alley entrances were all shut. Startled, she hurriedly covered her face with the fan in her hand, not wishing to see the Buddha, but the fan suddenly became transparent. She turned her face in another direction, yet above, below, and on all four sides there were still Buddhas. She then had no choice but to cover her face directly with her hands, but her ten fingers immediately transformed into images of the Buddha. Finally, the old maidservant simply closed her eyes. “Now he surely cannot do anything!” Yet before her eyes appeared immeasurable and boundless transformation Buddhas.
Forced against her will to see the Buddha, the old maidservant returned home and told everyone she met, “Today I encountered that evil ascetic Gautama. In front of the royal palace, he displayed great sorcery. His body was like a golden mountain shining with the seven treasures, his eyes were more magnificent than blue lotus flowers, and he emitted countless rays of light extending tens of thousands of feet. You had better not look at him, lest you be bewitched by his illusions.” After saying this, she returned home, hurriedly covered a bamboo cage with more than a hundred pieces of leather, wrapped her head in a white blanket, shut herself inside the bamboo cage, and hid in the darkness, fearing that the Buddha would find her again.
The Buddha knew that Venerable Rāhula had the causes and conditions to liberate Vṛddhā, so He sent him to the home of Elder Sudatta. Rāhula transformed himself into a golden Wheel-Turning Sage King and rode in a carriage adorned with the seven treasures. The Buddha’s one thousand two hundred and fifty constant disciples transformed themselves into the minister of treasures, the minister of the treasury, and one thousand princes. They descended from the sky and arrived at the elder’s home. At that moment, a heavenly deity loudly proclaimed from the sky, “The Sage King has appeared in the world to drive away evil people and proclaim the wholesome Dharma.” When the old maidservant heard this, she felt that she was finally saved. Joyfully, she ran out of the bamboo cage, removed the white blanket from her head, came before the Sage King, bowed, and knelt before him.
The minister of treasures manifested by Ānanda said to the old maidservant, “Your appearance is majestic and dignified. The Sage King wishes you to become his precious queen.” “This maidservant was born into a lowly class. The favor of Your Majesty has already filled me with joy. How could I be worthy of becoming a queen? If the king is willing to release me from slavery and grant me freedom, I would be endlessly grateful!” Sudatta, who was standing nearby, nodded in agreement. The old maidservant was so happy that tears streamed down her face. At the same time, she saw her own reflection in the wish-fulfilling jewel of the Sage King, appearing like a heavenly maiden, and said with emotion, “The appearance of the Sage King in the world truly brings great benefit. Even an old and decrepit woman like me can become a beautiful precious queen!” After saying this, she again prostrated herself with her entire body upon the ground.
At that moment, the minister of the treasury manifested by Nanda, acting on the Sage King’s command, explained to the old maidservant the extraordinary qualities of the Ten Wholesome Deeds. Afterward, he and the members of the Saṅgha resumed their appearances as renunciants. Having heard the Buddha’s teachings and seen the Saṅgha, the old maidservant suddenly awakened. “The Buddha truly possesses great compassion and does not abandon even a single sentient being! Even someone as lowly and wicked as I am, He has gone to such great lengths to liberate.”
She therefore reproached herself for her previous evil conduct and behavior. Rāhula then administered to her the Three Refuges and the Five Precepts. In the very instant after receiving the precepts, before she had even raised her head, the old maidservant attained the first fruit. She then followed Rāhula back to the Saṅgha, repented before the Buddha, and requested permission to leave the household life. The Buddha compassionately said, “Rāhula, please take Vṛddhā to Bhikṣuṇī Mahāprajāpatī so that she may be ordained.”
On the way to the bhikṣuṇī Saṅgha, Rāhula further explained the principles of the Four Noble Truths of suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path. After Vṛddhā heard this, her hair immediately fell to the ground, and she became a bhikṣuṇī. She then further attained Arhatship, leapt into the air, and manifested the eighteen kinds of supernatural transformations. King Pasenadi and Queen Mallikā were overjoyed when they saw this scene and exclaimed in admiration, “The great majestic virtue of the Buddha is truly like the sun in the heavens! It illuminates and dispels all the darkness of ignorance in the world, enabling even an old maidservant who had firmly clung to wrong views to attain the path of an Arhat!”
