时间：06/29/2024 06/30/2024
地点：星湖禅修中心
主讲：Otto Huang
佛法修行
鹿住优婆夷的疑惑
有一次，尊者阿难随着佛陀到憍萨罗国首都舍卫城游化，住在城南郊外的祇树给孤独园。
这天一早，尊者阿难进城乞食，一家挨着一家地，一路来到了一位名叫鹿住的优婆夷住处。
鹿住优婆夷，远远地看到尊者阿难朝她家走来，赶紧在家中铺好了座位，出门迎请尊者阿难入座。
待坐定后，鹿住优婆夷对尊者阿难提出她的质疑：
「大德阿难！一位已断淫欲，跟一位不断淫欲的修行者，世尊记说他们都往生在同一处，这是多么令人难以理解与接受啊！怎么可以说世尊是知法者呢？大德！我父亲富兰那生前已修到断除淫欲，离欲清净，不着香花，远离了凡俗之情，死后世尊记说他已经成就斯陀含果，生在兜率天中，尔后只会再来人间一次，就能成就解脱。
而我的叔父梨师达多，还没能断除淫欲，不过仅止于与自己妻子的正淫就是了，死后世尊也记说他已经成就斯陀含果，生在兜率天中，同样只再来人间一次，就能成就解脱。怎么断淫欲与不断淫欲的人，果报相同呢？」
「姊妹！别这样说，如来能全盘地了知众生的优劣，你不能。」尊者阿难只能做这样的响应，就告辞了。
尊者阿难回到祇园精舍后，即刻去见佛陀，将鹿住优婆夷的质疑告诉佛陀。佛陀为尊者阿难解释说：
「鹿住优婆夷哪能全盘地了知众生的优劣呢？阿难！举个例子来说，假如有两个人，同样犯了戒，随后也都同样地改正不犯了，但是，其中一位不能如实了知心解脱、慧解脱的道理，所以不愿意多听闻正法，也因此而知见不能通达，正见不能具足，不能具备一旦修学时机成熟，便得解脱的因缘，但另一位却能全然具足。
这样，后面这一位当然比前面那位优胜了。为什么呢？因为正法的大流，能度化人们趣向解脱。所以，如果有人，只从表面看到两人都同样的犯戒与改正，就依此而断定这两人的果报都一样，而质疑为何说一人优、一人劣，阿难！这样的人当然要感到困惑而苦恼了。同样的道理，也不能只从表面的持戒圆满，或者贪、瞋、掉举等烦恼的破除，来断定众生的优劣。
阿难！如果梨师达多也和富兰那一样的持戒断淫欲，那么，梨师达多将往生于富兰那所不能知的更殊胜处，反之，如果富兰那也能成就如同梨师达多一样的智慧，那富兰那也将能往生梨师达多所不能知的更殊胜处。阿难！富兰那持戒比较优胜，而梨师达多智慧比较优胜，说来两人都各有尚待努力的不圆满处。」
Date: 06/29/2024 06/30/2024
Location: Star Lake Meditation Center
Teacher: Otto Huang
Dharma Talk
The Doubts of the Laywoman Deer Dwelle
Once, the venerable Ananda accompanied the Buddha to Shravasti, the capital of the Kosala kingdom, staying at the JetavanaAnathapindika’s monastery on the outskirts to the south of the city.
One morning, Venerable Ananda went into the city to alms-round, visiting house by house, until he reached the residence of a laywoman named Deer Dwelling.
Deer Dwelling, seeing Venerable Ananda approach from afar, quickly prepared a seat in her home, and came out to invite Venerable Ananda to sit.
After he was seated, Deer Dwelling expressed her doubts to Venerable Ananda:
”Venerable Ananda! It’s difficult to comprehend and accept that the Blessed One said that a practitioner who has renounced sexual desire and one who has not, are reborn in the same place. How can it be said that the Blessed One knows the Dharma?
My father, Fulan, practiced celibacy, purity, and was detached from worldly desires, and the Blessed One said he achieved the state of a Stream-enterer and was reborn in the Tusita heaven. He will only return to the human realm once before achieving liberation.
My uncle, Pearsida, had not renounced sexual desire, but he also achieved the state of a Stream-enterer and was reborn in the Tusita heaven with the same fate. How can there be the same result for those who have renounced sexual desire and those who have not?”
”Dear sister! Don’t speak like that, the Tathagata fully understands the virtues and faults of all beings, which you cannot.” Ananda could only respond in this way before taking his leave.
Returning to the monastery, Ananda immediately reported Deer Dwelling’s query to the Buddha. The Buddha explained to Venerable Ananda:
”How could Deer Dwelling fully understand the virtues and faults of all beings? Ananda, for example, if there are two people who have both violated a precept and then both corrected themselves, one may not fully understand the principles of liberation of mind and wisdom, and therefore is not keen to listen to the true Dharma, thus lacking in understanding and right view, and not having the conditions for liberation once the opportunity for study matures, while the other is fully endowed with them.
Thus, the latter is naturally superior to the former. That’s why, Ananda, if someone merely observes that both persons violated and corrected themselves similarly, and from this infers that their outcomes are the same, questioning why one is considered superior and the other inferior, of course, that person would feel confused and troubled.
Similarly, one should not determine the superiority of beings merely based on the perfection of their observance of precepts, or the elimination of defilements such as greed, hatred, and delusion.
Ananda! If Pearsida observed the precepts and renounced sexual desire as Fulan did, then Pearsida would be reborn in a higher realm unknown to Fulan, and conversely, if Fulan achieved the wisdom like Pearsida, he too could be reborn in a higher realm unknown to Pearsida.
Ananda! Fulan is superior in his observance of precepts, while Pearsida is superior in wisdom; both have areas where they need to strive for perfection.”
