时间：07/20/2024 07/21/2024
地点：星湖禅修中心
主讲：Otto Huang
佛法修行
谁来享用祭品
有一次，佛陀住在摩揭陀国首都王舍城的迦兰陀竹园。
这天，一位名叫「生闻」的婆罗门，来竹园请问佛陀：
「可敬的瞿昙！我们婆罗门主张对死去的家人祭拜布施，因为有血缘关系，就能让他们享用到所祭拜的东西。可敬的瞿昙！最近，有一位很让我爱念的家人，突然意外地过世了，我为了让他过得好一些，所以遵循我们婆罗门的教导，对他祭拜布施，但，到底他能不能享用到我所祭拜的东西呢？」
「婆罗门！如果能相应，就享用得到；不相应的，当然就得不到了。」
「可敬的瞿昙！那，怎样才相应？怎样是不相应呢？」
「婆罗门！生前做了十恶行，死后往生到地狱、畜生界者，他们就在各自的新世界里生活，依着地狱、畜生界的食物活命，这种情况就是不相应。不相应的地狱与畜生界众生，是享用不到祭拜布施的食物的。
婆罗门！生前做了十善行，死后往生到天界、人间者，他们也各自在新的世界里生活，依着天界、人间的食物活命，这种情况也不相应。不相应的天界与人间众生，也享用不到祭拜布施的食物。
婆罗门！只有生前做了十恶行，死后往生到饿鬼界成为饿鬼众生，这类才相应。饿鬼众生，可以依着饿鬼世界的食物生活，也可以享用亲朋好友所祭拜的食物。」
「可敬的瞿昙！如果那位很让我爱念的家人，不是往生饿鬼界，那，我所祭拜的食物，谁能享用？」
「婆罗门！那就由你过去往生饿鬼界的其它亲朋好友享用了。」
「可敬的瞿昙！如果我没有任何亲朋好友往生饿鬼界，那，我所祭拜的食物，谁能享用？」
「婆罗门！在众生那么长远的生死流转中，要说都没有任何亲朋好友在饿鬼界，那是不可能的。婆罗门！况且，重要的是，布施的人，不会没有回报的。」
「可敬的瞿昙！布施的人，会有什么回报？」
「婆罗门！如果生前能够布施钱财、房舍、日用品给沙门、比丘等以乞食为生的出家人，或者其它婆罗门与穷困人家，那么，即使他生前因为做了十恶，以致死后往生在畜生界，也能在畜生界中，享有比较好的生活境遇。如果生前做了十善行，死后往生于天界、人间，则能在天界、人间中，享有比较好的物质环境。」
「太稀有了！可敬的瞿昙！太神奇了！可敬的瞿昙！布施的人，能有这样的福报！应当布施，应当信心布施！」听了佛陀这样的解说，生闻婆罗门大为欢喜，对佛陀能给他清楚的解答，则深表赞叹，因而皈依了佛陀、佛法、僧团，并请求佛陀，让他终生为在家佛弟子。
Date: 07/20/2024 07/21/2024
Location: Star Lake Meditation Center
Teacher: Otto Huang
Dharma Talk
Who will partake in the offerings?
Once, the Buddha was staying at the Bamboo Grove in Rajagaha, the capital of the Magadha Kingdom.
That day, a Brahmin named Jivaka came to the Bamboo Grove to ask the Buddha a question:
”Honorable Gautama, we Brahmins advocate offering sacrifices to deceased family members because we share blood relations, which allows them to partake in what is offered. Honorable Gautama, a dearly loved family member of mine recently passed away unexpectedly. To ensure his well-being, I followed our Brahmin teachings and offered sacrifices for him. But can he truly partake in what I have offered?”
”Brahmin, if there is a correspondence, they can partake; if there is no correspondence, they cannot,” replied the Buddha.
”Honorable Gautama, what constitutes correspondence? And what does not?” asked the Brahmin.
”Brahmin, those who have committed many evil deeds in life and are reborn in hell or as animals will live in their respective new worlds, surviving on the food of hell or the animal realm. In such cases, there is no correspondence, and these beings cannot partake in the food offered through sacrifices.
Similarly, those who have performed good deeds and are reborn in the heavens or among humans will also live in their new worlds, relying on the food of those realms. They too do not correspond and cannot partake in the sacrificed food.
Only those who have committed evil deeds and are reborn in the realm of hungry ghosts correspond; hungry ghosts can survive on the food of their realm and also partake in the food offered by relatives and friends.”
”Honorable Gautama, if my dearly loved family member is not reborn in the realm of hungry ghosts, then who can partake in the food I offered?” asked the Brahmin.
”Brahmin, it would then be partaken by other relatives and friends of yours who are reborn in the realm of hungry ghosts,” answered the Buddha.
”Honorable Gautama, if I have no relatives or friends reborn in the realm of hungry ghosts, then who can partake in the food I offered?”
”Brahmin, in the long cycle of life and death, it is impossible to say that there are absolutely no relatives or friends in the realm of hungry ghosts. Moreover, importantly, those who give offerings will not go unrewarded.”
”Honorable Gautama, what kind of reward does one who gives offerings receive?”
”Brahmin, if one offers money, houses, and daily necessities to monks, nuns, other Brahmins, and the needy in life, then even if they committed many evil deeds and are reborn in the animal realm, they can still enjoy better living conditions there. If they performed good deeds and are reborn in the heavens or among humans, they can enjoy better material circumstances.”
”How rare! Honorable Gautama, how miraculous! Those who give offerings can receive such blessings! One should give, one should give with faith!” Upon hearing the Buddha’s explanation, Jivaka Brahmin was overjoyed, expressed deep admiration for the Buddha’s clear answers, took refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha, and requested to remain a lay follower of the Buddha for life.
