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作福不嫌多，但用於解脫 有一次，佛陀來到憍薩羅國首都舍衛城遊化，住在城南郊外的祇樹給孤獨園。 這天，憍薩羅國波斯匿王盛裝前往禮見佛陀，請求佛陀及僧團能在舍衛城住上三個月，接受他的供養。 佛陀默許了。 波斯匿王就在王宮外面，搭建了一座大講堂，並要求朝中的大臣們，也一起發歡喜心供養。 在一次飲食供養後，波斯匿王對佛陀說： 「世尊！我曾經聽世尊說：布施給畜生，可以得到以百計的福報，布施犯戒人為千，布施持戒人為萬，布施離欲外道為億，布施向須陀洹則難以計算，更何況是須陀洹以上的聖者了。我今天供養了世尊及眾比丘僧，因此，所獲得的福報與功德，應當是難以計算的。今天，我已經算是功德圓滿了。」 佛陀聽了，告訴波斯匿王說：
在很久以前，我們住的地方有一位名叫『地主』的大王，皇后名叫『日月光』，太子名叫『燈光』。燈光太子長得十分端正，後來出家修道成佛，並且陸續度化了八十億眾成阿羅漢。 地主大王在太子成佛後，迎請燈光如來入宮親自供養，並且發願終身供養如來及八十億眾的阿羅漢，獲得了燈光如來的默許。 地主大王充分供養了燈光如來七萬年。 燈光如來入滅後，地主大王又建了許多寺廟、寶塔，持續供養其他阿羅漢，直到他們一一入滅，並且也為這些阿羅漢的遺骨建塔廟供養，這樣又過了七萬年，直到燈光如來所傳的佛法消失了，才去世。 大王！那位地主大王不是別人，就是我的前身。那時，我七萬年供養如來，七萬年供養舍利，只想以此所作的功德，在生死中得到福報享用，而不曾修道求解脫。大王！你知道嗎？當時所作的福德，到現在已經全部耗盡了，連毛髮般大小的福德也沒留下來。怎麼會這樣呢？正是因為，生死輪迴長遠得難以計算，以致在那麼長的時間中，再多的福報都會被耗盡，不留一絲一毫。 所以，大王！不要說：今天我作福已經功德圓滿，你應當說：今天我所有身、口、意的所作所為，都要趣向解脫，我不求在生死中享用福報，但求能得到長遠無量的安樂。」 波斯匿王聽了佛陀這番教說，不由得毛骨悚然地害怕起來。一陣悲傷哭泣後，以手抹掉眼淚，向佛陀頂禮，承認自己的過失。他說： 「世尊！我真是太愚笨了，請世尊接受我的懺悔！我以五體投地之禮，表示我改過的心意。以後，我不會再那樣說了，請世尊接受我的懺悔。」 「太好了，大王！你能懺悔改過。我接受你的懺悔，以後不要再那樣說了。」 這時，在大眾中，有一位名叫迦旃延的比丘尼，起來讚歎佛陀對波斯匿王的勸勉，並且以自己的前世為例，印證應當趣向於解脫，而不是求在生死中享用福報的教說。她說，三十一劫前她的前世，是一位名叫「純黑」的差使，他在野馬城供養當時的式詰如來，供養後，發願要以這樣的功德不墮三惡道，來世見佛聞法而得解脫。她就是以這樣的因緣，今世得遇釋迦佛，從而修道得解脫的。 佛陀讚歎她是聲聞弟子中，信解脫第一的比丘尼。 |
Merit Building For Liberation Is Never Excessive On one occasion, the Buddha was in Sravasti, capital of Kosala for traveling and teaching. He was living in Jeta’s Grove of Anathapindada’s Park, south of the city. On this day, King Prasenajit dressed up to pay a visit to the Buddha, requesting whether the Buddha and his followers could stay in Sravasti to receive their offerings. The Buddha tacitly gave his consensus. King Prasenajit built a large lecture hall outside of his palace, and requested his senior officials blissfully making offerings as well. At one point, after making food offering, King Prasenajit told the Buddha: “The World Respected One! I heard of The World Respected One said: By giving a gift to an animal, the offering may be expected to repay a hundredfold. By giving a gift to a precept breaching person, the offering may be expected to repay a thousand fold. By giving a gift to a precept-abiding practitioner, the offering may be expected to repay ten thousand fold. By giving a gift to one who is outside the dispensation who is free from lust for sensual pleasures, the offering may be expected to repay one hundred million fold. By offering a gift to a stream-enterer, the offering may be expected to repay immeasurable fold, not to mention to the saint who is above the stream-enterer. Today, I have made offering to the Buddha and the Sangha, hence, the merits I received should be immeasurable. To this date, the merit I build should have been completed.” Upon hearing, the Buddha told King Prasenajit: “Great king, do not say that, merit building is never excessive, how can you say that the merit has been completed? Why merit building is never excessive? The duration of the sentient beings’ transmigration through life and death, in fact, is immeasurable. A very long time ago, there was a great king named “Landlord” in my native town, the queen’s name was “Sun-moonlight”, the prince’s name was “Lamplight”. Prince Lamplight had fine features, after he became monastic and attained Buddhahood, he gradually delivered eight hundred million individuals achieving arhatship. After the prince became Buddha, Great King Landlord invited Lamplight Tathagata to his palace to receive his personal offerings, and vowed to make an offer in his lifetime to the Tathagata and the eight hundred million arhats. The offer received The Lamplight Tathagata’s tacitly consent to. King Landlord made plentiful offerings to Lamplight Tathataga for seventy thousand years. After Lamplight Tathatage entered into nirvana, great king Landlord built more temples, pagodas to continue making offerings to other arhats until they also entered nirvana one after another. The king continued to make offerings to their ashes by building pagodas and temples for an additional seventy thousand years. This was until the dharma, preached by Lamplight Tathagata dissipated, then great king Landlord died. Great King, the great king Landlord was no one other than myself in my previous life. At that time, I made offerings to the Tathagate for seventy thousand years, made offerings to relics for seventy thousand years, only wish to enjoy the merits yielded in the transmigration of life and death but never practice for liberation attainment. Great King! Do you know at present, the merits built at that time have been completely exhausted, remaining not even a single thread of merit. How come? Because the duration of transmigration of life and death is immeasurable, which consumed all merit that had been accumulated; in such extended passage of time not even a single thread of merit remained. Hence, great king, do not say: I have completed building merit today, you should say: My behavior of bodily actions, speech and thought today should be destined toward liberation. I am not looking for the merit for the enjoyment in the transmigration of life and death, but to gain longtime immeasurable peace and joy instead.” After listening to the Buddha’s preaching, King Prasanajit could not help but absolutely terrified. He cried sorrowfully, wiping tears with hand, bowing to the Buddha by prostrating the whole body to the ground, admitting his mistake. He said: “The World Respected One, I was really too stupid, please accept my repent! I bow to you by prostrating the whole body to the ground to express my intention of correcting my mistake. I will never say that again, please accept my repent.” “Very well, great king, you can repent and correct your mistake. I accept your repent, never say that again.” At this time bhikkhuni Kayana rose from the group to praise the Buddha’s advice and encouragement to King Prasanajit, and used her previous life as an example to verify the preaching of one should destine toward liberation instead of looking for the merit for enjoyment in the transmigration of life and death. She said that her previous life thirty-one eon ago was a messenger whose name was “Pure Black”, she made offerings to Sijie Tathagata in Mustang City, after making offerings she vowed to use the merit to keep her from falling into the three evil destinies, and in the coming life to see the Buddha to hear about Dharma and to gain liberation. As the result of such causes and conditions, she was able to meet Sakyamuni Buddha in the present life and attained liberation by following the path. The Buddha praised her as the first bhikkhuni among the Voice-hearer disciples attain liberation via faith. |
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按語： 一、本則故事取材自《增壹阿含第二三品第一經》。 二、作福不嫌多，因為生死長遠，再多的福報也不夠用。從「再多的福報也不夠用」這樣的警覺中，知道要將福報善用於有益生死解脫，才是正途。 三、說過去的某某，就是現在的我，成為經典中的一種體裁格式，稱為「本生」。這類格式的經典，其集成的時間並不太早，約與《增一阿含經》集成的時代相當。（參考印順法師《原始佛教聖典之集成》〈第八章第四節〉） 四、「本生」體裁之類的經典，後來繼續有蓬勃的發展，對修長遠菩薩行以成佛的大乘思想，提供了有利的發展環境。 |
Notes: 1. This story was derived from Ekottarikagama 1st Sutra, Chapter 23. 2. Building merits is never excessive because no merit is adequate for the extended transmigration of life and death. Aware of “no merit is adequate” one should know that properly using merits for enhancing one being liberated from the transmigration of life and death is the right way. 3. The wordings of “The past someone is the present I” had been used as a genre in the sutra called “Jataka” (Previous Life). Such sutra with this style appeared not too long ago, which was in approximately the same period during the compiling of Ekottarikagama sutra. (See “The Compilation of the Original Canon in Buddhism” The Venerable Yin Shun, Chapter IIX, Verse IV.). 4. The genre of “Jataka” continuously gained popularity in the years followed, which provided a favorable environment for the Mahayana Buddhism thoughts of practicing in the long-term bodhisattva path in order to achieve Buddhahood. . |