有一次，佛陀來到外祖父善覺王統治的天臂城遊化，住在附近的一個釋迦族村落中。

那時，同在天臂城附近，有一群來自西方的比丘，正打算返回他們的家鄉安居，臨行前，特別前來拜別佛陀。 佛陀問他們說： 「比丘們！你們向舍利弗辭別了嗎？」

「還沒，世尊！」

「那你們應當去向舍利弗辭別！比丘們，舍利弗是位修行淳熟，又能提攜道友，對道友的修行有助益的人，去向他辭別，一定能令你們有所獲益。」

「好的，世尊！」

這時，尊者舍利弗正坐在離佛陀不遠處的一棵樹下。 這一群西方比丘拜別了佛陀，就來尊者舍利弗處，他們向尊者舍利弗問訊頂禮後，說：

「舍利弗學友！我們打算回西方去安居，特地來向您辭別。」

「你們向世尊辭別了嗎？」 「辭別了。」

「你們回到西方，會經過許多不同的國家，遇上許多不同族類的人，他們之中或許一些有智慧、有見識的人，會對你們的所修所學感興趣，而問：

『你們的老師都教你們些什麼呢？』

這時，你們要怎麼回答，才能完整地將世尊的善於說法，你們所善於受持、觀察、悟入的內容展現出來，而不致於讓人誤解了佛陀，或者讓人問倒了呢？」

「舍利弗學友！我們老遠來，就是特別要向您請益的啊！但願您慈悲，為我們講解吧！」 於是，尊者舍利弗說：

「學友們！如果有聰明的王族、婆羅門、地方仕紳、出家沙門來問你們： 『你們老師怎麼說法？怎麼教您們的呢？』 那麼，應當這樣回答：

『大師就教我們調伏欲貪！』 如果他們再進一步問： 『從哪裡去調伏欲貪呢？』 你們應當回答： 『大師說，從色、受、想、行、識五蘊處調伏欲貪。』

如果他們問： 『欲貪會有什麼問題嗎？以致於要從五蘊處調伏它呢？』 你們應當回答：

『如果於五蘊不離貪、不離欲、不離愛、不離渴、不離念，一旦五蘊起了變異，那麼人們就會因此而生起憂、悲、惱、苦、愁了。因為看見欲貪有這樣的問題，所以要從五蘊處調伏欲貪。』

如果他們問： 『離欲貪有什麼好處呢？值得從五蘊處調伏它？』 你們應當回答：

『如果於五蘊離貪、離欲、離愛、離渴、離念，一旦五蘊起了變異，也不會引生憂、悲、惱、苦、愁，離欲貪就有這樣的好處。』

學友們！如果與不善法為伍的人，也能夠當生得安樂而沒有苦迫、障礙、熱惱，死後還能生在人天善處之中，那麼，世尊也不會讚歎斷除不善法了。

學友們！如果具足諸善法的人，當生仍受苦迫、障礙、熱惱，死後還會墮入惡道中，那麼，世尊也不會讚歎具足諸善法了。

學友們！具足諸善法的人，不但能夠當生得安樂；沒有苦迫、障礙、熱惱，死後還能生在人天善處中，所以，世尊會讚歎具足諸善法。」

聽了尊者舍利弗的這番教說，比丘們都非常歡喜地受持了。 

The Great Master Just Teaches Removal Of Desire And Lust

On one occasion, the Buddha was in Devadaha ruled by his maternal grandfather King Suprabudda for travel and teaching. He was dwelling in a nearby village among the Sakyans.

At that time, a number of westward-bound bhikkhus also lived in Devadaha and was planning to go to the western province to take up residence; they came to see the Buddha before their departure.

The Buddha asked them: “Bhikkhus! Have you bid farewell to Sariputta?”

“Not Yet, The World Respected One!”

“Then you should bid farewell to Sariputta! Bhikkhus! Sariputta has been well practiced, willing to help friends and benefiting the practitioners in practicing, bidding farewell to him would be helpful to you.”

“Yes, The World Respected One!”

At that time, the Venerable Sariputta was sitting under a tree not far away from the Buddha.

After bidding farewell to the Buddha, the westward-bound bhikkhus came to the Venerable Sariputta, after paying homage by joint palms and said:

“Study friend Sariputta! We plan to go to the western province to take up residence, hence come to bid farewell to you.”

“Have you bid farewell to The World Respected One?”

“Yes, we have.”

“When returning to the western province, you will pass through many different countries, come across many different clans. Some of them might be wise and well-informed, they might be interested in what you have leaned and practiced, then asked:

“What has your teacher taught you?”
At that time, how should you reply in order to present completely The World Respected One is good at teaching the Dharma, and you are good at receiving, observing and realizing so that people will not misunderstand the Buddha, or being incapable of answering such questions?”

“Study friend Sariputta! The purpose of our coming from far away is to specifically ask for advice from you! Please kindly teach us!”

Hence, the Venerable Sariputta said:

“Study friends! If there are wise khattiyas, wise Brahmins, wise householders, and wise ascetics who question you:

“What does your teacher say, what does he teach? Then you should answer:

“The great master just teaches us the removal of desire and lust!”

If they should question further:

“In regard to what does your teacher teach the removal of desire and lust?”

Being asked thus, you should answer:

“The great master said: removal of desire and lust from the five skandhas of form, feeling, perception, volitional formations and consciousness.”

If they question:

“What danger does the desire and lust might have, that warrants their removal from the five skandhas?”

Being asked thus, you should answer:

“If one is not devoid of desire, lust, affection, thirst, and craving from the five skankhas, then with the change and alteration of the five skandhas, there arise in one: Sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure and despair. Seeing the danger of lust and desire, hence should remove them from the five skandhas.”

If they question:

“What benefit is devoid of desire and lust providing that warrants their removal from the five skandhas?

Being asked thus, you should answer:

“If one is devoid of lust, desire, affection, thirst, passion, and craving from the five skankhas, then with the change and alteration of the five skandhas, there will not arise in one: Sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure and despair. This is the benefit of removal of lust and desire from the five skandhas.”

Study friends! If one who enters and dwells amidst unwholesome states could dwell happily in this very life, without vexation, despair, and fever, and if, with the breakup of the body, after death, he could expect a good destination, then The World Respected One would not praise the abandoning of unwholesome states.

Study friends! If one who enters and dwells amidst wholesome states could dwell unhappily in this very life, with vexation, despair, and fever, and if, with the breakup of the body, after death, he could expect a bad destination, then The World Respected One would not praise the complete acquisition of wholesome states.

Study friends! If one completes acquisition of wholesome states, he could not only dwell happily in this very life, without vexation, despair, and fever, and if, with the breakup of the body, after death, he could also expect a good destination, hence The World Respected One would praise the complete acquisition of wholesome states.”

After listening, those bhikkhus were delighted in receiving and remembering the teachings from Venerable Sariputta.

一、本則故事取材自《雜阿含第一○八經》、《相應部第二二相應第二經》。

二、尊者舍利弗以「調伏欲貪」來總攝佛陀的教說，與《阿含經》中常見的修行次第：「厭、離欲、滅盡」相合，可以視為是當時修行的主流思想。此部分《雜阿含第一○八經》的原文為：「大師唯說調伏欲貪」，《相應部第二二相應第二經》的原譯文為：「我等之師以教調伏欲貪」，顯然《雜阿含第一○八經》的語氣較為強烈。

三、「調伏欲貪」可以總攝一切佛法的修學嗎？生死與解脫的關鍵，不是在「我執、我見、我慢」嗎？（參考故事〈闡陀的證入〉按語（三））其實，「欲貪」（或廣說為「貪愛」）與「我執」是緊緊相連難以分離的：貪愛的主角是我執，而我執的展現，是「順我則貪，逆我則瞋」，貪固然是貪愛，即使是瞋恚，也還是在貪愛不得之下的產物，所以，瞋恚實際上是貪愛的一種形式。因此，「調伏欲貪」與我執我慢的斷除，是一致的，亦即：沒有不斷我執而得以徹底離貪愛的，也沒有徹底離了貪愛而我執未斷的。至於四聖諦、七覺支、八正道等三十七道品，也都可以視為是為了成就這個關鍵而開展的方法。所以，尊者舍利弗以「調伏欲貪」來總攝佛陀一切教說，是十分貼切而又具體的。 

1. This story was derived from Samyuktagama 108th Sutra and Samyutta-nikaya 22, Nikaya 2nd Sutra.

2. The Venerable Sariputta using “removal of desire and lust” to summarize the Buddha’s teaching, which is consistent with” the sequence of practice: “Dislike, to be free from desire and annihilate” commonly seen in the Agama Sutras. Thus, it could be regarded as the mainstream of practice at that time. Text on this part in Samyuktagama 108th Sutra reads “the great master just teaches the removal of desire and lust.” text in Samyutta-nikaya 22; Nikaya 2nd Sutra reads “our teacher teaches the removal of desire and lust.” obviously the tone in Samyuktagama 108th Sutra is stronger.

3. Can “removal of desire and lust” be utilized to summarize the total practice of the Dharma? Don’t the key to liberation, life and death lies with “self-attachment, self-view and arrogance”? (See Dharma Story “The Verification of Channa” Notes: 3.) In fact, “desire and lust” (or general speaking, craving) and “self-attachment” are tied together and inseparable: The leading role of desire is self-attachment, and the unfolding of self-attachment is “desire is something pleasing, anger is something unpleasing”. Desire is naturally something I like, even anger is the product of something being unable to acquire, and hence, anger is another form of desire. Therefore, “removal of desire and lust” is consistent with being devoid of self-attachment and arrogance, that is: Not being completely devoid of desire and lust can be achieved without being devoid of self-attachment. With the existence of self-attachment, there is no being completely devoid of desire and lust. Hence the Four Noble Truth, Seven Factors to Enlightenment and the Eightfold Holy Path involved in the Thirty-seven Aids to Enlightenment can be viewed as the method which is for the fulfillment of these cruxes. Therefore, the Venerable Sariputta used “removal of desire and lust” to summarize the Buddha’s teaching is very appropriate and complete.