有一次，尊者賓陀羅婆羅陀闍在婆磋國遊化，住在首府拘睒彌城東南瞿師羅富家長者所布施的林園中。

一天，婆磋國優填那王來尊者賓陀羅的住處拜訪，看到瞿師羅園中，有許多剛出家的年輕比丘，跟隨著尊者修學，就好奇的問：

「婆羅陀闍！為什麼這些充滿青春活力、慾望正強的年少比丘，能夠來此而安於離欲的出家生活，而且準備一輩子都過這樣的生活呢？」

「大王！佛陀這樣教導我們：

『比丘們！當看見像自己母親那樣年齡的女人，應當將她想成是自己的母親；當看見像自己姊妹那樣年齡的女人，應當將她想成是自己的姊妹；當看見像自己女兒那樣年齡的女人，應當將她想成是自己的女兒。』

大王！這就是為什麼這些充滿青春活力、慾望正強的年少比丘，能夠在這裡安於離欲出家生活的原因了。」

「但是，婆羅陀闍！如果將所看到的女人想成是自己的母親、姊妹、女兒，還是起了慾念，對這樣的人，有更好的方法嗎？」

「有啊，大王！佛陀這樣教導我們：

『比丘們！應當從腳掌以上，頭髮以下，從裡到外，觀想身體的每一部分，都充滿著血、肉、黏汁、排泄物等等噁心不淨之物，沒有任何部分是潔淨漂亮的。』

大王！這樣，就能讓比丘們安於過離欲的出家生活了。」

「但是，婆羅陀闍！如果一位還不能從自己身體、戒律、心念、智慧開展出修行的人，雖然修了不淨觀，但對某些部分還是會冒出淨想而生起慾念，對這樣的人，有更好的方法嗎？」

「有啊，大王！佛陀這樣教導我們：

『比丘們！應當守護六根等感官，約束自己的心念：當看見東西時，不要執取所見的影像，不讓它印在心中長久不去，更不要挑好看的看，因為，如果對看東西這件事不予以約束調伏，那麼，就會遭到貪愛、憂愁、苦惱等惡法的侵襲。其他的耳聽、鼻聞、舌嚐、身觸，意識等感官作用也一樣。

大王！這樣，就能讓比丘們安於過離欲的出家生活了。」

優填那王聽到這兒，深有共鳴，讚歎說：

「善哉！善哉！尊者婆羅陀闍！這是多麼善巧的說法啊！讓年輕比丘們安於離欲的出家生活。尤其是依戒律、威儀來守護諸根，我就有所體驗。有時，我沒有守護好自己的身、口、意，沒有提起覺察的正念，沒有守護諸根就到後宮去，結果，就會惹起許多麻煩與煩惱。但當我能守護好自己的身、口、意，能提起覺察的正念，能守護諸根而入後宮時，就不會惹出麻煩與煩惱來。在後宮都不會惹煩惱而導致身心煎熬的痛苦了，更何況是過著出家的清幽生活呢！因此，我確信這樣的方法，能成功地讓這些剛出家的年少比丘，安於離欲的出家生活。」

On one occasion, the Venerable Pindola Bharadvaja was at Kosambi, capital of Vacha for travel and teaching. He was dwelling in a park donated by the rich Elder Ghosita.

On this day, King Udena of Vacha came to the residence of the Venerable Pindola for a visit. He saw many young bhikkhus in Ghosita’s Park following the Venerable for practicing and asked out of curiosity:

“Bharadvaja! What is the cause and reason why these young bhikkhus in the prime of life, full of energy and desire who have not dallied with sensual pleasures, lead the complete and pure holy life all their lives and maintain it continuously?”

“Great King! The Buddha teaches us:

“Bhikkhus! Towards women old enough to be your mother, set up the idea that they are your mother; towards those of an age to be your sisters, set up the idea that the yare your sisters; towards those of an age to be your daughters, set up the idea that they are your daughters.” Great King! This is a cause and reason why these young bhikkhus in their prime of life, full of energy and desire, are able to lead the complete and pure holy life all their life and maintain it continuously.”

“Bharadvaja! Sometimes states of lust arise even towards women old enough to be one’s mother; sometimes they arise towards women of an age to be one’s sister; sometime they arise towards women young enough to be one’s daughter. Is there any other cause and reason why these young bhikkhus lead the complete and pure holy life all their lives and maintain it continuously?”

“Yes, Great King! The World Respected One taught us:

“Bhikkhus! Review this very body upwards from the soles of the feet, downwards from the tips of the hairs, enclosed in the skin as full of such kinds of disgusting impurities as blood, flesh, mucous, excrement, none of them is pure and pretty.” Great King! It is the cause and reason why these young bhikkhus lead the complete and pure holy life all their lives and maintain it continuously.” However, Bharadvaja! For those bhikkhus who are undeveloped in body, undeveloped in mind, undeveloped in virtue, undeveloped in wisdom, although attended to the body as foul, but toward certain part of the body would behold it as beautiful and developed lust, are there better ways for such people?”

“Yes, Great King! The World Respected One taught us:

“”Bhikkhus! Guard the doors of these sense faculties, practice the way of its restrains: Having seen a form with the eye, do not grasp its signs and features in order to avoid it’s dwelling in the mind, do not look at those only pleasant to the eye, because if leaving looking unstrained and soothed then the evil unwholesome states of desire, sorrow and displeasure might invade you. So also are the function of having heard a sound with the ear, having smelled an odor with the nose, having savored a taste with the tongue, having felt a tactile object with the body, having cognized a mental phenomenon with the mind.

Great King! This is a cause and reason why these young bhikkhus lead the complete and pure holy life all their lives and maintain it continuously.”

The converse to this point aroused the sympathy of King Udena and praised:

“It is wonderful, Venerable Bharadvaja! It is amazing! How well this has been stated by the World Respected One! This is the cause and reason why these young bhikkhus lead the complete and pure holy life all their lives and maintain it continuously.” Particularly I have personally experienced about rely on percepts, dignity of demeanor to guard the sense faculties. Sometimes, I went to my living quarters without guarding well my sense faculties, as a result, caused much trouble and vexation. But when I was able to guard my body, speech and mind, which arose the right awareness of right mindfulness and able to guard the sense faculties and entering the living quarters without cause trouble and vexation. If in the living quarters would not cause vexation resulting the suffering of body and mind tormenting, not to mention living in a pure and quiet monastic lifestyle! Hence, I truly believe in such method would lead the young and novel bhikkhus to live a complete and pure holy life all their lives and maintain it continuously.

一、本則故事取材自《相應部第三五相應第一二七經》、《雜阿含第一一六五經》。

二、婆磋國為佛陀時代的一個小國，位置接近恆河的中上游。優填那王為當時婆磋國的國王，又譯為優陀延那，但其事蹟不詳。

三、將所看到的女人想成是自己的母親、姊妹、女兒，來防止慾念，這是對男眾來說的。同理，對女眾來說，就是將男人想成是自己的父親、兄弟、兒子。這是一種以同理心來昇華，以調伏慾念的。如果昇華不成，就要進入更猛利的不淨觀，如果不淨觀也失效，就得從外在戒律的強制，以及內心覺察的正念雙管齊下，由我們資訊的進入門戶──感官作用時下手了，這種方法，也稱為「六觸入處律儀」（參考故事第九二〈縈髮目揵連的參訪〉）。

四、生死流轉的關鍵，是我執、我愛。而男女之間的欲，當然是貪愛的一種，不過也有生理本能的成分，不必然都是罪惡。雖說如此，但一般人在「我」、「我所」的交織中，卻會是佛法修學的障礙（參考印順法師《華雨集（五）》第二四九至二五四頁），所以，在佛陀所制訂的出家戒律中，完全禁止了淫欲，自有其考量與正面功能，即使一般的在家人，如果在這方面沒有正常而合理的處置，也會惹來很多麻煩，貴為一國之君，大權在握的優填那王，也沒能例外。

五、《雜阿含第四九三經》說，比丘在獨修時，常要以想像完美異性之「淨相」，看看自己還會不會生起性慾，來作自我考驗。如果通不過這樣的自我測驗，那就不能，也不敢自稱自己已經離了五欲。原來，離欲就像逆水行舟，稍一倦怠與疏忽，便要倒退了，非得時時警惕不可。 。 

This story was derived from Samyuktta-nikaya 35th, Nikaya 116th Sutra and Samyuktagama 1165th Sutra.

2. Vicha was a small country located in the middle to upper stream of the Ganges Rive during the Buddha's time. Unenda , also translated as Unedayana, was the king of Vicha but little was known about him.

3. Consider the women being seen as mother, sister and daughter to prevent arise of lust, the instruction was designed for male practitioners. By the same token, for the female practitioners, consider man as father, brother and son. It is employing the same mindset as a way of transcendence for soothing arises of lust. If such transcendence is unsuccessful, one must enter a more vigorously method of observing the impurity, if such observation is unsuccessful, one will have to employ both the enforcement of external precepts and the mindfulness of right thoughts, to tackle from the entrance of information—sensual organs. Such method also called “Restrain of six contacts”. (See Dharma Story 92 “The Visit of Coil-hair Maudgalyayana”).

4. The key to transmigration of life and death is self-attachment and self-love. The desire between man and woman, although is craving, nonetheless consists of physiological instinct and not to be considered as sinful. Having said that, the ordinary people being tangled between “Self-love” and “Activities of Self” will be obstacles of Dharma (See the Venerable Yin Shun “Hua Yu Collections, Vol. V” pp. 249-254). Hence, the precepts for monastic put forced by the Buddha stipulate asceticism would have its merit and a positive effect. Even normal householders, if failed to handle the matter properly, would cause much trouble, there is no exception even for someone holding the position of a king with full of power like King Unada.

5. Text in Samyuktagama 493th Sutra indicates that when practicing alone, bhikkhus often required thinking about the “pure form” of the opposite sex to see whether sexual desire would be aroused. If failed to pass such self-examination, then one cannot and dare not proclaim annihilation of the five desires. It turns out that annihilation is like rowing a boat upstream, one must be mindful that once the practice is relaxed and neglected backslides will occur.