时间：04/18/2026 04/19/2026
地点：星河禅修中心
主讲：黄云全
佛法修行
小老虎修成阿罗汉
优波笈多修得阿罗汉果后，仍然继续在摩偷罗国的那哆婆哆寺，跟随舍那婆私修习佛法，后来他才开始独自外出参学。
离那哆婆哆寺不远有一片茂密的森林，森林中住一只母虎。后来这只母虎怀孕了，因为身子沉重，不能走很远的路去觅食。可是这片森林已经找不到什么食物了，所以这只母虎越来越瘦。
等到它临盆的时候，它拼命挣扎着生下一只可爱的小虎，就因饥饿而死去了。碰巧那一天优波笈多到那片森林中去静修，他看见那只躺在死去的母虎身边嗷嗷待哺的小虎，心中生出无限慈悲，马上找来一些食物亲自喂它。
这时候，优波笈多的弟子看见他在喂一只小虎，而这只小虎看上去也活不久了，他们好奇地问：
「师父，这只小虎看起来就快死了，为什么您还要喂它食物呢？」
优波笈多回答：「我喂它东西吃只是为了让它得到解脱而已。」
其实优波笈多早就看出这只得不到母乳喂养的小虎很快就会死去，而且现在差不多就要死了，他怜惜地对小虎说：
「世间的一切事物都是无常的，生命的消失是很平静、很自然的一件事。你到了我住处后，要对佛法生出信心，对畜牲类的所作所为所欲要生出厌恶之心。」
随后，优波笈多带着小虎到那哆婆哆寺。小虎一见到这个威严庄重的清净佛寺，马上对佛法产生信服和敬仰之心。
不久，这只小老虎果然死去了，但是随即又在摩偷罗国转世为人了。
等这个孩子长到七岁，优波笈多到他家度化了他，他就开始跟随优波笈多修习佛法。七年之后，十四岁的他修成阿罗汉，拥有许多神力。每当他去听优波笈多讲解佛法时，就施用神力变来种种鲜花，散布在优波笈多的四周。鲜花的芬芳充盈在整个讲经堂内，令人心旷神怡。
优波笈多的五百弟子一直没有得道，看到比他们晚修习佛法的十四岁少年都得了道，心中既不安又不解，于是纷纷去问优波笈多：
「尊敬的老师，那位同学修习的时间没有我们长，年龄又那么小，为什么他可以修成阿罗汉，而且拥有许多神通？」
优波笈多看看他们，仁慈地解释道：「那是因为他前世做小老虎的时候，对佛法有信服和崇敬心的缘故，再加上他专心修习佛法，所以很快就修得正果，具备了神通。」
五百弟子听了优波笈多的话，心里感到很惭愧。从此以后，他们勤苦修习，最后都证得了阿罗汉果。
Date: 04/18/2026 04/19/2026
Location: Star River Meditation Center
Teacher: Yunquan Huang
Dharma Talk
The Little Tiger Who Attained Arhatship
After the venerable Upagupta had attained the fruit of Arhatship, he continued to reside in the Natabodhi Monastery in the land of Mathurā, studying the Buddha-Dharma under the guidance of Śāṇavāsa. Only later did he begin traveling alone in search of further learning.
Not far from the monastery lay a dense forest. In that forest lived a tigress. In time the tigress became pregnant. Because her body had grown heavy, she could no longer travel far in search of food. Yet the forest had little prey left, and thus she grew thinner and weaker day by day.
When the time came for her to give birth, she struggled with all her strength and finally delivered a small, lovely cub. But from hunger and exhaustion the tigress soon died.
On that very day Upagupta had come into the forest to meditate in solitude. When he saw the little tiger cub lying beside its dead mother, crying helplessly for milk, his heart was filled with boundless compassion. He immediately found some food and personally fed the cub.
At that time Upagupta’s disciples saw him feeding the little tiger. The cub looked as though it would not live long, so they asked in curiosity:
“Master, this little tiger seems about to die. Why do you still feed it?”
Upagupta replied:
“I feed it only so that it may attain liberation.”
In truth, Upagupta already knew that the cub, deprived of its mother’s milk, would soon die. Seeing that its life was nearly at its end, he spoke to it with compassion:
“All things in the world are impermanent. The passing of life is calm and natural. When you are reborn in the place where I dwell, give rise to faith in the Buddha-Dharma, and develop a sense of weariness toward the actions and desires of the animal realm.”
Afterward Upagupta brought the little tiger to the Natabodhi Monastery. As soon as the cub saw the solemn and pure monastery, it immediately developed a heart of faith and reverence toward the Buddha-Dharma.
Before long the little tiger died. Yet soon afterward it was reborn as a human being in the land of Mathurā.
When the child reached the age of seven, Upagupta went to his home and converted him. The boy then began studying the Buddha-Dharma under Upagupta’s guidance. Seven years later, at the age of fourteen, he attained Arhatship and possessed many supernatural powers.
Whenever he came to hear Upagupta expound the Dharma, he would use his spiritual powers to manifest various kinds of fresh flowers and scatter them around his teacher. The fragrance of the blossoms filled the entire lecture hall, refreshing the hearts of all who were present.
Meanwhile, five hundred disciples of Upagupta had not yet attained realization. When they saw that this fourteen-year-old youth, who had practiced for a shorter time than they had, had already attained Arhatship and possessed supernatural powers, they felt both uneasy and puzzled. They went together to ask Upagupta:
“Venerable Master, that fellow disciple has studied the Dharma for a shorter time than we have, and he is so young. Why has he attained Arhatship and gained such powers?”
Upagupta looked at them kindly and explained with compassion:
“This is because in his previous life, when he was a little tiger, he gave rise to faith and reverence toward the Buddha-Dharma. Because of that cause, and because in this life he practiced with single-minded diligence, he quickly attained the right fruit and acquired spiritual powers.”
Hearing Upagupta’s words, the five hundred disciples felt deeply ashamed. From that time onward they practiced with renewed diligence, and in the end they all attained the fruit of Arhatship.
