时间：08/16/2025 08/17/2025
地点：星河禅修中心
主讲：黄云全
佛法修行
在空中飞行的钵
很久以前，在天界上有二百位天人想要修道，可惜他们都想投机取巧。由于彼此互相影响，导致每个人都畏惧佛道的艰难，不愿努力修行菩萨道，甚至还说：
「这么努力学菩萨道做什么？不如学阿罗汉或辟支佛的修行悟道直入涅槃！」
文殊师利菩萨知道了，心想：「这些天人其实都是能成就菩萨圣道的，不过因为怕苦而想退缩。我得想法子教化他们，让他们坚定修行的意志才行。」
想到这里，文殊菩萨变成一个迦罗越行者，端着满满的一钵百味饭，前往世尊说法的梵天。
他来到佛陀面前，恭敬的将一钵百味饭献给佛陀，并合掌恭敬的对佛陀说：「世尊，应当为此报答您的恩德了。」
「这是什么意思？」站在一旁的舍利弗尊者好奇地问。
「你就在旁边看看吧！」佛陀说完便从梵天上把钵往下一扔，装着满满百味饭的钵飘过诸佛的国土，飘得好远好远，一直飘到一个叫做汇阿沙的佛土才停住。
汇阿沙佛土的佛叫做光明王，他的侍者看到一只钵停在空中，惊奇地问：
「这是怎么回事？」
光明王佛回答说：「这个钵是从梵天的释迦牟尼佛那里飘过来的，用意是想拯救那些不坚定学菩萨道而想退缩的人。」
侍者们听了光明王佛的话，心中对佛道的信心更加坚定了。
钵从梵天落下后，就失去了踪影。过了好一阵子，佛陀对舍利弗说：
「你去把钵找回来吧！」
舍利弗运用智能神力寻找，却到处都找不到，只好灰心地回来，对佛陀说：
「世尊，我没找到钵。」
佛陀转身对目犍连说：「你去把钵找回来吧！」
目犍连立刻以神足通飞往诸佛剎寻找，过了一阵子，也垂头丧气地回来。
世尊又让五百罗汉去找，他们也没有找到。
弥勒菩萨眼看满天的阿罗汉竟没有一个能找回钵来，便自告奋勇，但他也一样空手而回。
佛陀看了看文殊菩萨，说：「是你去一趟的时候了。」
只见文殊菩萨仍坐在座位上，入三昧定法，用右手指地下，走过诸佛的国土。人们清楚地看到，文殊菩萨的手臂上一根根汗毛间都有亿百千光明与亿百千朵莲花，每一朵莲花上都坐着一位菩萨，所有人看了都不禁赞叹佛陀和菩萨的功德。
此时，世尊放出神足光来，照亮了整个人间，照亮了诸恒河沙剎土。
凡是看到佛光的天人，都得到了三昧定法，对佛道生起无比的信念。
这时，文殊菩萨看到钵了，马上用右手抓起，与无数个菩萨一同来到梵天上，手持饭钵献给佛陀。
世尊开口对舍利弗说：「舍利弗啊！让我告诉你一个无数劫前的故事：
从前，文殊菩萨是个叫慧王的比丘，他跟着一个叫勇莫能胜的佛修道。有一次，慧王比丘持钵来到一个城市，他得到了一钵百味饭后，便由城内往外走。
有个尊者的儿子名叫离垢王。那时离垢王的乳母正抱着他站在城门口，远远看见比丘拿着百味饭走过来，便从乳母怀中跑下来，追着比丘要那百味饭。
『比丘僧，比丘僧，给我点百味饭吃。』离垢王追在后面叫着。
慧王比丘立刻拿出甜蜜的饼给他吃。
『好甜、好香，好好吃喔！』离垢王边吃边跟着慧王比丘走，随比丘到了勇莫能胜佛的佛所，给佛叩头后便坐在一旁。
『孩子，你拿这钵饭去供养佛。』慧王比丘说。
离垢王照他的话去做了。勇莫能胜佛接到百味饭便吃，等他吃饱了，钵中还是满满的饭，像没吃过一样。
佛把这钵百味饭分给八万四千个比丘和一万二千个菩萨，他们个个都吃饱了，钵中还是满满的。
离垢王看了心里很欢喜，便说：『伟大的世尊，这真妙极了！』然后随慧王比丘受五戒，发起了无上菩提心。
就在离垢王跟着慧王比丘走后，他的乳母哭着追了半天也没有追上，便赶快回去告诉他的父母。离垢王的父母循着道路找到佛陀所在之地，恭敬顶礼后对佛陀说：
『尊贵的世尊，弟子有幸拜见您的慈容，承蒙您的恩德，我儿子平安无事。』
离垢王见到父母，高兴的说：『父亲！母亲！我现在已经得到菩萨法，我想要随佛陀出家做沙门。』
父母听了一阵欢喜，说：『儿子啊！我们也愿意随你入道。』
佛陀说到这里时，停了一会儿，又对众人说：「慧王比丘就是现在的文殊菩萨，那个小孩子离垢王就是我。久远以来，无数佛土中如我等不计其数的佛，都是因为文殊菩萨教化功德而发起入道修行的，其实我们都蒙受过文殊菩萨的恩德啊！』
Date: 08/16/2025 08/17/2025
Location: Star River Meditation Center
Teacher: Yunquan Huang
Dharma Talk
The Bowl That Flew Through the Sky
Long ago, in the heavenly realms, there were two hundred devas who aspired to cultivate the Way. Alas, their intentions were not firm, for they each harbored the thought of gaining the fruit through shortcuts. Influenced by one another, they all became fearful of the hardship of the Buddha-path and were unwilling to diligently cultivate the bodhisattva path. They even said:
“Why strive so arduously to learn the bodhisattva path? Better it is to follow the way of the Arhat or Pratyekabuddha and enter nirvāṇa directly!”
When Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva became aware of this, he thought to himself:
“These devas indeed have the capacity to accomplish the bodhisattva path, yet they shrink back out of fear of hardship. I must find a skillful means to instruct and transform them, to strengthen their resolve in cultivation.”
Having given rise to this compassionate thought, Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva transformed himself into a Kālayogin ascetic, carrying in his hands a bowl filled with rice of a hundred flavors. He then proceeded to Brahmā Heaven, where the World-Honored One was expounding the Dharma.
Arriving before the Buddha, he respectfully offered the bowl of rice, bowed in reverence with palms joined, and said:
“World-Honored One, it is now time to repay your great benevolence.”
Venerable Śāriputra, who stood nearby, asked in wonder:
“What do you mean by this?”
The Buddha replied:
“You will understand in due time. Simply observe.”
Saying thus, the Buddha cast the bowl from the heights of Brahmā Heaven. The bowl, filled with rice of a hundred flavors, drifted through countless buddha-lands, flying farther and farther, until it reached a buddha-land named Hui-āśa.
The Buddha of that land was called Radiant King (Prabhāvasvararāja). His attendant, seeing a bowl suspended in the sky, asked in surprise:
“What is the meaning of this?”
Radiant King Buddha replied:
“This bowl has flown here from Śākyamuni Buddha in Brahmā Heaven. Its purpose is to awaken and rescue those who, lacking steadfastness in the bodhisattva path, seek to turn back.”
Upon hearing these words, the attendants of Radiant King Buddha gave rise to firm faith in the Buddha-path.
Once the bowl descended from Brahmā Heaven, it vanished without trace. After some time had passed, the Buddha said to Śāriputra:
“Go now and retrieve the bowl.”
Śāriputra, using the power of wisdom and supernatural vision, searched everywhere but could not find it. Disheartened, he returned and reported:
“World-Honored One, I could not find the bowl.”
The Buddha then turned to Maudgalyāyana and said:
“You go and retrieve the bowl.”
Maudgalyāyana immediately employed his supernatural foot-power, flying through countless buddha-lands in search of the bowl. Yet after a long time, he too returned, crestfallen and empty-handed.
The World-Honored One then dispatched five hundred arhats to seek it, but none succeeded.
Seeing that even the assembly of arhats had failed, Maitreya Bodhisattva volunteered to go. But he too returned without success.
The Buddha then turned his gaze toward Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva and said:
“It is time for you to go.”
At that moment, Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva remained seated in meditative absorption. Entering the samādhi of Dharma, he extended his right hand toward the earth, and his body passed through countless buddha-lands.
All present saw, with utmost clarity, that from every hair pore on Mañjuśrī’s arm emanated hundreds of thousands of radiant lights and lotus blossoms. Upon each lotus sat a bodhisattva in meditation. All who beheld this scene were filled with praise and wonder at the merit of the Buddha and the bodhisattvas.
At that time, the World-Honored One emitted a radiant light from his foot, illuminating the entire world and countless buddha-lands as numerous as the grains of the Ganges.
All devas who saw the Buddha’s light entered deep samādhi and gave rise to unshakable faith in the path to buddhahood.
It was then that Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva beheld the bowl. Reaching out with his right hand, he grasped it and, together with countless bodhisattvas, ascended once more to Brahmā Heaven and offered the rice bowl to the World-Honored One.
The Buddha then turned to Śāriputra and said:
“Śāriputra, let me now tell you of an event from measureless eons ago:
In that time, Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva was a bhikṣu named Wisdom King. He practiced under a Buddha named Hero Unexcelled in Victory. One day, Wisdom King Bhikṣu entered a city on alms-round. After receiving a bowl of rice with a hundred flavors, he began to depart from the city.
At that time, there was a young boy named King Free of Defilement, the son of a noble elder. His wet nurse was holding him at the city gate when he saw the bhikṣu carrying the rice. The boy leapt down and ran after him, calling:
‘Bhikṣu! Bhikṣu! Give me some of that rice!’
Seeing his sincerity, Wisdom King Bhikṣu gave him a sweet, fragrant cake to eat. Delighted by its taste and aroma, the boy continued to follow him. They reached the Buddha Hero Unexcelled in Victory, where the boy bowed and sat to one side.
‘Child,’ said the bhikṣu, ‘take this bowl of rice and offer it to the Buddha.’
The boy did as he was instructed. The Buddha received the bowl and ate, yet the contents remained full, as though untouched.
He then distributed the rice among eighty-four thousand bhikṣus and twelve thousand bodhisattvas. All were satiated, yet the bowl remained full.
Seeing this, the boy rejoiced and exclaimed:
‘World-Honored One, this is truly marvelous!’
Thereafter, he received the five precepts from Wisdom King Bhikṣu and gave rise to the aspiration for supreme bodhi.”
The Buddha continued:
“After the boy followed the bhikṣu, his wet nurse searched and wept but could not find him. She returned to inform his parents, who traced the path and arrived at the Buddha’s location. After respectfully bowing, they said:
‘World-Honored One, we are honored to behold your noble countenance. Our son is safe and well under your care.’
Seeing his parents, the boy joyfully said:
‘Father! Mother! I have now received the bodhisattva Dharma. I wish to go forth as a śramaṇa under the Buddha!’
Hearing this, the parents were filled with joy and said:
‘Son, we too wish to follow you and enter the path!’”
At this point in his discourse, the Buddha paused briefly and then addressed the assembly:
“The bhikṣu Wisdom King is now Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva. That young boy, King Free of Defilement, is none other than myself.Through vast eons and countless buddha-lands, the Tathāgatas like myself, beyond number, have all aroused the aspiration for the path due to the transformative guidance and merit of Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva. In truth, we are all indebted to him.”
