时间：05/23/2026 05/24/2026
地点：星河禅修中心
主讲：黄云全
佛法修行
王舍城的由来
过去，在印度，有一位具有怪癖的国王，常喜欢以人肉为食，但是又怕这个癖好泄漏出去而王位难保，所以经常命令他的厨子：「你们趁夜半时，悄悄的出去，抓些人来烹煮给我吃。但是，要注意，不要泄漏行踪。」
日子久了，纸包不住火。宫中的大臣都知道国王为了自己的嗜好，竟然杀害子民，是这样的残忍不仁！大臣们共同商量之后，决定把食人肉的国王放逐到深山，并且推举一位贤明、仁慈的君子为王，称号是「信达王」。
被放逐到深山的食人王，非但不知悔改，更是变本加厉，生出邪恶可怕的想法，他向树神祷告祈求：
「伟大的树神啊！我愿意奉上最尊贵的国王五百人来祭祀您，请给我力量，助我恢复王位！」
食人王的身上竟然长出了翅膀，可以更快速找到他的目标。他用石头封住山谷的出口，把抓来的国王都关在谷里。很快地，谷里已经关有四百九十九位国王，只差一位就凑齐五百人了。这时，他看到正在池里沐浴的信达王，立刻俯冲下来，把信达王抓进山谷。
被抓到的信达王，神色安详，不像其他国王那样的惊恐。食人王不禁好奇地问：
「我抓到你就凑齐五百人了，你和其他人都要被杀来祭神，一个也不能幸免，你难道不怕吗？」
信达王回答：「世间的万物，本来就无常，都有败坏的时候；人也不离这个轨则，从出生以后，总有一天要面临死亡，这是理所当然的事；害怕并不能改变这个事实！只是我来这里之前，已经答应供养一位道人，可否请您让我去履行承诺，完成我的心愿，几天后我一定回来。」
食人王心想：我抓他是易如反掌的事，就成全他吧！于是，信达王回到宫中，打开皇库，不但供养道人，也对百姓大行布施，并宣布太子继承王位。一切都安排好之后，就依照约定的时间回到食人王的山谷里。
食人王看到信达王居然真的回来了，难以置信地问道：
「生命是世人最爱惜与不舍的，而你却为了信守承诺，宁愿回来送死。是什么道理要这样做？说给我听听。」
「这一切，我都是依照佛法所说的道理来作。」信达王回答。
「佛法到底说了那些道理？」
于是，慈悲的信达王将五戒、十善、四圣谛、十二因缘、六波罗蜜等种种道理，仔细讲述给食人王听；食人王的善根与佛性就这样被启发。心开意解的食人王，放下屠刀，发愿受持五戒，并放出囚禁的四百九十九位国王。
这四百九十九位国王，在生死的边缘走了一遭，感受到即使贵为国王也无法避免人命的无常。他们都被信达王的教化感动，为了报答救命之恩，都愿意追随信达王。
慈心广大的信达王，就为每一位国王盖一栋宫殿，并且供给奴仆、美食及一切生活所需。邻近的百姓蔚为奇观，于是，一传十、十传百，传遍了各个国家。最后，全天下的人都称此地为「王舍城」。
Date: 05/23/2026 05/24/2026
Location: Star River Meditation Center
Teacher: Yunquan Huang
Dharma Talk
The Origin of Rājagṛha
In the past, in India, there was a king of strange and perverse habits who delighted in eating human flesh. Fearing that this secret might be exposed and that his throne would be endangered, he often commanded his cooks:
“You must go out in the middle of the night, secretly capture people, and prepare them as food for me. But take care—your movements must not be discovered.”
As time passed, the truth could no longer be concealed. The ministers of the court all came to know that the king, for the sake of his own craving, was killing his own subjects—an act of extreme cruelty and inhumanity. After deliberating together, they decided to exile the cannibal king to the deep mountains. In his place, they enthroned a wise and benevolent ruler, giving him the title King Xinda.
The exiled cannibal king, far from repenting, grew even more depraved in his thoughts. He prayed to a tree spirit, saying:
“O great tree spirit! I vow to offer five hundred kings of the highest rank as a sacrifice to you. Grant me strength, that I may reclaim my throne!”
Thereupon, wings grew from his body, enabling him to move swiftly and seize his targets. He blocked the exits of a mountain valley with stones and confined the captured kings within it. Soon, he had imprisoned four hundred and ninety-nine kings. Only one more was needed to complete the number of five hundred.
At that time, he saw King Xinda bathing in a pool. Immediately he swooped down, seized him, and carried him into the valley.
When King Xinda was captured, his demeanor remained calm and composed, unlike the other kings, who were filled with terror. The cannibal king, curious, asked:
“I have now captured you and completed the number of five hundred. All of you are to be slain as offerings to the spirit—none will be spared. Are you not afraid?”
King Xinda replied:
“All things in the world are impermanent and subject to decay. Human beings are no exception. From the moment of birth, death is inevitable. Fear cannot alter this truth. Yet before I was brought here, I had made a promise to offer alms to a mendicant. May I be permitted to fulfill my vow? After a few days, I shall surely return.”
The cannibal king thought to himself, “To capture him again would be an easy matter,” and thus granted his request.
King Xinda returned to his palace. He opened the royal treasury, made offerings to the mendicant, and distributed alms generously to the people. He then proclaimed that the crown prince would succeed to the throne. Having arranged all matters, he returned at the appointed time to the valley of the cannibal king.
Seeing that King Xinda had indeed returned, the cannibal king was astonished and asked:
“Life is what people cherish most, yet you have come back willingly to face death in order to keep your word. What principle guides such conduct? Explain it to me.”
King Xinda answered:
“In all that I do, I follow the principles taught in the Buddha-Dharma.”
The cannibal king asked:
“What teachings does the Buddha-Dharma proclaim?”
Then King Xinda, filled with compassion, expounded in detail the teachings of the Five Precepts, the Ten Wholesome Deeds, the Four Noble Truths, the Twelvefold Dependent Origination, and the Six Pāramitās. Through this, the cannibal king’s wholesome roots and Buddha-nature were awakened. With his mind opened and understanding arising, he laid down his knife, vowed to uphold the Five Precepts, and released the four hundred and ninety-nine imprisoned kings.
These kings, having stood on the brink between life and death, realized that even kingship could not escape the impermanence of life. Deeply moved by the teachings and virtue of King Xinda, and wishing to repay the grace of their deliverance, they all expressed their willingness to follow him.
King Xinda, vast in compassion, built a palace for each of the kings and provided them with attendants, fine food, and all necessities of life. The neighboring people regarded this as a great marvel. The story spread from one to ten, from ten to a hundred, and soon throughout all lands. In time, people everywhere came to call that place “The City of Kings’ Abodes”—Rājagṛha.
