时间：07/11/2026 07/12/2026
地点：星河禅修中心
主讲：黄云全
佛法修行
树神也来抢功德
佛陀的两大弟子，舍利弗尊者人称智慧第一，目犍连尊者则是神通第一，两人的感情很好，他们也都出家没多久便证得阿罗汉。有一天，舍利弗与目犍连两人相邀暂时离开僧团，独自去山里修禅定，两人都进入甚深的禅定里。第七天时目犍连出定了，就去看舍利弗，结果他看到舍利弗抱着肚子坐在那里。
当时，目犍连看着舍利弗在疼痛就说：“舍利弗啊！你在未出家前，你若是肚子痛的时候，你的母亲是怎么医治你的？”舍利弗说：“在还未出家之前，我母亲若是看我这么疼痛，她都会用蜂蜜加牛奶以及一种酥一起煮成粥给我喝，喝下去肚子渐渐就不痛了。”目犍连听了就说：“好吧！舍利弗，明天出去托钵时，我向施主请求看看是否有这种东西。”
当他们两位尊者在讲话的时候，外面一棵大树的树神听到了。这个树神在舍利弗和目犍连两位尊者在入定期间一直从旁护法，因为知道供养到刚出定的大阿罗汉功德无量的，现世就得大福报，所以树神听到舍利弗这么说，他想要来抢这个功德。
到了晚上，树神就附身在村长的儿子身上说：“村长，你赶快请你太太煮粥，用蜜和牛奶再加一种酥把它煮好，明天早上如果目犍连尊者来到你家，你赶快供养他，而且要煮两大碗，一碗供养目犍连，另一碗请目犍连尊者带回去供养舍利弗。如果你按照我的吩咐，我就会保佑你们。”村长一听，随即说：“好！我一定准备。”村长马上叫他太太立刻准备。
到了隔天早上，村长老早就站在村口等待，远远看到目犍连，就立刻跪了下去：“尊者！我煮了粥要供养尊者。”目犍连接过来一看，正是舍利弗要的牛奶和蜜的酥粥，马上就想赶回去拿给舍利弗。结果村长却拉住他说:“尊者！请您等一下，您一定要先喝完，喝完后，我另外准备一份让您带回去。”
那时，目犍连虽然心里觉得奇怪，昨天才说希望托钵时能讨些牛奶和蜜的粥，今天就马上碰到，而且又是这么的凑巧，只觉得不可思议。但目犍连也没有多想，就把那碗粥喝了下去，村长果真又供养了一碗，目犍连就用神通飞回去找舍利弗。
那时，舍利弗还抱着肚子坐着，目犍连赶紧把托钵得来的牛奶粥端给舍利弗，并且叙述了这件事的经过。舍利弗看着这碗粥时也觉得不可思议：为什么昨天才说的事，今天马上就有人供养呢？舍利弗冷静地思考，并用阿罗汉的神通入定观察这碗粥是怎么来的：原来是他们昨天出定时所说的话被树神听到了，而且树神用了不正当的手段附身在村长儿子身上，因此今天目犍连才能得到这碗粥。
那时，舍利弗就把那碗粥端给目犍连，并且告诉目犍连：“这碗粥不可以吃！这是邪命取财得来的，我宁可肚子痛，痛得肝肠寸断，也不要破坏佛陀所制定的活命戒，这种邪命取财而来的食物我不能吃。”
目犍连听舍利弗这么一说，也觉得惭愧，就起身把那碗粥拿去倒掉，当目犍连把那碗粥倒掉的同时，舍利弗的肚子痛就停止了。从那时起，到舍利弗进入涅槃前的四十五年期间，他就不再有肚子疼了。
Date: 07/11/2026 07/12/2026
Location: Star River Meditation Center
Teacher: Yunquan Huang
Dharma Talk
Even a Tree Spirit Seeks to Claim Merit
Among the Buddha’s two foremost disciples, Venerable Śāriputra was known as foremost in wisdom, and Venerable Maudgalyāyana as foremost in spiritual powers. The two shared a deep friendship, and not long after going forth, both attained Arhatship. One day, they agreed to temporarily leave the Saṅgha and go into the mountains to cultivate meditation. There, both entered profound meditative absorption.
On the seventh day, Maudgalyāyana emerged from samādhi and went to see Śāriputra. He found him sitting while holding his abdomen in pain.
Seeing this, Maudgalyāyana said:
“Śāriputra, before you left the household life, when you suffered from stomach pain, how did your mother treat you?”
Śāriputra replied:
“In the past, when my mother saw me in such pain, she would cook a porridge made of honey, milk, and ghee for me. After drinking it, the pain would gradually subside.”
Hearing this, Maudgalyāyana said:
“Very well. Tomorrow, when I go out for alms, I shall request from the donors to see whether such food may be obtained.”
As the two venerable ones spoke, a tree spirit dwelling in a great tree nearby overheard their conversation. During the time when Śāriputra and Maudgalyāyana had been in meditation, this spirit had been protecting them. Knowing that making offerings to great Arhats who had just emerged from samādhi would bring immeasurable merit and immediate blessings, the tree spirit desired to seize this opportunity.
That very night, the tree spirit possessed the body of the village headman’s son and said:
“Village headman, quickly instruct your wife to prepare porridge made with honey, milk, and ghee. Tomorrow morning, if Venerable Maudgalyāyana comes to your house, you must offer it to him. Prepare two large bowls—one for him to consume, and the other for him to take back to Śāriputra. If you follow my instructions, I shall protect and bless you.”
Upon hearing this, the village headman replied:
“Very well, I shall prepare it at once.”
He immediately instructed his wife to make the porridge.
The next morning, the headman stood early at the entrance of the village, waiting. From afar, he saw Maudgalyāyana approaching and at once knelt down, saying:
“Venerable one, I have prepared porridge as an offering for you.”
Maudgalyāyana received it and saw that it was precisely the honey, milk, and ghee porridge Śāriputra had mentioned. He immediately thought of returning swiftly to bring it to Śāriputra. However, the headman held him back and said:
“Venerable one, please wait. You must first consume this bowl. After you have finished, I will prepare another for you to take back.”
At that moment, Maudgalyāyana found it strange. Only the day before had he thought of seeking such porridge, and now it appeared so promptly and coincidentally. Yet he did not reflect further. He consumed the bowl, and as promised, the headman offered another. Maudgalyāyana then used his spiritual powers to swiftly return to Śāriputra.
Śāriputra was still seated, holding his abdomen in pain. Maudgalyāyana presented the porridge and recounted all that had occurred.
Śāriputra, upon seeing the porridge, also found it extraordinary. Why was it that something spoken only the day before had been so quickly fulfilled? He calmly reflected and, entering meditative absorption with the knowledge of an Arhat, investigated the origin of the porridge. He saw that their conversation had been overheard by a tree spirit, and that the spirit had used improper means by possessing the village headman’s son, thus bringing about this offering.
Śāriputra then handed the porridge back to Maudgalyāyana and said:
“This porridge must not be consumed. It has been obtained through improper means of livelihood. I would rather endure this pain, even to the point of my entrails being torn apart, than violate the precepts established by the Buddha. Food acquired through wrong means I cannot accept.”
Hearing this, Maudgalyāyana felt ashamed. He rose and poured the porridge away. At the very moment he discarded it, Śāriputra’s abdominal pain ceased entirely. From that time until Śāriputra entered Nirvāṇa, for forty-five years thereafter, he never again suffered from such pain.
