时间：03/23/2024 03/24/2024
地点：星河禅修中心
主讲：黄云全
佛法修行
金缕衣的布施
有一次，佛陀来到故乡迦毗罗卫城游化，住在城南的尼拘律园精舍中。
一天，佛陀的姨妈摩诃波阇波提，拿一件亲手缝制的崭新金缕黄色衣，要布施给佛陀。
佛陀告诉她说：
「瞿昙女！这件衣服应该布施给僧众。布施给僧众，便是供养了我，也供养了僧众。」
但是，摩诃波阇波提再三地执意要佛陀收下，佛陀也再三地要她布施给僧众。
这时，站在佛陀后面，执扇搧佛的尊者阿难说：
「世尊！请您收下吧。世尊！摩诃波阇波提瞿昙女照顾您很多，既是您的姨妈，又是您的奶妈与养母，世尊在生母过世后，就是由她哺乳养育您长大的啊。」
「是啊，阿难！摩诃波阇波提瞿昙女确实照顾我很多，在我母亲过世后，养育我长大。
阿难！摩诃波阇波提瞿昙女也因为我的缘故，皈依了佛、法、僧众，不疑三宝，不疑苦、集、灭、道，离杀、盗、淫、妄、酒，成就了信、戒、施、闻、慧。如果一个人想要以终身礼敬与供养生活所需用品的方式，来报答让自己皈依佛、法、僧众的恩人之恩泽，那是报答不了的。
再者，阿难！能布施十四种个别众生，有大功德，大福报。这十四种是：如来、辟支佛、阿罗汉、向阿罗汉、阿那含、向阿那含、斯陀含、向斯陀含、须陀洹、向须陀洹、离欲外道、精进的修行人、一般人、畜生。阿难！如果布施给畜生，可得到的福报大小为一百，那么，布施一般人为一千，布施精进的修行人为十万，布施离欲外道为十万亿，布施向须陀洹到阿罗汉的圣者，则为无量，布施辟支佛也是无量，更何况是布施如来了。
再者，阿难！对七类僧众的布施，有大功德，大福报，即使僧众中可能杂有不精进、有名无实的恶比丘，也一样有大功德，大福报。这七类是：一、布施如来在世时的比丘、比丘尼僧众。二、布施如来入灭不久后的比丘、比丘尼僧众。三、只布施比丘众。四、只布施比丘尼众。五、指名特定的比丘众、比丘尼众。六、指名特定的比丘众。七、指名特定的比丘尼众。
阿难！布施给任何特定的个人，所得的功德与果报，再怎样也不会大于布施给僧众的。
再者，阿难！有四种布施：一、由行善法的清净施者，布施给行恶法的邪恶受者。此类布施，因施者而清净。二、由行恶法的邪恶施者，布施给行善法的清净受者，此类布施，因受者而清净。三、由行恶法的邪恶施者，布施给行恶法的邪恶受者，此类布施，施者、受者都不清净。四、由行善法的清净施者，布施给也行善法的清净受者，此类布施，施者、受者都清净。」
Date: 03/23/2024 03/24/2024
Location: Star River Meditation Center
Teacher: Yunquan Huang
Dharma Talk
The Offering of the Gold-Threaded Robe
Once, the Buddha came to his homeland of Kapilavastu and resided in the Jetavana Monastery in the south of the city.
One day, Buddha’s aunt, Mahaprajapati, brought a new, hand-sewn yellow robe embroidered with gold, intending to offer it to the Buddha.
The Buddha told her:
“Gautami woman! This robe should be offered to the Sangha. Offering to the Sangha is equivalent to offering to me, and also to the Sangha.”
However, Mahaprajapati insisted that the Buddha accept it, and the Buddha also repeatedly urged her to offer it to the Sangha.
At that moment, standing behind the Buddha, the venerable Ananda, who was fanning the Buddha, said:
“World-Honored One! Please accept it. World-Honored One! MahaprajapatiGautami has taken great care of you. She is not only your aunt but also your nurse and foster mother. After your birth mother passed away, it was she who breastfed and raised you.”
“Yes, Ananda! MahaprajapatiGautami indeed took great care of me and raised me after my mother’s death.
Ananda! MahaprajapatiGautami also took refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha because of me, without doubting the Three Jewels, without doubting suffering, its origin, cessation, and the path, and she abstains from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, and intoxicants, achieving faith, precepts, generosity, hearing, and wisdom. If a person wishes to repay the kindness of the one who led them to take refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha with lifelong respect and offering of necessities, it is impossible to fully repay.
Furthermore, Ananda! There is great merit and fortune in making offerings to fourteen kinds of individual beings. These fourteen are: Tathagata, Pratyekabuddha, Arhat, those on the path to Arhatship, Anagami, those on the path to Anagami, Sakadagami, those on the path to Sakadagami, Sotapanna, those on the path to Sotapanna, ascetics free from desire, diligent practitioners, ordinary people, and animals. Ananda! If the merit gained from offering to animals is a hundred, then offering to ordinary people is a thousand, to diligent practitioners is a hundred thousand, to ascetics free from desire is a trillion, to the noble ones from Sotapanna to Arhat is immeasurable, as is offering to a Pratyekabuddha, and what more for offering to a Tathagata.
Moreover, Ananda! There is great merit and fortune in making offerings to seven types of monastic communities, even if there might be lazy, hypocritical bad monks mixed within, the merit and fortune are still great. These seven types are: one, monks and nuns during the Tathagata’s lifetime. Two, Monks and nuns shortly after the Tathagata’s Parinirvana. Three, offering to a community of monks only. Four, offering to a community of nuns only. Five, offering to a specified community of monks and nuns. Six, offering to a specified community of monks. Seven, offering to a specified community of nuns.
Ananda! The merit and result obtained from making offerings to any specific individual, no matter how great, will never surpass the merit from offering to the Sangha.
Furthermore, Ananda! There are four types of giving: one, from a pure donor practicing good deeds to an impure recipient practicing evil deeds. This giving is pure because of the donor. Two,from an impure donor practicing evil deeds to a pure recipient practicing good deeds. This giving is pure because of the recipient. Three, from an impure donor practicing evil deeds to an impure recipient practicing evil deeds. This giving is impure for both the donor and the recipient. Four, from a pure donor practicing good deeds to a pure recipient also practicing good deeds. This giving is pure for both the donor and the recipient.”
