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【大樂說白佛言。世尊。我等亦欲見世尊分身諸佛。禮拜供養。】
供養，談到供養，這是佛教最要緊的。你要供養三寶佛、法、僧，供養佛、供養法、供養僧，佛法僧這叫三寶。為什麼我要供養三寶呢？三寶供養我，不是最便宜的事情，最好的啦！你覺得最好，實際上你是算錯賬，算錯了數了。你現在為什麼一切的事情不如意，就因為你沒有供養三寶，你現在為什麼想用錢也沒有錢用，想穿衣買件好衣也沒有錢，想住一個好房子也沒有，這都因為你不會供養三寶，所以福報一天就比一天薄了，你若供養三寶，則福報就一天比一天增加了。這個三寶是世間的良福田，是種福的一塊田地。
所以有這麼兩句話：「泥龍雖不能降雨，祈雨必須假泥龍」，用泥造的龍，牠不會下雨，但是你想要求雨（這是西方人沒有這種思想，中國人有這種思想，沒有下雨就要求雨。），到什麼地方去求雨？就到龍王廟，用泥造的那個龍王，到那兒去求雨，往往一求，果然就有雨，果然就很靈的。你若不到泥龍那兒求雨，這雨就不來，說那不管求不求，牠也會下雨。你這一種說法，好像是很合乎邏輯，但是你一定知道，求不求它也會下雨嗎？你也不知道。你不知道，這也是用一種思想，來想像中是這樣的，可是想像中的事情不一定是真的。
凡夫僧雖不能種福，可是求福必假凡僧，你想要求福，必須在三寶前來求福。你看一些富貴的人，就是因為他前生供養三寶，所得的福報就那麼大；我們今生很貧困，貧窮就因為不懂得供養三寶。有人說這個道理我有點不相信，那你來生還是一樣窮的，因為你不信。
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Great Delight in Speaking said to the Buddha, "World Honored One, we also wish to see the division bodies of the World Honored One so that we may bow to them and make offerings."
Commentary:
....and make offerings. This is very important. One makes offerings to the Triple Jewel--the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. One might think, why should one make offerings to the Triple Jewel? Wouldn't it be a better deal if the Triple Jewel made offerings to me? You may think it's a bargain, but you would really be getting the short end. Why, now, do you have such poor luck? It's because in the past you didn't make offerings to the Triple Jewel. Why are you always short of money--no money for some nice clothes or a decent place to live? It's because you didn't make offerings to the Triple Jewel. As a consequence, day by day your blessings grow thinner. If you make offerings to the Triple Jewel, your blessings will grow day by day. The Triple Jewel is the field of goodness and blessings for living beings. It is a place where living beings can plant blessings. There's a saying that goes:
Although a clay dragon can't bring rain,
If you want rain, you must seek it from a clay dragon.
Although the Common Sangha can't bring blessings,
If you seek blessings, you must seek them from the Common Sangha.
In China, when they need rain, they go to a Dragon King Temple and seek from the clay dragons. Usually it works! Probably you don't have this custom in the West. You may think, "It would have rained anyway!" But do you know for sure? Just how do you know it doesn't work? Your skepticism involves just as much guesswork as others' belief, you know. The ordinary members of the Sangha, that is, those who haven't certified to the fruit, can't bring blessings. However, if you are seeking blessings, you must seek them from the Common Sangha. People who have a lot of blessings in this life have gained them because in the past they made offerings to the Triple Jewel. People are poor because they did not make offerings to the Triple Jewel. I'm not so sure I believe this, you say. Okay, but next life you'll still be poor! It's your choice. |
