「釋迦牟尼佛所」，我們要到釋迦牟尼佛那個地方去，並供養多寶佛塔，如來佛塔，我們還要供養供養這個多寶如來那個寶塔，因為多寶如來在過去發願，他要去有講《法華經》的地方，他就要現出他的多寶塔去聽《法華經》。我們現在，十方諸佛都應該去供養這個多寶如來這個寶塔。
釋迦牟尼佛，為甚麼他出家修行，就因為看見這個世界上這麼多的苦，生的時候也是苦，死的時候也是苦，這個苦苦無盡，所以，他先遊四門見生老病死苦這種情形，他就想要找一個了苦的方法，來把這苦了了，所以就出家修行成佛。成佛之後才真正地了苦，真正地得樂。
講到這個地方，我要講一個因果的事給大家聽聽，還講一講誌公祖師。誌公祖師就是寶誌禪師，他的爸爸媽媽大約是鷹。因為有一個老和尚晚間聽一個小孩子叫苦，小孩子一哭的時候，就不會說出來，只會說苦啊！苦啊！苦啊！苦啊！你聽小孩子一哭的時候就是呱！呱！呱！的這麼叫。一位老和尚就聽見一個小孩子在鷹的窩裡頭那麼叫，於是乎，第二天就到鷹的窩裡頭去看一看，在鷹的窩裡果然就有個小孩子，長得是人的樣子，但是手呢！卻是鷹爪。他就把小孩抱回來，可是這兩隻大鷹就來和他搶，不過這個老和尚是有功夫，就把這兩隻大鷹打跑了。於是他就養那個小孩子，從小老和尚就教他修行用功，小孩子修行是最容易開悟的，他就得了五眼六通，所以以後就做了一位高僧。在梁武帝的時候，有人有甚麼喜慶的事情就請和尚去給念經。當時有一個有錢人就請誌公禪師去念經。他到那兒一看，他就說，這個故事我講過很多次，還有很多人沒有聽見，我今天講是給沒有聽見的聽，你已經聽過的，你可以把耳朵塞住不要聽，沒有聽過的，聽一個新鮮的，但是翻譯的人不可以塞耳朵。
那麼他一看就說：「古古怪，怪怪古」中國人說很古怪，很古怪就是也和奇怪差不多。怎樣古怪法呢？怎樣怪古法呢？他說「孫孫娶祖母」，他說，啊，真奇怪，這樣的事情都有，什麼事情呢？孫子又把他祖母娶過來做太太了，這叫孫孫娶祖母，怎樣呢？這個祖母臨死的時候，牽著他孫子的手就說：這個家庭裡我甚麼事情都放下了，我心裡都不掛著了，唯獨就是這個小孫子這麼小，將來誰來保護他呢？誰來幫助他長大呢？啊！他怎麼辦呢？我真是放不下這個孫子，就這一念之間放不下這個孫子，牽著孫子的手就死了，死的時候到閻羅王那邊，閻羅王一看，說你這個情感這麼豐富，對你這個孫子都放不下，好了，你回去給他做太太幫著他去治理家務啦！於是乎把這個祖母給派回來，又給這孫子做太太了。你看這世界，在六道輪迴裡頭，祖母又給孫子做太太，就因為她太愛她的孫子。所以誌公和尚說：「古古怪，怪怪古，孫子娶祖母。」
又往廚房一看，又說「女食母之肉」，這一個小女孩子在那兒拿著一個豬手在吃，大約有六、七歲的小女孩吃這個豬蹄子。他一看這個豬蹄子就是她母親，死後投生去做豬，那麼現在這隻豬蹄子就是她的女兒在吃呢！又往鼓樂棚，就是在門口搭一個棚奏樂的地方，他一看，說「子打父皮鼓」，一看，孩子打那個鼓，那張皮就是他父親投生做這隻驢，然後把這張驢皮做這個鼓，他兒子現在正在打。
又往炕上看一看，說「豬羊炕上坐」，就是床上坐，他們以前所吃的那些豬羊，現在都變成人，又和他們做六親眷屬，啊，恭賀他來了。往肉鍋裡一看，說「六親鍋裡煮」，六親都在鍋裡面煮著呢！因為他們以前的六親都變成豬了，現在被人殺了放在鍋裡面煮，給這些豬羊來吃，所以說六親鍋裡煮。
「眾人來賀喜」，大家來了，你也說，你大喜囉，你娶媳婦大喜了，那個人說你娶媳婦大喜了，來道喜。「我看真是苦」，我看這完全是苦，你們看這是不是苦？你們大家看這是不是苦？你要知道是苦，趕快修行，你要不知道是苦，可以在這個裡頭轉幾轉再說。
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...the place of Shakyamuni Buddha, "We should all go to Shakyamuni Buddha's place and make offerings to the Stupa of the Thus Come One Many Jewels. In the past, Many Jewels Thus Come One made a vow that he would appear in his Stupa wherever the
Dharma Flower Sutra was being spoken. So now we, all the Buddhas of the ten directions, should go make offerings to the Stupa of Many Jewels Thus Come One."
Why did Shakyamuni Buddha leave the home-life to cultivate the Way? It was because he saw how much suffering there is in the world. There is suffering at birth, suffering at death, and all kinds of suffering without end. So after seeing the sufferings of birth, old age, sickness and death while strolling outside the four gates, he decided to find a way to end suffering. That is why he left the home-life, cultivated, and realized Buddhahood. Only when he became a Buddha did he truly attain bliss.
Now this reminds me of a story of cause and effect that l want to tell everyone. I'll also talk about Patriarch Jr Gung, also known as Dhyana Master Bau Jr. His parents were probably eagles, because one night, an old monk heard a young child wailing, "Ku!" (Ku means suffering in Chinese.) When a child cries, he will not talk; he can only cry, "Ku, ku, ku, ku!" When you hear children cry, that's what it sounds like. So this old monk heard a child crying like this in an eagles' nest, and the next day when he went to take a look, there was indeed a child up there. The child looked human, but he had eagle's claws instead of hands! As the monk carried the child to take it back, the two big eagles came to contend with him. However, the monk had some skill and managed to drive them off. Then he raised the child and taught him to cultivate diligently. It is very easy for children who cultivate to get enlightened, and so he attained the five eyes and six penetrations, and later on became a high Sanghan. In the time of the Emperor Wu of Lyang, it was customary for people to invite monks to recite the Sutras on occasions of celebration. At that time, a wealthy person asked Dhyana Master Bau Jr to recite Sutras. I've told this story many times. But a lot of people have never heard it, so today I'll tell it to those who haven't heard it before. lf you've already heard it before, you can plug up your ears and not listen. Those who haven't heard it can now hear something new. However, the translator cannot plug up his ears.
When Dhyana Master Bau Jr got there, he took a look and said, "Strange indeed, strange indeed!" What was so strange? He said, "The grandson marries the grandmother!" "How strange! How can this be? The grandson is taking his grandmother to be his wife." When she was about to die, the grandmother had held her little grandson's hand and said, "I have put down all the family affairs, and have no worries left, except one: my little grandson is so young. Who will take care of him, and help him as he grows up? Oh, what should he do? I really can't let go of my little grandson!" In the space of this one thought of not being able to give up her grandson, she died while holding his hand, and went to see King Yama. King Yama took one look and said, "You have such strong emotion, that you cannot even put down this grandson of yours! Okay, you can go back and be his wife and help him take care of the family." Thereupon, he sent the grandmother back to be the wife of her grandson. Take a look at this world, turning in the wheel of rebirth! The grandmother becomes the grandson's wife, just because she loved her grandson too much. That's why Dhyana Master Jr Gung said, "Strange indeed, strange indeed! The grandson marries the grandmother!"
Then he took a look in the kitchen and said: "The daughter eats her mother's flesh!" A little girl six or seven years old was there eating some pig's feet, and Dhyana Master Bau Jr saw at once that it was her mother, who had been reborn as a pig after she died. And now the pig's feet were being eaten by her daughter! Then he took one look at the band by the doorway, and said, "The son beats on his father's skin." He saw a boy beating a drum, made of the skin of a donkey, which was a reincarnation of his father.
Then he looked over to the kang and said, "Pigs and sheep are sitting on the
kang.'' that is, sitting on the brick-bed. The pigs and sheep that had been eaten in the past had become people, and were now relatives who had come to offer congratulations. Looking into the pot of meat stew, he said, "The six types of relatives are cooking in the pot." This is because their relatives in former lives had been reborn as pigs and were now being stewed in the pot, to be eaten by these pigs and sheep who are now people.
"Everyone comes to offer congratulations." You say, "Congratulations! Now you have a new wife!" He also says, "Congratulations on your new wife!"
"But I see that it's really suffering!" I see it entirely as suffering. Do you all see it as suffering? lf you understand that it is suffering, then you should hurry up and cultivate. If you don't think it's suffering, just turn around a few more times on the wheel of rebirth, and then we'll see.
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