前期提示: 勤求於大法
「亦不為己身」：他不是為自己，「及以五欲樂」：或者為求五欲樂。或者自私，或者自利，他說為我自己；不是的，他不是為自己，也不是為了求五欲樂。五欲樂就是財、色、名、食、睡，和色、身、香、味、觸，這都叫五欲。「故為大國王」：所以他雖然做一個大國王，「勤求獲此法」：雖然做大國王的身，而且還勤求大乘法，所以才得到這種大乘法。如果他說：「喔！我是個國王啊！你應該把法送給我。」那他就得不著了。他雖然是國王的身份，還要去做工人，給人家去做奴婢去。「遂致得成佛」：他因為有這種懇切至誠的心，一點也沒有我相，所以才可以成佛。「今故為汝說」：我現在把我過去修道的經過，和行菩薩道的情形，來告訴你們各位聽一聽。
佛告諸比丘。爾時王者。則我身是。時仙人者。今提婆達多是。
「佛告諸比丘」：這釋迦牟尼佛說完了前面這個偈頌之後，又告訴所有的比丘。這所有的比丘，就包括比丘尼、優婆塞、優婆夷，都在這裏邊了，不過舉出諸比丘來做代表。「爾時王者」：在過去無量劫，把那個國家也捨了，把所有的珠寶也都捨了，把權力交給太子了，跟著阿私仙去做奴僕、做工人，來服侍阿私仙的國王，你知道是哪一個啊？「則我身是」：就是我釋迦牟尼佛啊！我在過去做國王的時候，我就這樣子為佛法來給阿私仙做工人呢！「時仙人者」：在當時的阿私仙人，你知道是誰啊？「今提婆達多是」：就是現在這個提婆達多。提婆達多是梵語，翻譯過來的意思，叫什麼？有人記得嗎？（弟子：hot heaven）「提婆」翻譯成「天」，「達多」就翻譯「熱」，所以就是天熱，不是你熱，也不是我熱，是天熱了。阿私仙就是現在的提婆達多。
還不錯，我講〈提婆達多品〉，有人還記得「提婆達多」的意思。而提婆達多，在過去世是釋迦牟尼佛的善知識，也就是釋迦牟尼佛的師父。他教釋迦牟尼佛《妙法蓮華經》，釋迦牟尼佛就給他來做工人、做侍者，才得到無上的妙法。那麼在釋迦牟尼佛的本生，就是今生的時候，這提婆達多又不做善知識了。他做什麼？做釋迦牟尼佛的惡知識，專門來反對釋迦牟尼佛。你看！他有一生做善知識，在釋迦牟尼佛成佛了，又做惡知識。
釋迦牟尼佛有五百個弟子，提婆達多把他五百個弟子都給搶去了；到這兒，他也顯神通，把這五百個徒弟都給迷住了，就跟著他去修道去了。
待續 |
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SUTRA TEXT FROM LAST ISSUE: I diligently sought the Great Dharma...
Sutra:
And not for my own sake, Or for the pleasures of the five desires.
Thus as king of a great realm, I diligently sought to obtain this Dharma,
And accordingly achieved Buddhahood, And now I speak it to you.
Commentary:
And not for my own sake,/ he wasn't doing it for himself, Or for the pleasures of the five desires/ neither in seeking the five desires, nor out of selfishness, nor for self-benefit. He's emphasizing: if you think it's for my own sake, it isn't. Nor is it for the sake of seeking pleasures of the Five Desires, which are defined either as wealth, sex, fame, food, and sleep or as forms, sounds, smells, tastes, and touch. Thus as king of a great realm,/ even though he was a powerful ruler, I diligently sought to obtain this Dharma,/ In this existence he was a mighty king; further, he diligently sought the Great Vehicle Dharma, and so that is why he was able to attain the Great Vehicle Dharma. If he had said,“Hey! I am the king of this country and so you should give me the Dharma!” then he wouldn't have attained it. Even though he was a king, he still had to do hard labor, he had to act as a servant. And accordingly achieved Buddhahood./ That's how he was able to become a Buddha. And now I speak it to you./ Now I have come to tell you about my experiences in cultivating the Way and the circumstances involved in practicing the Bodhisattva Way.
Sutra:
The Buddha told the Bhikshus, “The king was I, myself, in a previous life and the seer was the present Devadatta.”
Commentary:
The Buddha told the Bhikshus,/ After Shakyamuni Buddha finished speaking that verse, he told the Bhikshus something else. The term “Bhikshus” also includes Bhikshunis, Upasakas, and Upasikas. The word “Bhikshus” is used to represent them all. “The king” who in a distant eon past renounced his country and family, gave away all his jewels and treasures, and turned over his power and authority to the crown prince so that he could become the servant of the seer Asita and do hard labor--do you know who he was? He was I, myself in a previous life./ He was I, Shakyamuni Buddha. In the past when I was a king, for the sake of the Buddhadharma, I acted as a servant for the seer Asita. It was I. And the seer/ Who was the seer at that time? Do you know? He was the present Devadatta. Devadatta is a Sanskrit name which is translates as “Hot Heaven,” deva means heaven and datta means hot. It's not that you are hot or I am hot, it's heaven that's hot. And so the seer Asita was the present Devadatta.
Not bad! Now, as I'm explaining the Devadatta Chapter, there are still people who can remember the meaning of Devadatta's name. In the past, Devadatta was Shakyamuni Buddha's Good and Wise Advisor, he was the Buddha's teacher. He explained the Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra for Shakyamuni Buddha. Shakyamuni Buddha did hard labor for him, acting as his servant, in order to attain this unsurpassed wonderful Dharma. But in his life as Shakyamuni Buddha, Devadatta was no longer a Good and Wise Advisor. What had he become? He was an evil advisor! He continually opposed Shakyamuni Buddha. You see? In that previous life he was a Good and Wise Advisor, but in the life when Shakyamuni Buddha realized Buddhahood, Devadatta was his evil advisor.
Devadatta enticed five hundred of Shakyamuni Buddha's disciples to follow him instead. He displayed spiritual penetrations that capitivated the five hundred, who then went off to cultivate the Way under him.
To be continued |
