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聲聞眾僧，不論女男；
四諦觀行，隱實示權。
釋迦牟尼佛成佛之後，先說了《華嚴經》，沒有人聽。以後就「為實施權」，說《阿含經》。要對誰說呢？一觀察：「我以前那五個同參，護我法那五個人，應該先去度他們去。為什麼要先去度他們呢？因為在往昔我發了這個願：我若成佛了，就要先度譭謗我的那個人、殺我的那個人、對我最不好的那個人，我要先去度他去。」誰對佛最不好呢？你們有沒有人看過《金剛經》？《金剛經》裏談到有個歌利王。釋迦牟尼佛在因地做忍辱仙人的時候，他修行，這個歌利王就把老修行的身體給割了。為什麼割他身體呢？
因為釋迦牟尼佛在往昔修道，是個老修行；身上的塵土，修得也很厚，也不下山，在那兒用苦功、修苦行。那麼歌利王呢，他就帶著一些個宮娥、綵女、妃嬪，他這一些個太太、皇后都帶去了。帶去做什麼呢？到那兒打獵去。打獵就是打這些獐麃野鹿啦，打這些個東西。這一些個女人也都跟他去，但是女人就很好玩的，就不跟著他去打獵。到山上去，看見那兒有一個不知道是什麼的？因為眉毛有三寸那麼長，頭髮有兩尺那麼長；臉啊，從來也沒有洗過，就好像塵土，很厚的。衣服上塵土，最低限度大約也有一寸那麼厚。這一些個女人見到這樣子一個不認識的東西，就說：「啊！這是個妖怪！這是個妖怪！我們快走啦！」這個老修行就說：「妳們不要走，我不是個妖怪。」她們一聽，說：「咦！他會說話！」於是乎，有的膽大的就說：「你在這兒幹什麼呢？」「我在這兒修行啊！」「怎麼叫修行呢？」說：「我修行想要成佛。」他就給這一些女人說法。說了之後，這一些個女人就對他很有好感了，說：「你在這兒太苦了，你都吃什麼啊？」
他說：「我吃的就是草根、樹葉之類的，有什麼就吃什麼，我也不到下邊的人間去找吃的東西。」這些女人，時間一久，也就都不怕他了。這個去摸摸他的眉毛，那個又去摸摸他的手，那個又去碰一碰他的面。這麼樣子，就好像見到一個很心愛的什麼物件，就都想要接近這個老修行。
那麼歌利王各處去打圍回來了，找他這些個女人。一看，這些個女人都圍在那個地方；這歌利王就要看看這些個女人都在那兒幹什麼的？他就走路很輕的，慢慢、慢慢走，慢慢、慢慢走。走到這兒一看，他這些個太太啊、皇后啊，和這兒有很奇怪的這麼一個人在講話呢！這個也摸摸手，那個也摸摸腳的，很不守規矩的樣子。啊！他就生出一種妒忌心了；就在那兒聽聽，聽他講什麼。啊！說是講修行，在這兒講修道。
歌利王就發脾氣了，說：「你啊！不要在這兒騙女人了！你修的什麼道啊？」老修行說：「我修的是忍辱。」問：「什麼叫忍辱啊？」說：「就是誰罵我、誰打我，我也不生瞋恨心。」
待續
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Verse:
The Shravaka disciples,
Both men and women,
Contemplate and practice the Four Noble Truths,
Concealing the real and displaying the expedient.
After Shakyamuni became a Buddha, he first spoke the Avatamsaka Sutra, which very few beings were able to understand. He then “concealed the true and offered the expedient teaching,” and he spoke the Agama Sutras. “Whom should I teach?” the Buddha wondered. Then he recalled, “Previously I had five fellow- cultivators who supported my practice. I should teach them first, because in the past I vowed that when I became a Buddha, I would first teach those who have slandered me, killed me, or treated me badly.” Who had treated the Buddha the worst? If you’ve read the Vajra Sutra, you’ll know about King Kali. On the causal ground, when Shakyamuni Buddha was cultivating as a patient immortal, King Kali had chopped off the limbs of his body. Why?
In that previous life, Shakyamuni Buddha was a skilled cultivator. His body was covered with a thick layer of dust and dirt, and he never went down the mountain. He remained there cultivating ascetic practices. One day King Kali took his concubines-his wives-along on a deer hunt. The women accompanied him into the mountains, but had no interest in hunting with the King. They wanted to have fun on their own. While strolling around in the mountains, they came upon a strange creature. They weren’t quite sure what it was. Its eyebrows were three inches long and its hair was two feet long. Its face seemed to have never been washed, for the dirt caked on it was extremely thick. The dirt on its clothing was at least an inch thick. When these women saw it, they couldn't figure out what it was. They said,“It's a monster! Let's get out of here!”
Then the cultivator said, “You don't have to leave; I'm not a monster.
“It can speak!” they gasped. One of the braver ones asked him, “What are you doing here?”
He replied, “I'm cultivating.”
She asked, “What do you mean by ‘ultivating’?”
He said, “I'm cultivating in order to become a Buddha.” Then he taught them the Dharma.
The women grew friendlier and expressed their concern, “You endure so much difficulty here. What do you eat?”
He answered, “I eat whatever there is-roots and leaves. I don’t go out asking for food from people.”
By that time the women's fears vanished. One of them reached out to touch his eyebrows; another touched his hands, and yet a third patted his face. They viewed the cultivator as something precious and tried to get closer to him.
Meanwhile, King Kali had finished hunting and was looking for his concubines. He found them all gathered around something and tried to see what they were up to. He worked his way slowly toward them, not making a sound, and when he was close enough he saw them talking with a very strange man. What is more, one was touching his hands and another was patting his feet! Seeing them acting so friendly, the King immediately grew jealous. The cultivator was talking to his women about cultivation.
In a rage, the King bellowed, “You have no business cheating my women! What are you cultivating?”
The cultivator replied, “I'm cultivating patience.”
“And what do you mean by ‘patience’?”
“I will not become angry at anyone who scolds or beats me.”
To be contiued |
