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歌利王說：「你盡騙女人可以，她們相信你，我才不相信你這一套呢！你能忍辱？真的？假的？」
這個老修行就說：「當然真的了！」「你說真的？我試驗試驗！」把身上的寶劍拔出來了，就把手給剁下來了一隻，說：「我現在把你手給剁下來，你瞋恨不瞋恨？」
這個老修行說：「我不瞋恨。」
「哦！好！你不瞋恨，你真有點本事，你盡打妄語，你心裏瞋恨，你口裏說不瞋恨，你來騙我！我是一個最聰明的人，你能騙得了我？」這歌利王又說：「好！你既然說你能忍辱，不生瞋恨，你那隻手啊，我也給你剁下來。」把那隻手也剁下。
又問：「你瞋恨不瞋恨？」
這個老修行說：「還是不瞋恨。」於是乎，他又拿著寶劍，把兩隻腳也給剁下了，這是剁其四肢。又問：「你瞋恨不瞋恨？」
這個老修行說：「我還不瞋恨。不單不瞋恨，我若成佛，還要先度你。」那麼佛發這個願。當時天龍八部、護法善神就發脾氣了，就下大雨。這個老修行說：「我不瞋恨你，有什麼證明呢？我若瞋恨你，我這個手、腳，就不能恢復如故了；我若沒有瞋恨心，我這個手腳啊，你雖然給我剁下來了，我還可以恢復如故。要是能恢復如故，像我原來的有手有腳，就證明我沒有瞋恨；我若有瞋恨，就不會這樣子了。」釋迦牟尼佛在因地，說過這個話之後，手腳果然又恢復如故。
這護法善神，一看歌利王這麼惡，把這個老修行四肢都給斷了，於是乎，就大顯神威，下雹子打這個歌利王。歌利王也知道厲害了，看老修行有這麼大的神通變化，於是乎跪到老修行面前求懺悔。
老修行就發願說：「我若不成佛啊，就沒有什麼可說的了。我若有一天成佛，我就先度你成佛。你若不開悟不成佛，我也不成佛。」因為這樣子，所以佛成佛了之後，就到鹿野苑去，先度憍陳如。這個老修行，就是釋迦牟尼佛；憍陳如就是歌利王。佛因為在往昔有這個願力──要度對他最不好的這個人。
我們聽見這一段公案，誰對我們愈不好，我們要發願成佛的時候要度他。不要「你對我這麼不好，等我成佛的時候，一定叫你下地獄！」不要發這種願。
佛到了鹿野苑，為五比丘三轉四諦法輪。這第一次說法就這麼說：「此是苦，逼迫性；此是集，招感性；此是道，可修性；此是滅，可證性。」這第一次說。
第二次說：「此是苦，我已知，不復更知；此是集，我已斷，不復更斷；此是道，我已修，不復更修；此是滅，我已證，不復更證。」這是第二轉。 |
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King Kali said, “You may have cheated my women into believing you, but I'll never believe you. You say you can be patient? Is that true?”
The old cultivator said, “Of course.”
“All right, I’m going to give you a test!” The King then drew his sword and chopped off the old cultivator's hand. He said, “I’ve just chopped off your hand. Do you hate me?”
The cultivator said, “No.”
“You don’t hate me? Then you really have some skill. But you must be lying. You just say you don't hate me, even though in your mind you do. You're lying! I'm a very smart person. You think you can fool me?” King Kali continued, “All right, since you claim you are patient and don't hate me, I'm going to chop off your other hand.”
After chopping off the cultivator's other hand, the King asked,
“How do you hate me?”
The old cultivator said, “No.”
The King then chopped off the cultivator's feet. Having hacked off the cultivator's four limbs, he asked,“Do you hate me?”
“No,” said the cultivator, “not only do I not hate you, but when I accomplish Buddhahood, I will save you first. How can I convince you that I don't hate you? If I hate you, my four limbs will not be restored, and if I don't hate you, my hands and feet will be restored, even though you have completely severed them from my body. If they are restored, then that will prove that I don't feel any hatred. If I feel any hatred, then that will not occur.” Whereupon the old cultivator became whole again.
Having witnessed King Kali hack off the cultivator's hands and feet in such a cruel manner, the Dharma-protecting spirits manifested their great supernatural power and pelted the King with a shower of hailstones. Realizing the severity of his offense and seeing the cultivator's great spiritual powers, King Kali knelt before the cultivator seeking forgiveness.
The cultivator said, “If I don't realize Buddhahood, there is nothing to be said. But if one day I do, I will save you first.” That is why the Buddha first went to the Deer Park to teach Ajnatakaundinya, who had been King Kali in a former life. Because of his past vow, the Buddha first wanted to save the person who had treated him the worst.
After hearing this story, we should all vow that after becoming Buddhas, we will first save those who treated us the worst. We shouldn't think, “You're been so mean to me. I'm going to send you to the hells after I become a Buddha.” Don't make that kind of vow.
When the Buddha went to the Deer Park, he spoke the three turnings of the Dharma Wheel of the Four Noble Truths for the five Bhikshus.
First he said:
This is suffering; it is oppressive.
This is the cause of suffering; it beckons.
This is the Way; it can be cultivated.
This is the cessation of suffering; it can be realized.
The second time he said,
This is suffering; I have completely known it.
This is the cause of suffering; I have completely eliminated it.
This is the Way; I have completely cultivated it.
This is the cessation of suffering; I have completely realized it. |
