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阿修羅王為什麼和大梵天王來作戰呢？因為阿修羅王有個女兒，生得很靚很美麗的；廣東話叫靚，就是美麗。玉帝就是帝釋天，一看這個修羅女這麼美麗，於是乎就向修羅王求婚；修羅王就把他這個修羅女給帝釋天做太太。可是這個修羅女非常之妒忌，非常自私。帝釋天喜歡聽佛法，有法師講經，他就去聽。這個修羅女一看帝釋天走了，就生了一種妒忌心，以為你大概是和我結婚之後就不愛我了，你現在大約又是出去胡混，各處去找女人去了，就生了一種妒忌心。
有一天，她就跟著帝釋天後邊追他的蹤，秘密調查他的去處。她看見帝釋天到講經法會就坐到那個地方；這個法會裏邊有很多女人，她一看就生妒忌心了，一生妒忌心，就現形了。帝釋天一看，說：「妳幹什麼來的？」她說：「你跑到這個地方玩女人，你還不叫我來？」帝釋天就打她一個嘴巴，又叫耳光；打了她一巴掌，這修羅女就哭起來了，於是乎就跑回去，對修羅王就講：「這個帝釋天現在不守規矩，各處去找女人胡混，我去找他去，他還打我。」修羅王一聽，也發起來脾氣了，要和他作戰，把帝釋天的位子、權力給搶過來，於是乎就發出修羅兵、修羅將，一切的修羅，和帝釋天作戰。
可是一作戰，怎麼樣呢？修羅的兵屢戰屢勝，帝釋天和四大天王、梵王，合起來整個的力量也打不過這個修羅王。於是乎帝釋天就到佛這個地方去求救，說是怎麼辦呢？這個修羅王和我們作戰，我們也打不贏他？釋迦牟尼佛告訴帝釋天，你回去叫你的所有的兵將都念「摩訶般若波羅蜜多」，念這一句就可以了。他回去果然叫他的天兵天將都念「摩訶般若波羅蜜多」，一念「摩訶般若波羅蜜多」，這個修羅兵、修羅將不戰自敗，不等打仗就敗走了，所以帝釋天又勝了。所以這種修羅總要爭權的。
阿難！別有一分下劣修羅。生大海心。沈水穴口。旦遊虛空。暮歸水宿。此阿修羅因溼氣有。畜生趣攝。
「阿難！別有一分下劣修羅」：別有一種下劣的阿修羅。「生大海心，沉水穴口」。這種修羅是屬於畜生類所攝，好像龍之類，生在大海心裏頭，住在水的穴裏邊。「旦遊虛空，暮歸水宿」：早晨他就到虛空裏去遊玩，晚間他回到水穴裏頭來住。「此阿修羅因溼氣有」：這種的阿修羅因為溼氣而生出來的。「畜生趣攝」：屬於畜生趣。
阿難！如是地獄。餓鬼。畜生。人及神仙。天洎修羅。精研七趣。皆是昏沉諸有為相。妄想受生。妄想隨業。於妙圓明無作本心。皆如空華。元無所著。但一虛妄。更無根緒。
「阿難，如是地獄、餓鬼畜生、人及神仙、天洎修羅」：從天道到修羅道上。「精研七趣」：在這個七趣裏邊互相輪迴，「皆是昏沉諸有為相」：都是一種昏沉的相，是有形有相的。「妄想受生，妄想隨業」：他怎麼來的呢？都是由妄想而生出來的；他這種妄想隨著他的業報來受生。「於妙圓明，無作本心」：在這個妙圓明的無作的本心上。「皆如空華，元無所著」：這些個七趣都好像空中花似的，沒有所著住的。「但一虛妄，更無根緒」：這是一個虛妄，更沒有什麼根，也沒有什麼頭緒。
※待續
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Why did the asura king go to war with the
great Brahma Heaven Lord? The king of the asuras had a
beautiful daughter who became the reason he went to war
with the God Shakra. She was an exquisite young goddess,
and when Shakra laid eyes on her he went to the king of the
asuras to ask for her hand. The asura father consented. It
turned out, however, that the asura woman was extremely
jealous and selfish. Lord Shakra liked to listen tothe
Buddhadharma and would go regularly to hear the Dharma
Masters lecture on the Sutras. The asura woman noticed his
absence and became jealous. She thought, "Now that he's
married me, he doesn't love me anymore. I bet he's going
out and having an affair."
Possessed by such jealous thoughts, she secretly followed
Lord Shakra one day to find out where he went. When Shakra
entered the Dharma assembly and took a seat, his wife
observed that there were numerous women in the gathering.
This fired her jealousy even more, and with that she became
visible. When Shakra saw her he asked, "What are you doing
here?"
"You come here to get friendly with women and don't invite
me along!" she replied in a jealous fit.
Shakra slapped her face, and she began to cry and ran home
to the asura king to tell her tale. "Lord Shakra is
breaking the rules and always going out to find women," she
reported. "When I followed him, he hit me."
Of course, when the asura king heard that, he was outraged.
"We're going to war! We'll overthrow him and usurp the
throne!" He sent out the entire company ofasura soldiers
and generals to join battle against Shakra. Well, guess
what: the combined military might of Shakra, Brahma, and
the Four Heavenly Kings could not overcome the asura
troops. It was a stalemate. Finally Shakra had to go to the
Buddha to ask for help.
"What's to be done?" he said. "I can't beat these asuras."
Shakyamuni Buddha replied, "Go back and tell all your
officers and enlisted men to recite the phrase, 'Mahaprajnaparamita,'
[a Sanskrit phrase meaning "the perfection of great
wisdom"] and I guarantee that everything will turn out all
right."
Shakra did as he was told, and the asuras gave up without
further fight. That's how Shakra finally won. But these
kinds of asuras are always fighting for position and
authority.
Sutra:
"Ananda, there is another, baser category of asuras. They
are born in the center of the great seas and live in
underwater caves. During the day they roam in emptiness; at
night they return to their watery realm. These asuras come
into being because of moisture and belong to the destiny of
animals.
Commentary:
Ananda, there is another, baser category of asuras. They are
born in the center of the great seas and live in underwater
caves. These asuras belong to the animal realm. Dragons and
the like are examples. They are born in the heart of the
ocean and take up residence in underwater caves. During the
day they roam in emptiness; at night they return to their
watery realm. In the morning, they go up into the air to
roam and play; in the evening they go back to dwell in
their underwater caves. These asuras come into being
because of moisture and belong to the destiny of animals.
Sutra:
"Ananda, so it is that when the seven destinies of
hell-dwellers, hungry ghosts, animals, people, spiritual
immortals, gods, and asuras are investigated in detail,
they are all found to be murky and embroiled in conditioned
existence. They are born from false thoughts. Their false
thoughts follow from their karma. Within the wonderful
perfection of the unconditioned, fundamental mind, they are
like flowers in space, for there is basically nothing to be
attached to; they are entirely vain and false, and they have
no source or beginning.
Commentary:
Ananda, so it is that when the seven destinies of
hell-dwellers, hungry ghosts,animals, people, spiritual
immortals, gods, and asuras are investigated in detail, they
are all found to be murky and embroiled in conditioned
existence. They all still have some form of appearance.
Where do these beings come from? They are born from false
thoughts. Their false thoughts follow their retribution of
karma, and lead them into their next rebirth.
Within the
wonderful perfection of the unconditioned, fundamental
mind, they are like flowers in space, for there is basi-
cally nothing to be attached to. The seven destinies are
like illusory flowers in emptiness; they are nothing to
cling to. They are entirely vain and false, and they have
no source or beginning.
To be
continued
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