时间：03/28/2026 03/29/2026
地点：星海禅修中心
主讲：净真
佛法修行
受持三皈五戒之殊胜福德
昔日，佛在舍卫国祇树给孤独园弘化。
当时，须达多长者的七个儿子尚不信佛、法、僧三宝，亦未皈依三宝，且会杀生、偷盗、邪淫、妄语、饮酒。一天，须达多长者告诉七个儿子：「你们应该皈依三宝，且不要再杀生、偷盗、邪淫、妄语、饮酒，这些切莫再犯。」儿子们回答：「我们没有意愿要皈依三宝，也没办法做到不杀生、不偷盗、不邪淫、不妄语、不饮酒。」须达多长者于是告诉儿子们：「我给你们每人黄金千两，你们要依我说的做，要皈依三宝，而且要戒除杀生、偷盗、邪淫、妄语、饮酒这些不良行为。」七个儿子得到黄金千两后，便依着父亲的要求，皈依三宝，而且不再杀生、偷盗、邪淫、妄语、饮酒。
须达多长者给儿子们每人千两黄金，并让儿子们都受三皈、五戒后，便前往佛所在的祇树给孤独园，顶礼佛，然后在一旁坐下。须达多长者禀白佛：「我有七个儿子，他们原先对于佛法并不信受，也未皈依三宝，而且不持五戒，会杀生、偷盗、邪淫、妄语、饮酒。今日，我给七个儿子每人千两黄金，要他们皈依三宝，并受持五戒。请问佛，我这七个儿子可有善根福德？将来可否因皈依、受戒的因缘而获诸功德？」
佛回答：「善哉！善哉！长者你这七个儿子因为皈依三宝，及受持五戒，已具足诸善功德，我为你详说这七子将来所获的福报。
在北方有一揵陀赖国，城名石室，国土丰饶，人口众多。此国有伊罗波多罗大宝藏，此宝藏能出无数金银、珍宝、砗磲、玛瑙、珍珠、琥珀、水晶、琉璃等各种妙宝。这个国家的国人，随心所欲取用这些珍宝，历经七年七月七日，伊罗波多罗大宝藏始终不曾减少。长者你这七个儿子因为受持三皈、五戒所获得的功德，胜过伊罗钵多罗大宝藏，及七子所拥有的七千两金百倍、千倍、百千倍、无数倍。
还有一迦陵渠国，城名蜜絺罗，国土肥沃，谷米丰熟，人口稠密。此国有般筹大宝藏，此宝藏能出无量的金银、砗磲、玛瑙、珍珠、水晶、琉璃、珊瑚、琥珀等珍宝，任凭国人随心所欲取用，历经七年七月七日，宝藏始终无有减少。长者你这七个儿子所拥有的七千两黄金的百倍、千倍、百千倍、无数倍，加上般筹大宝藏，皆不及七子受持三皈、五戒所获得的功德。
又有一鞞提师国，城名须赖咤，此国有宾伽罗大宝藏，此宝藏能出无数珍宝，金银、砗磲、玛瑙、珍珠、琥珀、水晶、琉璃等。任凭鞞提师国的人民随心所欲取用，历经七年七月七日，宾伽罗大宝藏始终无所减少。长者七个儿子所拥有的七千两金，乃至七千两金的百倍、千倍、百千倍、无数倍，加上宾迦罗宝藏，皆不及七子受持三皈、五戒所获得的功德。
又有一加尸国，城名波罗奈城，此国有蠰伽大宝藏，此宝藏能出无量的金银、珍宝、砗磲、玛碯、水晶、琉璃、珍珠、琥珀等。长者七个儿子所拥有的七千两金的百倍、千倍、百千倍、无数倍，加上此蠰伽大宝藏，也不及七子受持三皈、五戒所获的福报。
即使让阎浮提十六大国的男女老少，随其所欲取用伊罗波多罗大宝藏、般筹大宝藏、宾伽罗大宝藏、蠰伽大宝藏这四大宝藏所出的金银、珍宝、砗磲、玛瑙、珍珠、琥珀、水晶、琉璃等各种宝物，历经七年七月七日，四大宝藏皆无丝毫减少。长者七个儿子所拥有的七千两金，及此四大宝藏的百倍、千倍、百千倍、无数倍的珍宝，皆不及七子受持三皈、五戒所获的福报及功德。」
佛接着说偈：
「伊罗钵干陀，蜜絺及般筹，宾伽及须赖，蠰伽波罗奈。
如此四宝藏，种种珍宝满，无数不相及，所作功德果。」
佛又为须达多长者宣说妙法，令其心开意解。长者闻佛开示，心生欢喜，于是从座而起，偏袒右肩，右膝着地，合掌向佛，禀白：「为了七个儿子得以供养修福，我欲以甘露饮食供佛斋僧。愿佛及众比丘僧接受我的祈请。」佛默然应允。须达多长者顶礼佛后，即返家准备供佛斋僧的饮食，并敷设坐具。
斋供时刻将至，长者遥请：「斋食已准备好，请佛慈悲前来应供。」佛即着衣、持钵，与众比丘弟子一同至须达多长者的家宅应供。佛和比丘们都安坐后，长者及七个儿子一同来至佛前，顶礼佛，然后退坐一边。此时，长者禀白佛：「我给这七个儿子各千两黄金，要他们皈依三宝，并受持五戒。请佛慈悲为我这七个儿子说法，使其对佛法有正确的了解。」随后，长者与七个儿子们亲自奉上甘美佳肴供养佛、比丘僧众。
佛用斋毕，便为长者的七个儿子说法，七子都很虔敬地听法。佛为开示苦集灭道四圣谛法，七子闻佛所说，各各尽除诸尘垢，心无瑕秽，当下得法眼净。此时长者的七个儿子对于佛法已谛信无疑，发自内心皈依三宝，并真诚地发愿受持五戒。佛为须达多长者及七子重说法要后，即起座离去。
须达多长者及其七个儿子，闻佛说法，皆心生欢喜，信受奉行。
Date: 03/28/2026 03/29/2026
Location: Star Ocean Meditation Center
Teacher: Sara
Dharma Talk
The Supreme Merit and Virtue of Upholding the Three Refuges and the Five Precepts
Once, the Buddha was residing at Jetavana Monastery in Śrāvastī, where he taught and guided sentient beings.
At that time, the seven sons of the householder Sudatta (Anāthapiṇḍika) did not yet believe in the Three Jewels — the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha. They had not taken refuge in them, and they engaged in killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, false speech, and drinking intoxicants.
One day Sudatta addressed his seven sons, saying:
“You should take refuge in the Three Jewels. From now on you must no longer kill, steal, commit sexual misconduct, lie, or drink intoxicants. These acts must never again be committed.”
The sons replied:
“We have no wish to take refuge in the Three Jewels, and we cannot promise to refrain from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, false speech, or drinking.”
Sudatta then said to them:
“I will give each of you one thousand taels of gold. You must follow my instruction: take refuge in the Three Jewels and abandon killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, false speech, and intoxicants.”
After receiving the thousand taels of gold each, the seven sons complied with their father’s request. They took refuge in the Three Jewels and ceased engaging in killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, false speech, and intoxicants.
After giving each son one thousand taels of gold and having them receive the Three Refuges and Five Precepts, Sudatta went to the Buddha at Jetavana. Having bowed at the Buddha’s feet, he sat to one side and said:
“World-Honored One, I have seven sons. Formerly they had no faith in the Buddha’s teaching, had not taken refuge in the Three Jewels, and did not uphold the Five Precepts. They engaged in killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, false speech, and drinking intoxicants. Today I gave each of them one thousand taels of gold and instructed them to take refuge in the Three Jewels and undertake the Five Precepts. World-Honored One, do my seven sons now possess wholesome roots and merit? In the future, through the causes and conditions of taking refuge and receiving the precepts, will they obtain virtuous merit?”
The Buddha replied:
“Excellent, excellent, householder. Because your seven sons have taken refuge in the Three Jewels and uphold the Five Precepts, they have already acquired abundant wholesome merit and virtue. I will now explain the future blessings they will obtain.
To the north there is a country called Gandhāra, whose capital is named Stone Chamber City. The land is prosperous and the population numerous. In that country there exists a great treasure called Irapattra. This treasure produces limitless gold, silver, precious jewels, conch shells, agate, pearls, amber, crystal, and lapis lazuli. The people of that land may take these treasures according to their wishes, yet even after seven years, seven months, and seven days, the treasure never diminishes.
However, the merit obtained by your seven sons through upholding the Three Refuges and Five Precepts surpasses that great treasure of Irapattra, as well as the seven thousand taels of gold they possess, by hundreds of times, thousands of times, hundreds of thousands of times, and immeasurable times.
There is also a country called Kaliṅga, whose capital is Mithilā. The land is fertile, the grains abundant, and the population dense. In this country there is a great treasure known as Pañcū. It produces immeasurable gold, silver, conch shells, agate, pearls, crystal, lapis lazuli, coral, amber, and many other precious jewels. The people may freely take from it as they wish, yet even after seven years, seven months, and seven days, the treasure remains undiminished.
Yet the seven thousand taels of gold possessed by your seven sons—multiplied hundreds, thousands, hundreds of thousands, and immeasurable times—together with the great treasure Pañcū, still cannot equal the merit gained by your sons through upholding the Three Refuges and Five Precepts.
There is also the country of Bedeśa, whose capital is Surāṭa. In this country there exists the great treasure Piṅgala, which produces countless jewels—gold, silver, conch shells, agate, pearls, amber, crystal, and lapis lazuli. The people may take from it freely as they wish, yet even after seven years, seven months, and seven days, the treasure never diminishes.
Even the seven thousand taels of gold possessed by your sons, multiplied hundreds, thousands, hundreds of thousands, and immeasurable times, together with the Piṅgala treasure, cannot equal the merit obtained through their upholding of the Three Refuges and Five Precepts.
There is also the country of Kāśi, whose capital is Vārāṇasī. In this land there is the great treasure Raṅga, which produces immeasurable gold, silver, precious jewels, conch shells, agate, crystal, lapis lazuli, pearls, and amber. Even if the seven thousand taels of gold possessed by your sons were multiplied hundreds, thousands, hundreds of thousands, and immeasurable times, together with this Raṅga treasure, it would still not equal the blessings obtained through their upholding of the Three Refuges and Five Precepts.
Even if all men and women of the sixteen great countries of Jambudvīpa were to take at will the gold, silver, jewels, conch shells, agate, pearls, amber, crystal, and lapis lazuli produced by these four great treasures—Irapattra, Pañcū, Piṅgala, and Raṅga—for seven years, seven months, and seven days, none of these treasures would diminish in the slightest.
Yet the seven thousand taels of gold possessed by your sons, together with treasures from these four great treasuries multiplied hundreds, thousands, hundreds of thousands, and immeasurable times, still cannot compare to the merit and blessings obtained through their upholding of the Three Refuges and Five Precepts.”
The Buddha then spoke this verse:
“Irapattra and Gandhāra,
Mithilā and Pañcū,
Piṅgala and Surāṭa,
Raṅga of Vārāṇasī.
These four great treasuries,
Filled with every kind of jewel—
Countless though their riches be,
They cannot equal the fruit of merit thus performed.”
The Buddha then expounded the sublime Dharma to Sudatta the householder, enabling his mind to open and his understanding to awaken. Hearing the Buddha’s teaching, Sudatta rejoiced greatly. Rising from his seat, baring his right shoulder, kneeling on his right knee, and joining his palms toward the Buddha, he said:
“In order that my seven sons may cultivate merit through offerings, I wish to prepare nectar-like food to offer to the Buddha and the Saṅgha. May the Buddha and the community of monks kindly accept my invitation.”
The Buddha silently consented.
Sudatta bowed to the Buddha and returned home to prepare the offerings and arrange seats.
When the time for the meal approached, Sudatta respectfully invited the Buddha from afar:
“The meal is ready. May the Buddha compassionately come and receive the offering.”
The Buddha then donned his robe, took his alms bowl, and together with the community of monks went to Sudatta’s residence. After the Buddha and the monks had taken their seats, Sudatta and his seven sons came before the Buddha, bowed, and sat to one side.
Sudatta then said to the Buddha:
“I have given each of these seven sons one thousand taels of gold and instructed them to take refuge in the Three Jewels and uphold the Five Precepts. I ask the Buddha, out of compassion, to teach them the Dharma so that they may gain a correct understanding of it.”
Thereupon Sudatta and his seven sons personally presented exquisite food and delicacies as offerings to the Buddha and the Saṅgha.
After the Buddha had finished the meal, he taught the Dharma to the seven sons. They listened with deep reverence.
The Buddha expounded the Four Noble Truths of suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path. Upon hearing the teaching, the seven sons eradicated all defilements of dust and impurity. Their minds became pure and stainless, and they immediately attained the pure Dharma-eye.
At that moment the seven sons gained unshakable faith in the Buddha’s teaching. From the depths of their hearts they took refuge in the Three Jewels and sincerely vowed to uphold the Five Precepts.
After once again teaching essential Dharma to Sudatta and his sons, the Buddha rose from his seat and departed.
Sudatta and his seven sons, having heard the Buddha’s teaching, all rejoiced and faithfully accepted and practiced it.
