时间：07/11/2026 07/12/2026
地点：星海禅修中心
主讲：净诚
佛法修行
石匠寻绳下柱
以前有一个国家，设置了一根非常高大的石柱，完成后，国王下令移去石柱周围的阶梯、樚栌（柱上的方木）及绳索，把石匠放在柱头上。为什么呢？因为如果石匠存活着，他会在别的地方建造比现在更好的石柱。
这时，石匠的亲戚宗族，在夜晚的时候，聚集在石柱旁，问石匠说：「你现在要如何才能下来？」石匠非常聪慧，有很多善巧方便，就从衣服中挑出细线，垂放两条到石柱下面。他的亲族们找来粗线，系在细线上，石匠将线往上拉，手捉到粗线时，就告诉亲族们：「你们现在可以系上微粗的绳索。」亲族们就依照石匠的话，如此来回反复，最后系上粗大的绳索，这时石匠就运用粗大的绳索爬了下来。
故事中的石柱比喻为生死；阶梯、樚栌比喻为过去佛已灭的佛法；亲族比喻声闻众；衣服细线比喻过去佛的定与慧；挑出衣线比喻观察思惟过去佛所说的种种法门；衣服细线从上面往下垂放比喻信心；系上粗线比喻亲近善知识而得多闻；细绳比喻多闻线，又悬挂持戒线，持戒在线悬挂禅定线，禅定在线悬挂智慧绳，所以粗绳坚牢。系粗绳比喻束缚生死，从上面爬下来比喻下生死柱，得到解脱。
「以信为缕线，多闻及持戒，
犹如彼麤缕，戒定为小绳，
智慧为麤绳，生死柱来下。」
Date: 07/11/2026 07/12/2026
Location: Star Ocean Meditation Center
Teacher: Jason
Dharma Talk
The Stonemason Descends the Pillar by Seeking a Rope
In the past, there was a country where a very tall stone pillar was erected. After its completion, the king ordered the removal of the surrounding stairs, beams, and ropes, and left the stonemason standing on top of the pillar. Why was this done? Because if the stonemason remained alive, he might construct an even better pillar elsewhere.
At that time, the stonemason’s relatives gathered at night beneath the pillar and asked him, “How can you come down now?” The stonemason, being very intelligent and skillful in means, drew out fine threads from his clothing and lowered two strands down the pillar. His relatives tied thicker threads to the fine ones. As the stonemason pulled them up and grasped the thicker threads, he instructed them, “Now you can tie on slightly thicker ropes.” Following his instructions repeatedly, they eventually attached a thick rope, by which the stonemason climbed down.
In this story, the stone pillar represents saṃsāra; the stairs and beams represent the Dharma of past Buddhas that has already disappeared; the relatives represent the śrāvaka assembly; the fine threads from the clothing represent the concentration and wisdom of past Buddhas; drawing out the threads represents contemplating the various teachings taught by past Buddhas; lowering the threads represents faith; tying thicker threads represents drawing near to good spiritual friends and gaining extensive learning; the finer rope represents learning, from which hangs the rope of moral discipline, from which hangs the rope of meditative concentration, and from which hangs the rope of wisdom. Therefore, the thick rope is firm. Binding the thick rope represents overcoming saṃsāra, and descending from above represents descending from the pillar of birth and death and attaining liberation.
“With faith as the thread, together with learning and moral discipline,
Like those thicker strands, discipline and concentration form the smaller rope,
Wisdom forms the great rope, by which one descends from the pillar of birth and death.”
