时间：02/06/2027 02/07/2027
地点：星海禅修中心
主讲：净诚
佛法修行
儿误杀父缘
佛陀在舍卫国祇树给孤独园时，有一位老先生因妻子过世，和儿子相依为命。家境贫穷的他，觉得在世间非常艰苦，便起了出家的念头。于是老先生带着儿子一同前往精舍，请求佛陀为其剃度，佛陀怜悯他们的处境便应允了他们的请求。出家后，这位老先生成为比丘，儿子则因年纪还小而为沙弥，从此两人一同出外托钵乞食，傍晚再回到僧团。
一天，老比丘和沙弥去了一个较偏远的村庄托钵，回程时因路途遥远，暮色低垂，小沙弥担心半路会遇到毒蛇猛兽，于是急忙半扶半推、催促着老比丘赶路。但是固执的老比丘不肯加快脚步，沙弥一不小心用力过猛，便将父亲推倒在地上，当下老比丘就往生了。
父亲死后，小沙弥一人独自回到僧团，其他比丘见到就问：“你早上不是和你父亲一同出门托钵，怎么只有你回来？”小沙弥回答道：“我和父亲一同出外乞食，因回程时间已晚，我怕路上会有毒蛇猛兽，情急之下便催促着他前进，结果一不小心推得太急，让父亲扑倒在地上，他就往生了。”众比丘听了便责骂这名沙弥：“你真是个大恶人，老比丘不仅是你的父亲，也是你的老师，你竟然杀了他！”之后，便将这件事秉告佛陀。佛陀告诉大众：“这位老比丘虽然往生了，但他并不是被恶意杀害。”随即问这位沙弥：“你杀了你的父亲吗？”沙弥回答：“是的，我不能够推卸责任，但我不是故意杀害我父亲的。”
佛陀认可沙弥说的话，并对他说：“我知道你心中并没有恶意，不是故意杀害自己的父亲。因为在过去世时，你和你父亲两人在无恶意之下，就已经误杀过彼此了。”此时众比丘听到佛陀说的话，即请示佛陀：“世尊，这对父子究竟有什么因缘，使他们彼此无心误杀呢？”佛陀告诉大众：“过去无量阿僧祇劫时，有父子两人同住，父亲生了很严重的病，睡觉时常有苍蝇在四周飞来飞去，干扰睡眠，于是他叫儿子为他驱赶苍蝇，希望能获得一夜好眠。没想到苍蝇愈赶愈多，儿子情急之下便拿了一根大木棍，准备拍打苍蝇。此时，苍蝇正好停在父亲的额头上，儿子挥打力气过猛，一不小心就将父亲打死了。诸位比丘，那时的父亲就是现在这位小沙弥，而以木棍误杀父亲的儿子就是那位已往生的老比丘。因当时儿子心中并无任何恶意，所以今日偿还罪报时，也不是被故意杀害的。”在场比丘听了佛陀的开示后，各各心生敬信，欢喜依教奉行。而了解自己与父亲的因缘以后，小沙弥即努力修习佛法，精勤不懈，不久就证得了阿罗汉果。
Date: 02/06/2027 02/07/2027
Location: Star Ocean Meditation Center
Teacher: Jason
Dharma Talk
The Karmic Cause of a Son Accidentally Killing His Father
When the Buddha was residing at Jetavana in Śrāvastī, there was an elderly man whose wife had passed away, and he lived dependently with his son. Living in poverty, he felt that life in the world was extremely difficult and thus gave rise to the thought of renunciation. The old man took his son to the monastery and requested the Buddha to ordain them. The Buddha, moved by their circumstances, granted their request. After ordination, the old man became a bhikṣu, and his son, being still young, became a śrāmaṇera. From then on, the two went out together for alms and returned to the Saṅgha in the evening.
One day, the old bhikṣu and the śrāmaṇera went to a distant village for alms. On their return, as the road was long and dusk had fallen, the young śrāmaṇera feared encountering poisonous snakes or wild beasts along the way. In haste, he half-supported and half-pushed the old bhikṣu, urging him to hurry. However, the stubborn old bhikṣu refused to quicken his pace. The śrāmaṇera, accidentally exerting too much force, pushed his father to the ground, and the old bhikṣu passed away immediately.
After his father’s death, the young śrāmaṇera returned alone to the Saṅgha. The other bhikṣus asked, “Did you not go out with your father this morning? Why have you returned alone?” The śrāmaṇera replied, “We went out for alms together, but on the way back it became late. Fearing danger on the road, I hastily urged him forward. I accidentally pushed him too forcefully, causing him to fall, and he passed away.” Hearing this, the bhikṣus rebuked him, saying, “You are truly a great evildoer! The old bhikṣu was not only your father but also your teacher, and you have killed him!” They then reported the matter to the Buddha. The Buddha told the assembly, “Although the old bhikṣu has passed away, he was not killed with malicious intent.” He then asked the śrāmaṇera, “Did you kill your father?” The śrāmaṇera replied, “Yes, I cannot deny responsibility, but I did not intentionally kill him.”
The Buddha affirmed his words and said, “I know that you had no malice and did not intentionally kill your father. In past lives, you and your father had already accidentally killed each other without malicious intent.” Hearing this, the bhikṣus asked, “World-Honored One, what causes and conditions led this father and son to unintentionally kill each other?” The Buddha told them, “In the distant past, immeasurable kalpas ago, there were a father and son living together. The father suffered from a severe illness, and when he slept, flies would constantly disturb him. He asked his son to drive the flies away so he could rest. However, the more the son tried to drive them away, the more flies gathered. In desperation, the son took a large stick to strike them. At that moment, a fly landed on the father’s forehead, and the son, swinging too forcefully, accidentally killed his father. Bhikṣus, the father at that time is now this śrāmaṇera, and the son who mistakenly killed his father is the old bhikṣu who has just passed away. Because the son had no malicious intent at that time, the retribution he experiences now is also not one of intentional killing.”
After hearing the Buddha’s teaching, the bhikṣus all developed faith and joyfully practiced accordingly. After understanding the karmic connection between himself and his father, the young śrāmaṇera diligently cultivated the Buddha-Dharma without rest, and before long, he attained the fruit of arhatship.
