时间：07/03/2027 07/04/2027
地点：星海禅修中心
主讲：净诚
佛法修行
颠倒的屠夫
宫门前，跪着一位身披兽皮的屠夫，希望能谒见阿闍世王，向他请愿。
皈依三宝之后的阿闍世王，痛改前非，遵循佛陀的教诲，推行德政，很受人民的爱戴。于是，阿闍世王接见了这位屠夫，问道：「你来见我有什么愿望？」
屠夫回答：「希望大王答应在节庆的时候，能宰杀牲畜，以为庆祝；并请大王恩赐，让我来执行这项工作，我会尽我所能来完成的。」
阿闍世王觉得很奇怪，问：「一般人对于屠宰的工作避之唯恐不及，为什么你反而喜好这个职业？」
屠夫回答：「大王，您有所不知。多生以前，我是一个非常贫穷的人，以杀羊为业，因为这个缘故，死后得生天上，享有比四天王还要殊胜的福报。天福享尽，又投胎于人中，还是以屠羊为业，所以命终之后，又生为天人。就这样往返天上、人间六次，六世之中都以屠羊为业，而且遍生天上六层天，享尽无量的福报。因为这个缘故，今日我才来求见大王，希望大王能答应我的请求。」
阿闍世王怀疑地问：「如果真像你讲的，是过去多生之前的事，你又怎么可能会知道呢？」
屠夫说：「这也是福报之一，我有宿命通，能够知道过去生的事情。」
听了屠夫的话，阿闍世王更加怀疑了，认为这个屠夫所说的是谎言。他想：「这个屠夫看起来很普通，一点儿也不像修行人，这样的人怎么可能会有宿命通呢？」因此阿闍世王向佛陀请示，并将他的疑问告诉佛陀。
佛陀慈悲地说：「阿闍世王啊！那位屠夫并没有说谎，只是他不知道全部的事实。」于是世尊娓娓道出屠夫过去的因缘。
原来久远劫前，屠夫曾生于一位辟支佛住世之时，屠夫看到辟支佛的相好庄严，非常欢喜，所以专注地瞻仰，身心感到无比轻安。由于这念善心，不仅感得生六天的殊胜果报，而且有宿命神通，能够知道自己这六世当中的因缘；但他并不知道第七生以后的因缘，所以才误认为杀羊是生天的因。
世尊告诉阿闍世王：「屠夫生为天人，是因为过去福德果熟，所以得生天上；屠羊所造的杀业，恶果未熟，所以尚未受报。等到这一生结束之后，果报享尽，还是要堕入地狱，受杀生之罪；地狱罪苦受尽以后，还要转生为羊，一一偿还所欠的宿债啊。」
Date: 07/03/2027 07/04/2027
Location: Star Ocean Meditation Center
Teacher: Jason
Dharma Talk
The Deluded Butcher
Before the palace gate, a butcher clad in animal skins knelt, hoping to seek an audience with King Ajātaśatru and present his request.
After taking refuge in the Three Jewels, King Ajātaśatru repented deeply, followed the Buddha’s teachings, and governed with virtue, earning the love of the people. Thus, he received the butcher and asked, “What do you wish to request?”
The butcher replied, “I hope Your Majesty will permit the slaughter of animals during festivals for celebration, and grant me the duty of carrying out this task. I will do my utmost to fulfill it.”
The king found this strange and asked, “Most people avoid slaughtering as much as possible. Why do you instead delight in this occupation?”
The butcher answered, “Your Majesty, you may not know. In many past lives, I was extremely poor and made my living by slaughtering sheep. Because of this, after death I was reborn in the heavens, enjoying blessings surpassing even those of the Four Heavenly Kings. When those blessings were exhausted, I was reborn among humans and again worked as a butcher, and after death was reborn in the heavens once more. In this way, I went back and forth between heaven and the human realm six times. In all six lives, I slaughtered sheep and was reborn in the six heavens, enjoying immeasurable blessings. For this reason, I now come to request Your Majesty’s approval.”
King Ajātaśatru asked doubtfully, “If this truly happened in many past lives, how could you possibly know it?”
The butcher said, “This too is a kind of blessing. I possess the knowledge of past lives and can recall previous existences.”
Hearing this, the king grew even more suspicious, thinking the butcher was lying. He thought, “This man appears ordinary and not at all like a cultivator. How could he possess such knowledge?” Therefore, he consulted the Buddha and explained his doubts.
The Buddha compassionately said, “King Ajātaśatru, the butcher is not lying, but he does not know the full truth.” Then the World-Honored One explained the past causes and conditions.
Long ago, the butcher had lived during the time of a Pratyekabuddha. Seeing the dignified and adorned appearance of that sage, he felt great joy and gazed upon him with focused reverence, experiencing deep peace in body and mind. Because of this single wholesome thought, he obtained rebirth in the six heavens with superior blessings and also gained the supernatural knowledge of past lives, enabling him to recall those six existences. However, he did not know the causes and conditions beyond the seventh life, and thus mistakenly believed that slaughtering sheep was the cause of heavenly rebirth.
The Buddha told the king, “The butcher’s rebirth in the heavens is due to the maturation of past merits. The evil karma of killing sheep has not yet ripened, so he has not yet received its retribution. When this life ends and his blessings are exhausted, he will fall into hell to suffer for the karma of killing. After the suffering in hell is completed, he will be reborn as a sheep to repay each karmic debt in turn.”
