时间：06/12/2027 06/13/2027
地点：星海禅修中心
主讲：净诚
佛法修行
目连尊者度化五百饿鬼
一天，佛陀弟子中神通第一的目连尊者在王舍城乞食时，遇到五百名饿鬼。饿鬼们见到目连尊者，都非常欢喜，纷纷请求目连尊者慈悲哀悯，转告他们的家人，由于自己过去生不修善布施，以致今日堕至饿鬼道中受苦，请家人为他们设斋供养佛陀及僧众。若家中贫困，也可以劝化其他人一同参与，设大斋会，帮助他们超脱饿鬼之身。
目连尊者问饿鬼：“你们过去生究竟做了什么事，如今遭受这样的苦报？”饿鬼们回答：“我们过去生都住在王舍城中，为富有的长者子，但因骄慢自大、放逸无度，贪着世间的享乐，不信三宝，所以见出家众到城里来乞食，不仅自己不肯布施，还阻止他人修福，说出家众不事生产，只仰赖别人布施，如果今天布施给他们，日后一定还会再来托钵乞食。因为这样的恶行及错误知见，以致今日堕于饿鬼道中。”目连尊者告诉饿鬼：“我会转告你们的家人，请他们共同设斋供养佛陀及僧众，希望到时候你们一定要来参加。”五百饿鬼回答：“我们如今堕为饿鬼，身形枯槁，肚子像山一样大，咽喉却像针一样小，头发如刀剑般缠刺全身，每一个关节都像火在烧一般痛苦，四处奔走只为求取一些食物，但都不能如愿。如果看见美味的食物，飞奔而去，食物也会变成脓血。唉！我们这样的身形，怎么参加大斋会呢？”
目连尊者于是将饿鬼们的遭遇告诉他们的家人，大家听了都很难过，决定共同设斋供养佛陀及僧众，为五百饿鬼培植福德。到了斋会当天，目连尊者入到禅定当中，想观察这些饿鬼身在何处？但是，遍寻三千大千世界都找不到这些饿鬼，目连尊者觉得很奇怪，决定前往请示佛陀。佛陀告诉目连尊者，这些饿鬼被业风吹散，不是罗汉的神通力所能看见的，但是由于设斋供养的功德，令他们罪垢除灭，因此，可仗佛陀之力使之现身。于是，佛陀以神通力令这些饿鬼来到王舍城，城里的人看见饿鬼们的相貌，顿时发起舍离悭贪、厌恶生死的心念，有证得初果、二果、三果、阿罗汉者，亦有发辟支佛心、无上菩提心者。
接着，佛陀为五百饿鬼开示悭贪的过失及布施的功德，大众因而深生敬信。当天夜里，五百饿鬼即命终，投生至忉利天。五百天人观察自己过去生的因缘，知道是承蒙目连尊者为他们设斋供养佛陀及僧众的功德，才使他们福德增长，由饿鬼身转为天人身，于是顶戴天冠，身配璎珞，持着香花，来到人间，供养佛陀及目连尊者。供养完毕，坐在一旁，听闻佛法，心开意解，各获法益，绕佛三匝后，回到天上。佛陀告诉在场大众，刚才的五百位天人就是当初那五百名饿鬼。大众听了，深生欢喜，万分赞叹，对三宝更增信心。
Date: 06/12/2027 06/13/2027
Location: Star Ocean Meditation Center
Teacher: Jason
Dharma Talk
Venerable Maudgalyāyana Liberates Five Hundred Hungry Ghosts
One day, the Venerable Maudgalyāyana, foremost in supernatural powers among the Buddha’s disciples, was begging for alms in Rājagṛha when he encountered five hundred hungry ghosts. Seeing him, they rejoiced greatly and pleaded for his compassion, asking him to inform their families that due to their failure to practice generosity in past lives, they had fallen into the realm of hungry ghosts and now suffered greatly. They requested their families to prepare offerings to the Buddha and the Saṅgha on their behalf. If their families were poor, they could encourage others to join in organizing a great offering assembly to help them escape their present state.
Maudgalyāyana asked, “What deeds did you commit in your past lives to suffer such retribution now?” The hungry ghosts replied, “In our past lives, we lived in Rājagṛha as sons of wealthy elders. Due to arrogance, indulgence, and attachment to worldly pleasures, we lacked faith in the Three Jewels. When monks came to the city for alms, we not only refused to give, but also discouraged others, saying that monastics did not work and depended entirely on alms, and if one gave once, they would return again. Because of such evil conduct and wrong views, we have now fallen into the hungry ghost realm.” Maudgalyāyana said, “I will inform your families and ask them to make offerings. You must come when the time arrives.” The ghosts replied, “Now that we are hungry ghosts, our bodies are emaciated, our bellies as large as mountains, our throats as narrow as needles. Our hair pierces us like blades, and every joint burns with pain. We wander in search of food but never obtain it. Even when we see fine food and rush toward it, it turns into pus and blood. How could we attend such an offering?”
Maudgalyāyana informed their families, who were deeply grieved and resolved to prepare offerings to the Buddha and the Saṅgha to generate merit for the five hundred ghosts. On the day of the offering, Maudgalyāyana entered meditative concentration to locate them, but even after searching throughout the three thousand great thousand worlds, he could not find them. Puzzled, he sought the Buddha’s guidance. The Buddha explained that the ghosts had been scattered by karmic winds and could not be seen by the power of an arhat, but due to the merit of the offerings, their defilements had been reduced, and through the Buddha’s power, they could be made visible. The Buddha then caused them to appear in Rājagṛha. Seeing their forms, the people generated renunciation of greed and aversion to saṃsāra. Some attained the first, second, and third fruits, and even arhatship; others gave rise to the aspiration for pratyekabuddhahood or supreme enlightenment.
The Buddha then taught the faults of greed and the merit of generosity. The assembly developed deep faith. That night, the five hundred hungry ghosts passed away and were reborn in the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven. As devas, they reflected on their past causes and understood that through Maudgalyāyana’s compassionate offerings, their merit had increased, transforming them from hungry ghosts into heavenly beings. Wearing celestial crowns and adorned with ornaments, they brought incense and flowers to offer to the Buddha and Maudgalyāyana. After making offerings, they sat to listen to the Dharma, gained understanding, circumambulated the Buddha three times, and returned to the heavens. The Buddha told the assembly that these five hundred devas were the same hungry ghosts from before. Hearing this, the assembly rejoiced greatly, praised the teaching, and strengthened their faith in the Three Jewels.
