The Meaning of Alms Offering

Born as a Prince, the Buddha renounced his palace life and went on his alms round to obtain the four basic life requisites – Robes, Food, Lodging and Medicine. It is a great example of Buddha’s humility and should be practised by all ascetics.

By offering food to the Sangha, it is a way for lay people to practice joyful giving and letting go of attachments. By receiving food from the lay community, the Sangha sustain themselves for the sake of learning, practising and sharing the Buddha’s teachings.

By learning and sharing in harmony together, the Buddhist community strives towards achieving a common objective, Enlightenment – Nirvāṇa.

托钵暨供僧的意义

佛陀贵为王子,出家修道解脱,以托钵行式,取得四种基本生活必需品,四资具,即衣物,食物,卧具及医药。这是世人值得敬仰,出家人必须学习实践的。

通过供养食物给在修行的僧人,我们能够学习布施及灭除悭贪,执著。而僧人因接受信众的供养,能够安心向道,弘扬佛法。

The Do’s and Don’ts of Alms Offering

如何供养僧人?

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King Ashoka and the Buddha

Long ago, in a little village in India, there lived a child called Jaya. One day Gautama Buddha came to his village.

The villagers gathered round the Buddha, welcoming him into their village. They made a comfortable seat for him in the cool shade of a leafy peepul tree. The women washed the dust of travel from his feet, and offered him fruit to eat and cool water to drink.

The child watched fascinated. He could not take his eyes off the face of the Buddha, the quiet calm countenance, the deep dark eyes, the air of contentment. He couldn’t understand much of what the Buddha said, but marvelled instead at the sound of his voice, soft, serene, and full of conviction. The men and women listened enthralled. The Buddha spoke all day and through the night. The child sat there – among the grown-ups, all hunger and thirst forgotten. Sometime during the night, he fell asleep, and when he awoke, he saw that the Buddha was getting ready to leave.

‘Don’t go,’ cried the child in his heart, but he knew that that was not what the Buddha would want of him. He was desperate – he didn’t want the Buddha to go. The child felt an emotion he hadn’t felt before – he felt love. How could he tell the Buddha that he loved him? That he would follow him to the ends of the earth?

The child saw the grown-ups gather round the Buddha. Some were offering him more fruit to carry with him, some were offering him grain. The child had nothing to give the Buddha, nothing at all in the world. So he gathered the dust from the earth, and holding it out in his two little hands ran to the Buddha with his offering.

The Buddha was touched by the faith he saw in the child’s eyes. He smiled and accepted the child’s offering, and blessed him.

The child never saw the Buddha again, but carried his image in his spirit forever.

It is said that this child was reborn as Ashoka, one of the greatest of the emperors of ancient India. Ashoka fought many wars of conquest, but after one particularly bloody war in Kalinga, where thousands lay hurt or dead, Ashoka gave up war forever. He embraced the teachings of Buddha, and spent his long reign in improving the life of his subjects. Ashoka also sent missionaries to spread the teachings of the Buddha far and wide.

Ashoka was one of the greatest kings of ancient times. His empire consisted of most of present-day India, and extended as far west as Afghanistan, and included parts of Persia as well. In later life, he became a Buddhist and he is remembered for his just and wise rule. Ashoka inscribed his ‘dhamma’, his code, on rocks and pillars. These can still be seen in India today. Ashoka inscribed his edicts in Pali, the language spoken by the common people, so that everyone could understand his words. Ashoka ruled from 269 to 232 BC.

Extracted from The Offering, Retold from Ashokavadana by Rohini Chowdhury

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孔雀王朝之阿育王的本生因缘

阿育王本是杀人无道之君,他当下忏悔并勤修福报,而转变了他的因果,然而阿育王为什么会当一国之王呢?

在《阿育王经》生因缘第一中记载阿育王的过去世因缘:

「佛住王舍城竹林迦兰陀精舍,尔时世尊行至大路,于大路中有二小儿,一是何伽罗久履笥儿,一是久履笴儿,此二小儿在沙中戏,第一小儿以沙为饭捧内佛钵,第二小儿合掌随喜。即说偈:

自然大慈悲     圆光庄严身     已远离生死
我今一心念     以心念佛故     捧沙以供养

今佛含笑身出光明,是时阿难见已合掌,而说偈:

佛除掉慢等     灭怨成胜因     不无因而笑     齿白如珂雪
以智慧能知     他所乐闻事     以最胜光明     能令彼疑灭
佛声如雷震     眼犹如牛王     人天胜福田     当记施沙报

阿难汝见小儿以手捧沙置钵中不,阿难白佛,唯然已见,世尊又言,此儿者我入涅槃百年后,当生波吒利弗多城王名阿育,为四分转轮王信乐正法,于是如来复说偈言:

我入涅槃后     当生孔雀姓     名阿育人王     乐法广名闻
以我舍利塔     庄严阎浮提     是其功德报     施沙奉于佛

阿育王的前世是一位小孩时,他与另一童子一起户外玩沙,小孩天真无邪,也不懂要修什么福报,但当时他一念间的真诚布施佛陀一碗沙,却受佛陀授记,得到无量无边的福报,当在佛灭后百年,能成为一国王,并广造宝塔成为佛法有力的护持,即是阿育王的本生因缘。

故事启示:

一、人的当下一念发心功德果报是不可思议的大,即使布施一碗沙,却能得到来生尊贵当国王及得无上的光明福田,因此布施不一定要金山银山,当下的心念最重要。

二、放下屠刀,立地成佛。阿育王能从一位杀人魔,因一念忏悔而成为一位爱护人民的仁君,因此每个人都不要小看自己成佛的力量。