An Excerpt from the Sutra on the Collection of the Six Perfections, Vol. 3
“In the past, when the World-Honored One was still a bodhisattva cultivating sramanahood while living in the mountain forest, He was always compassionate and benevolent toward all sentient beings. He constantly harbored the thought of helping all beings who suffered endless transmigration within the three realms. On one occasion, He felt the itch caused by a louse in His cloth, was distracted by it, and could no longer concentrate on his meditation. His hand then searched the louse and caught it. Filled with pity, he slowly placed it on a withered animal bone nearby for his peace of mind. The louse fed on the bone for another seven days and then died. After numerous samsaric births and deaths, this bodhisattva (who saved the louse) eventually attained Buddhahood. The Buddha then extensively spread the Buddhist teachings and helped liberate sentient beings.”
On one occasion, it was snowing heavily and there was no one on the road. There was a kind local family that made offerings to the Buddha for seven days together with thousands of bhikkhus. Their entire household had a solemn and respectful atmosphere while they were making the offerings. Outside, the snow had yet to stop.
The Buddha told disciple Ananda unexpectedly, “Ask all the sramanas to return to the monastery.” Ananda said, “The host is respectful, sincere, and devoted. Besides, it is still snowing heavily, and there is nowhere to go for alms round.” In reply, the Buddha said, “The host has no intention to make further offerings.” The Buddha then led the group of sramanas back to the temple.
The next day, the World-Honored One told Ananda, “Go to the host for another alms round.” Ananda followed the Buddha’s instruction and went to the family’s residence again. When the gatekeepers saw Ananda, they ignored him completely. Soon after, Ananda returned to the monastery, prostrated himself in front of the World-Honored One, and reported his encounter to Him. He then asked, “How can it be that their respectful offerings did not last long? How is it that their minds changed so fast?” The Buddha explained the entire incident (cause and condition) that transpired between the host and Him in their past lifetimes.
The Buddha said, “Ananda! Out of compassion, I saved the life of a tiny louse in the past by placing it on some withered animal bone, and it survived for seven days. I have been rewarded with his extended offerings in this life for saving his life in the past. I deserve his kindness, but only for seven days. He thus stopped making any more offerings to me. How can you expect him to make any further offerings to the Buddha and the sangha group?
In light of this, making offerings to a highly virtuous bhikkhu,
who carries out noble deeds by keeping the precepts, rectifying his mind, and
acting with compassion, is more
valuable than making offerings to immeasurable ordinary mortals over multiple
eons. Why is that so? It is because a bhikkhu’s mind has fully embraced
the gist of the Buddhist scriptures and possesses the five virtues. He has the
virtues of the precepts, meditative concentration power, transmundane wisdom, the
notion of liberation, and various correct views. Hence, a bhikkhu can
compassionately guide and help sentient beings with the five virtues and keep
them away from numerous sufferings in the three realms lifetime after
lifetime.”
Remark:
The Buddhist Triple Jewels are indeed precious! Having learned the
Dharma teachings from the Buddha, the sangha are able to embrace life
aspects from three lifetimes: the past, the present, and the future. The Buddhist
teachings can enlighten sentient beings with the wisdom of causality and
liberation, enabling humans who fear the cycle of births and deaths to quickly
eliminate this samsaric
stream or to know how an individual can adhere
to the true precepts and retain self-restraint, thus having a better future
rebirth. Toward this end, as
described in the sutra, the opportunities to meet a Buddha are scarce, the chances
of hearing the Buddha scriptures are rare, and the possibility of making offerings
to a bhikkhu is even rarer, just like the udumbara flower, which
rarely appears. Therefore, we should not easily forego the chance to practice Buddhism.
《六度集經》卷3：
「昔者世尊還是菩薩在修沙門行，恒處山林，都懷著慈心悲愍眾生，長苦輪轉三界，當以拯眾。而衣服裡有虱子，身痒心擾，無法專心修行，道志不立。於是伸手探尋，即抓到虱子。心中愴然，求以安之。旁邊正有獸骨，就慢慢將蝨子放置於枯骨中矣。虱得七日之食，盡乃死亡。展轉生死，菩薩修得成佛，廣行弘法，教化眾生。」
當時，天下大雪絕行路人，國內有好人家，請佛并數千比丘，供養七日。厥心肅穆，大眾都很恭敬執行。而雪未晞。
佛告阿難：「勅諸沙門皆還精舍。」阿難言：「主人恭肅，厥心未墮，雪盛未息，無處可以托缽。」世尊曰：「主人意訖，不復供惠也。」佛即帶頭領隊，沙門翼從還于精舍。
第二天世尊告阿難：「汝再去那位主人那兒托缽。」阿難奉教而行，造訪主人門。看門人覩之，也都不理睬了。不久阿難返回精舍，稽首長跪，如事稟白世尊。還詢問佛陀原因，「他們恭敬供養之心，不長久，何其疾乎？」佛即為具說如上。
又曰：「阿難！吾以慈心濟虱蟲微命，惠之朽骨七日之食，今獲供養盡世上獻。宿命施恩，恩齊七日，故其意止，不復如前也，豈況慈心向佛逮沙門眾 (何況還要慈心再能供敬佛以及沙門眾)？持戒清淨無欲高行，內端己心，表以慈化，恭惠高行比丘一人，踰施凡庶累劫盡情也。所以然者？比丘擁懷佛經，有戒、有定、有慧、解脫、度知見種，以斯五德慈導眾生，令遠三界萬苦之禍矣。」」
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