佛教故事 -- 彌勒菩薩的前世來生 Maitreya Bodhisattva's Past and Future（中英文字幕 English subtitle）-- 美佛寺性仁法師 Xingren

大年初一彌勒聖誕，帶你認識一下這位菩薩。
New Year's Day is Maitreya's birthday. Let me introduce this Bodhisattva to you.
2021.02.04 宣講於洛杉磯美佛寺
馬上就要過大年了。農曆正月初一是彌勒佛誕，彌勒菩薩的生日。今天我特別跟大家講講彌勒菩薩。彌勒菩薩，又稱作彌勒佛。梵文Maitreya Buddha。英文叫Happy Buddha。也稱『當來下生彌勒佛』。因為現在還在兜率內院修行，還沒有降生到我們這個人世間，所以彌勒菩薩又稱作未來佛，當來下生，還沒有下生到人世間，祂還沒有成佛，還是菩薩的階位，所以稱作『彌勒菩薩』。彌勒菩薩又叫『阿逸多菩薩』，亦名『慈氏菩薩』。因為祂常住在慈心三昧當中，祂的三昧和禪定功夫十分地了得，所以稱為慈氏。根據經典的介紹，彌勒菩薩出生於當時印度的南印度，一個婆羅門的家庭裡面。祂跟釋迦牟尼佛是屬於同時代的人。佛陀成道之後，彌勒菩薩跟隨釋迦如來出家，成為釋迦座下的一個得意的弟子。但是，彌勒菩薩在釋迦入滅之前，祂先行入滅。入滅之後，由於祂的禪定和三昧的功夫，讓祂生到兜率天的內院當中。大家一定要記得，是兜率天的內院，不是外院。如果是外院的話，那是屬於兜率天。兜率天是屬於三界六道當中的一個地方，跟我們娑婆世界任何一個地方沒有差別，都有生老病死，都有輪迴的痛苦。但是兜率內院，它是一個特殊的地方。那裡沒有三界六道的輪迴，那裡沒有生老病死的痛苦。彌勒菩薩就是在這個地方修行。祂作為一生補處菩薩，繼續在兜率內院修行。根據彌勒三經的說法，以後因緣成熟的時候，也就是要經過五十六億七千萬年的時間，彌勒菩薩將會從兜率內院下生到我們這個人世間，繼續紹隆佛種，繼承釋迦如來之佛位。祂的降生、祂的出家、祂的成道，乃至祂的說法和涅槃，祂的經歷將會跟釋迦如來沒有兩樣。將來會在龍華樹下成等正覺，以三會說法，廣度無量無邊的眾生。我們大家知道，菩薩度眾生，會示現種種的身份。應以何身得度者，即現何身而為其說法。按照歷史上的記載，在中國梁朝的時候，就是在五代時期。那個時候有一個布袋和尚。據說這個布袋和尚，就是彌勒菩薩的化身。怎麼回事呢？這個布袋和尚是屬於現在的寧波奉化人，算是我的半個老鄉。離溫州特別近。據說這個布袋和尚身體特別胖，肚子長得特別大，到處雲遊。祂的境界很高，走到哪裡，睡到哪裡，哪裡都可以睡覺。他常常用他的錫杖挑著一個布袋，然後到菜市場裡面去，見到東西就向人家乞討。別人供養的東西，他都會把這些供養的東西放進布袋裡面。但是奇怪的是，從來沒有人見他把東西倒出來。但是布袋都是空空的，裡面甚麼東西都沒有。假如有人向他請問佛法，他就會把布袋放下，如果你還不明白他的意思，繼續再問的話，那他就立刻又提起布袋，頭也不回地就離開了。人家還是不理會他的意思，他就在那裡自娛自樂，捧腹大笑。這個在佛門當中，放下布袋，有很深的意思。因為我們凡夫眾生，我們大家都是提得起、放不下的人，我們不願意放下，不願意放下我們身上的包袱，不願意放下我們的煩惱。彌勒菩薩告訴我們，放下煩惱，何等自在。這個布袋和尚為甚麼會捧腹大笑呢？他是笑我們凡夫眾生愚癡顛倒，笑我們世間可笑之人。我們大家都是可笑之人，也都是可憐之人。我們不明因果，不明事理。對於因果我們不相信，由於過去的煩惱驅使，今生造業不斷，來生受苦無間。對於惑、業、苦不明白。但是菩薩度化眾生，可謂是用心良苦。遺憾的是，我們眾生頑固剛強，不聽勸誡，誰都拿我們沒有辦法。這個布袋和尚，在他圓寂之前，留了一個偈誦。這個偈誦是這樣的：彌勒真彌勒，化身千百億。時時示時人，時人自不識。說完之後，這個布袋和尚就安然入滅。現在寺院流行的彌勒菩薩，尤其是我們漢傳寺院的彌勒菩薩的造型和塑像，都是按照這個五代時期的布袋和尚去塑造的。這個布袋和尚笑容可掬，我們大家看了之後感覺到和藹可親。供奉在寺院的山門口。我們大家一進寺院的大門，彌勒菩薩就給我們一種特別親切的感覺。讓我們感覺好像回到了自己的家。彌勒菩薩身邊會有一對對聯，掛在彌勒佛像的兩邊。對聯上寫著：『大肚能容，容天下難容之事。開口便笑，笑世間可笑之人。』我有時候靜下來想想自己，想想自己過去所做的事情，回顧我的前半生，真的有時候感覺到可笑之極。好在今生我們大家有機會聽聞佛法，我們作為一個佛弟子，我們祈求將來龍華三會再相逢，我們祈求能夠常常守護在三寶的旁邊，時常可以聽聞佛法。將來彌勒佛下生人世間，我們可以繼續聞法修行。在這裡我祈求彌勒菩薩加持大家，身心自在，法喜充滿。祈求大家在彌勒菩薩的加被攝受之下，我們人人都能夠像彌勒菩薩那樣，身心自在樂逍遙。南無當來下生彌勒尊佛（三稱）

[@ziyuzhang9371]

感恩师父慈悲开示！阿弥陀佛

[@yixinpoh4577]

阿彌陀佛感恩师父

[@ggsherry1990]

感恩师父讲解开始~

[@AmericanBuddhistFellowship]

New Year is coming soon. Lunar January 1st is Maitreya Buddha Day, the birthday of Maitreya Bodhisattva. Today I will focus on talking about Maitreya Bodhisattva. Maitreya Bodhisattva is also called Maitreya Buddha. In Sanskrit it's Maitreya Buddha. In English it's Happy Buddha. He's also called "sure-to-come Maitreya Buddha". Because he is still cultivating in the inner courtyard of Tusita and has not yet been born into our world, Maitreya Bodhisattva is also called the future Buddha. He will surely come, but has not yet been born into the world, has not yet become a Buddha, and is still a Bodhisattva, so he is called "Maitreya Bodhisattva". Maitreya Bodhisattva is also called "Ajita Bodhisattva", also known as "Mercy Bodhisattva". Because he always dwells in the samadhi of mercy, and his samadhi and meditation abilities are very good, he is called Mercy Bodhisattva. According to sutras, Maitreya Bodhisattva was born in a Brahmin family in South India. He and Buddha Shakyamuni were in the same era. After the Buddha became enlightened, Maitreya Bodhisattva became a monk following Shakya Tathagata, and became a great disciple of Shakyamuni. However, Maitreya Bodhisattva went into Nirvana before Shakyamuni. After entering Nirvana, due to his meditation and samadhi abilities, he was born into the inner courtyard of the Tusita Heaven. Remember, it is the inner courtyard of Tusita Heaven, not the outer courtyard. If it is the outer courtyard, then it belongs to Tusita. Tusita is a place in the Three Worlds and Six Realms, and is no difference from any place in our Samsara World. There is also birth, aging, sickness, and death, and the pain of reincarnation. However, the inner courtyard of Tusita is a special place. There is no reincarnation of the Three Worlds and Six Realms, and there is no suffering of birth, aging, sickness and death. Maitreya Bodhisattva is cultivating in this place. As a Bodhisattva waiting to achieve the Buddhahood in this life, he continues to cultivate in the inner courtyard of Tusita. According to the Three Sutras of Maitreya, when the cause and condition are mature in the future, which is, in 5.67 billion years, Maitreya Bodhisattva will be born from the inner courtyard to our world, continue to promote Buddhism, and inherit the Buddha status of Shakyamuni Tathagata. His birth, his renunciation, his enlightenment, even his Dharma talks and Nirvana, all his experience will be no different from that of Shakyamuni Tathagata. In the future, he will be enlightened under the Dragon Flower Tree, deliver three lectures, and enlighten unlimited beings. We all know that when a Bodhisattva enlightens sentient beings, he will show various roles. Whichever role a being should be enlightened by, a Bodhisattva will play that role to enlighten the being. According to historical records, during the Liang Dynasty in China, during the Five Dynasties Period, there was a bag-carrying monk at that time. It is said he was an incarnation of Maitreya Bodhisattva. So what happened? He was in a place which currently is Fenghua, Ningbo, he was a half fellow to me, as it is very close to Wenzhou. It is said that this bag-carrying monk was very fat with a very big belly, and he wandered everywhere. His state is very high, and he could sleep wherever he went, at any place. He often carried a cloth bag with his pewter staff, and went to the market and begged for things he saw. When people offered things to him, he would put the things into the cloth bag. While the strange thing was that no one had ever seen him pour things out. However the cloth bag was always empty, with nothing inside. If someone asked him about Dharma, he would put down the cloth bag. If people still didn't understand what he meant, and continue to ask, then he would immediately grab the cloth bag and leave without hesitation. If people still didn't understand what he meant, he would just entertain himself and burst into laughter. In Buddhism, putting down the cloth bag has a deep meaning. Because all our ordinary beings can only take things but can't let go. We don't want to let go, we don't want to let go of things we are carrying, and we don't want to let go of our afflictions. Maitreya Bodhisattva told us that it would be so comfortable after letting go of our afflictions. Why does this bag-carrying monk burst into laughter? He laughed at us ordinary beings for our ignorance and inversion, laughed at the ridiculous people in our world. We are all ridiculous people, and we are all poor people. We don't know cause and effect, nor are we sensible. We don't believe in cause and effect. We are driven by the afflictions of the past to continue to create karma in this life and suffer endlessly in future lives. We do not understand affliction, activity, and suffering. However Bodhisattvas enlighten sentient beings with good intentions. Unfortunately, our beings are stubborn and obstinate, and don't listen to advice. No one can do anything with us. The bag-carrying monk left a verse before he passed away. This verse is like this: Maitreya is the true Maitreya, incarnate in hundreds of billions. Manifest to people all the time, while people don't see. After saying this verse, the bag-carrying monk passed away peacefully. The popular Maitreya Bodhisattva in temples, especially in our Chinese temples, the looks and statues of Maitreya Bodhisattva, are all shaped according to the bag-carrying monk in the Five Dynasties Period. The bag-carrying monk had a big smile on his face, and people all feel amiable when seeing him. Maitreya Bodhisattva is enshrined at the front gate of the temple, and as soon as we enter the gate, he gives us a particularly cordial feeling and makes us feel as if we are back home. There is a pair of couplets next to Maitreya Bodhisattva, hanging on the two sides of the Maitreya Buddha statue. The couplet reads: "The big belly can tolerate things hard to tolerate in the world. The laughing mouth is to laugh at the ridiculous people in the world." Sometimes I calm down and think about myself, think about what I have done in the past, and look back on my life to date, I do sometimes feel it's really ridiculous. Fortunately, we have the opportunity to listen to Dharma in this life. As Buddhist disciples, we pray that in the future, at his three lectures under the Dragon Flower tree, we can meet Maitreya Buddha again, and we pray that we can always stay with the Triple Jewels and hear Dharma. In the future, when Maitreya Buddha are born into the world, we can continue to listen to Dharma and cultivate. Here I pray that Maitreya Bodhisattva will bless you to be well and happy physically and mentally, and full of Dharmic joy. I pray that with Maitreya Bodhisattva's blessing and empowerment, all of us can be well and happy physically and mentally, like Maitreya Bodhisattva. I take refuge in honorable sure-to-come Maitreya Buddha. (three times)

[@wehkengtiu1760]

彌勒佛不是中國的布袋和尚