[最美的供養]—貧女施燈
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願望是力量的推手，願的大小不可思議，
願能對抗業力，消弭一切怨恨，光明超越一切。
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在佛陀時代，舍衛國中 有一個貧困孤苦的貧女，由於她生活貧窮，因此以流浪乞討維生。生命對她而言，只有卑微與貧賤，以及毫無希望的明天。
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然而，一個因緣改變了她……。
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那天，在蕭颯的寒風中，貧女用哆嗦的雙手乞討了整日，終於得到了一文錢，這是她用來裹腹支撐生命的唯一。
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但是，燃燈供佛的消息，震憾了她的心！目睹舍衛城的王臣百姓，虔誠的用種種名貴香油、精製華燈點燃光明供養佛陀，貧女不禁心生讚歎：「佛陀住世多麼希有難得啊！」
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此時，點燈供佛的心願，就像一株幼苗快速的在她心中生長起來。「多麼令人慚愧啊！因為過去少植善因，所以今生如此貧窮困苦。」她握緊手中僅有的一文錢，如果沒有這文錢，今夜又要在飢餓中度過寒夜，但是她想點燈供佛的心卻是如此堅定。
.
這微薄的一文錢，只能買最粗糙、最少量的油。賣油的老販見她食不得飽，卻願意為了點燈供佛而忍耐飢寒，心中深受感動，不禁多加了幾倍的油，助成了她的心願。
.
黑夜來臨了！上至王宮貴族，下至平民百姓，無不以至誠的心點燃供佛的燈；如同一條光明的河流，照亮著舍衛城。貧女難陀也在人群中，恭敬的點起油燈。
.
當微弱的燈火點燃在黑夜中，卑微的生命彷彿也隨著燈光而改變，貧女感受到前所未有的富足與安樂。她在心中許下心願：「願此光明照徹十方，令一切有情皆得出離生死苦海，得無上大樂！」
.
隨著黎明到來，不可思議的事情卻發生了！不論再珍貴的油燈，都耐不住長夜而油盡燈枯，所有的燈火都已燃盡，或被目蓮尊者吹熄。唯有貧女的燈，縱使傾最大的神通也無法熄滅，目蓮尊者簡直驚訝極了！是誰點燃的燈火？即使傾聲聞聖者的智慧神通亦不能熄滅！
.
「目蓮，供養這盞燈的主人，發了救度眾生的大願。即使引取四大海水來灌注，也無法將之熄滅。因為，這是一盞用至誠大願點燃的燈，由於至誠懇切，所以燈明無盡。
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#貧女施燈 #供養 #功德 #願望
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The most beautiful offering — A Poor Woman’s Light Offering
Aspiration gives strength and is the driving force; it’s magnitude can gives unfathomable results.
Aspiration can resist karmic force, eliminate all resentment and illuminate all.
During the Buddha’s time, in the city of Sravasti, there lived a impoverished lonely woman. As she was poor, she lived a vagrant life begging for food or spare change and there was no hope for her future.
However, a predestined relationship changes her life.
One day in the midst of a fiercely cold wind, using her weak and trembling hands, she begged for an entire day, finally receiving one small coin. With this coin she could only afford to buy a small morsel of food to support her life.
However, the news of offering light to the Buddha inspired her. Seeing everyone in the city, including the royal family, officials, and commoners using all kinds of valuable oil and exquisite decorated lamps to make light offerings to Buddha with devotion and sincerity, she couldn’t help but joyously praised all the devotees; the wish to make an offering to the Buddha also arose in her mind.
She thought, “The manifestation of the Buddha in this world is so rare and precious. I should really make use of this opportunity to make an offering to the Buddha”.
Such a desire resembles a young seeding quickly growing in her heart. “What a shame, because in my past I did not cultivate any merit, so in this life I am poor and miserable. Even if I would really like to make an offering, I don’t have anything special to offer!”
As she looked at the lone coin sitting in her hand, she knew that if she didn’t spend it on food for herself she would have to pass another long, endless night in hunger and cold. And yet, her vow to make a light offering to the Buddha remained strong and resolute.
Using that one small coin, she could only afford to buy the smallest amount of the crudest oil. However, her sincerity was much brighter than the light emitting from any lamps.
When the shopkeeper who was selling the oil saw how she was willing to suffer through another long and cold night in order to make an offering to the Buddha, he became so moved that he could not resist giving her several times more oil than what she had paid for, so as to help her achieve her dream.
As darkness descended upon the city, all the townsfolk, from the lords up in the imperial palace down to the commoners on the streets, with their hearts full of sincerity, illuminated their lamps for the Buddha. The lamps dazzled like a sparkling river and lit up the entire city of Sravasti. The penniless women was in the midst of that crowd, respectfully lighting her oil lamp.
When the very ordinary oil lamp of hers lighted up in the middle of the night, it was as if her own low and insignificant life was also being lit up. At that moment, she experienced an extraordinary feeling of richness and happiness. In her heart, she made a great vow: “I wish that this light may pervade through the ten directions, guiding every sentient beings out of the miserable sea of birth and death to the path of supreme peace and happiness.”
With the arrival of dawn, an unimaginable thing happened! All the oil lamps, no matter how precious, had already been extinguished from burning throughout the night or were blown out by Maudgalyayana, who was in charge of keeping watch on the lamps. However, the lamp offered by the penniless woman was still shining brightly. Even after exhausting every type of method for extinguishing the light, Maudgalyayana, who had the greatest supernatural powers out of all Buddha’s disciples, still could not put it out. He was astonished: “Whose lamp is this that is still burning? Even with my supernatural powers, I cannot put it out!”
The Buddha, who was present at the time said: “Maudgalyayana, the person who offered this lamp made a great vow to save all sentient beings. Even if you used all the water in the four great oceans, you would still not be able to extinguish this lamp. This lamp was lit using a great, compassionate vow, and because she was full of sincerity, the light radiating from this lamp is inexhaustible.”
#APoorWoman’sLightOffering, #Offerings, #Merit, #GreatVowrnrn[最美的供養]—貧女施燈
.
願望是力量的推手，願的大小不可思議，
願能對抗業力，消弭一切怨恨，光明超越一切。
.
———————————————————————————————–
在佛陀時代，舍衛國中 有一個貧困孤苦的貧女，由於她生活貧窮，因此以流浪乞討維生。生命對她而言，只有卑微與貧賤，以及毫無希望的明天。
.
然而，一個因緣改變了她……。
.
那天，在蕭颯的寒風中，貧女用哆嗦的雙手乞討了整日，終於得到了一文錢，這是她用來裹腹支撐生命的唯一。
.
但是，燃燈供佛的消息，震憾了她的心！目睹舍衛城的王臣百姓，虔誠的用種種名貴香油、精製華燈點燃光明供養佛陀，貧女不禁心生讚歎：「佛陀住世多麼希有難得啊！」
.
此時，點燈供佛的心願，就像一株幼苗快速的在她心中生長起來。「多麼令人慚愧啊！因為過去少植善因，所以今生如此貧窮困苦。」她握緊手中僅有的一文錢，如果沒有這文錢，今夜又要在飢餓中度過寒夜，但是她想點燈供佛的心卻是如此堅定。
.
這微薄的一文錢，只能買最粗糙、最少量的油。賣油的老販見她食不得飽，卻願意為了點燈供佛而忍耐飢寒，心中深受感動，不禁多加了幾倍的油，助成了她的心願。
.
黑夜來臨了！上至王宮貴族，下至平民百姓，無不以至誠的心點燃供佛的燈；如同一條光明的河流，照亮著舍衛城。貧女難陀也在人群中，恭敬的點起油燈。
.
當微弱的燈火點燃在黑夜中，卑微的生命彷彿也隨著燈光而改變，貧女感受到前所未有的富足與安樂。她在心中許下心願：「願此光明照徹十方，令一切有情皆得出離生死苦海，得無上大樂！」
.
隨著黎明到來，不可思議的事情卻發生了！不論再珍貴的油燈，都耐不住長夜而油盡燈枯，所有的燈火都已燃盡，或被目蓮尊者吹熄。唯有貧女的燈，縱使傾最大的神通也無法熄滅，目蓮尊者簡直驚訝極了！是誰點燃的燈火？即使傾聲聞聖者的智慧神通亦不能熄滅！
.
「目蓮，供養這盞燈的主人，發了救度眾生的大願。即使引取四大海水來灌注，也無法將之熄滅。因為，這是一盞用至誠大願點燃的燈，由於至誠懇切，所以燈明無盡。
.
.
#貧女施燈 #供養 #功德 #願望
.
.
The most beautiful offering — A Poor Woman’s Light Offering
Aspiration gives strength and is the driving force; it’s magnitude can gives unfathomable results.
Aspiration can resist karmic force, eliminate all resentment and illuminate all.
During the Buddha’s time, in the city of Sravasti, there lived a impoverished lonely woman. As she was poor, she lived a vagrant life begging for food or spare change and there was no hope for her future.
However, a predestined relationship changes her life.
One day in the midst of a fiercely cold wind, using her weak and trembling hands, she begged for an entire day, finally receiving one small coin. With this coin she could only afford to buy a small morsel of food to support her life.
However, the news of offering light to the Buddha inspired her. Seeing everyone in the city, including the royal family, officials, and commoners using all kinds of valuable oil and exquisite decorated lamps to make light offerings to Buddha with devotion and sincerity, she couldn’t help but joyously praised all the devotees; the wish to make an offering to the Buddha also arose in her mind.
She thought, “The manifestation of the Buddha in this world is so rare and precious. I should really make use of this opportunity to make an offering to the Buddha”.
Such a desire resembles a young seeding quickly growing in her heart. “What a shame, because in my past I did not cultivate any merit, so in this life I am poor and miserable. Even if I would really like to make an offering, I don’t have anything special to offer!”
As she looked at the lone coin sitting in her hand, she knew that if she didn’t spend it on food for herself she would have to pass another long, endless night in hunger and cold. And yet, her vow to make a light offering to the Buddha remained strong and resolute.
Using that one small coin, she could only afford to buy the smallest amount of the crudest oil. However, her sincerity was much brighter than the light emitting from any lamps.
When the shopkeeper who was selling the oil saw how she was willing to suffer through another long and cold night in order to make an offering to the Buddha, he became so moved that he could not resist giving her several times more oil than what she had paid for, so as to help her achieve her dream.
As darkness descended upon the city, all the townsfolk, from the lords up in the imperial palace down to the commoners on the streets, with their hearts full of sincerity, illuminated their lamps for the Buddha. The lamps dazzled like a sparkling river and lit up the entire city of Sravasti. The penniless women was in the midst of that crowd, respectfully lighting her oil lamp.
When the very ordinary oil lamp of hers lighted up in the middle of the night, it was as if her own low and insignificant life was also being lit up. At that moment, she experienced an extraordinary feeling of richness and happiness. In her heart, she made a great vow: “I wish that this light may pervade through the ten directions, guiding every sentient beings out of the miserable sea of birth and death to the path of supreme peace and happiness.”
With the arrival of dawn, an unimaginable thing happened! All the oil lamps, no matter how precious, had already been extinguished from burning throughout the night or were blown out by Maudgalyayana, who was in charge of keeping watch on the lamps. However, the lamp offered by the penniless woman was still shining brightly. Even after exhausting every type of method for extinguishing the light, Maudgalyayana, who had the greatest supernatural powers out of all Buddha’s disciples, still could not put it out. He was astonished: “Whose lamp is this that is still burning? Even with my supernatural powers, I cannot put it out!”
The Buddha, who was present at the time said: “Maudgalyayana, the person who offered this lamp made a great vow to save all sentient beings. Even if you used all the water in the four great oceans, you would still not be able to extinguish this lamp. This lamp was lit using a great, compassionate vow, and because she was full of sincerity, the light radiating from this lamp is inexhaustible.”
#APoorWoman’sLightOffering, #Offerings, #Merit, #GreatVow
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