【尊者斯里沙拉南加拉长老对清明节的开示】 29-03-2023
清明节,在这个慎终追远、悼念先人的日子,很多人会选择扫墓和拜祭,以对祖先表达缅怀纪念。
其实清明节与佛教本没有特别关系,但因汉地佛教徒重视孝道,有慎终追远的习惯,故佛教传入中国后,报父母恩与中国传统孝道最为吻合,许多佛教徒扫墓之余,也前往佛寺持戒,供僧,禅修等及行其他善行,以此功德回向先人。
那么佛陀对功德回向 (𝙋𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙙𝙖𝙣𝙖) 于已故者有何开示?
喬達摩佛陀在到访王舍城时,世尊对宾比萨勒王国王开示了这部【墙外经】或《关于向已故者回授功德的经》。分享功德的佛教仪式最初是随着宾毗沙罗王的故事而建立的。
”【墙外经】是在佛陀到访王舍城的第三天被宣说的。前一天晚上,无形众生在宾比萨拉斯宫闹得沸沸扬扬。在弗沙佛时代,他们曾是受托为佛陀及其比丘分发供养品的任务的侍者,但他们疏忽了自己的职责,将一些布施据为己有。结果,他们长期在炼狱受苦。迦叶佛时代,迦叶尊者告诉他们,未来,曾经是他们亲戚的宾比萨勒会供养乔达摩佛,并将功德回向给他们。这一刻他们等了很久,当无形众生未能如愿以偿时,他们发出了异议。
国王随之请示喬達摩佛陀,佛陀向宾比萨勒王国王做了开示,后者随即以供养佛陀僧团的名义回向功德给无形众生,从而真正资益到已故者,使他们获得安乐。
尊者沙拉南加拉长老道,“虽然清明节慎终追远、悼念先人的实践最初并不是佛教传统,但几个世纪以来它一直保存于中华佛教徒社区里。佛陀教导说,我们对父母和亲戚的责任不会随着他们的离世而结束。在他们圆寂之后,我们能继续以善行、高尚的行为来纪念往生至亲,续而把功德回向于他们。”
根据佛陀的开示,通过我们的善行和功德回向,可利益过世的亲人。行者行善积德;当功德回向已故至亲时,对他们也有所帮助。
𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐟 𝐑𝐞𝐯. 𝐁. 𝐒𝐫𝐢 𝐒𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐚𝐫𝐚 𝐌𝐚𝐡𝐚 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐚 𝐌𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐐𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐚𝐲 – 29 March 2023
Qing Ming Day, on the commemoration of the ancestors, many peoples choose to go tomb-sweeping and worship at temples to express their memory of their ancestors.
In fact, Tomb Sweeping Day (Qing Ming) has nothing to do with Buddhism, but because Han Buddhism values filial piety and has the habit of commemorate ancestors. After Buddhism was introduced to China, repaying one’s parents is most consistent with traditional Chinese filial piety. Besides, tomb sweeping, many Buddhists go to the temples for dhamma services, offering alms to Sangha members, observing sila, meditation, perform wholesome deeds and thereafter dedicate the merits with their ancestors.
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐁𝐮𝐝𝐝𝐡𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐬 (𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐚) 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐞?
𝗧𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗸𝘂𝗱𝗱𝗮 𝗦𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗮 or (𝑫𝒊𝒔𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑻𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒔𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝑶𝒇 𝑴𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒔 𝑻𝒐 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑫𝒆𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝑶𝒏𝒆𝒔) was expounded by the Buddha to King Bimbisara during one of His visits to Rajagaha. The Buddhist ritual of dedicate merits was first established with the story of King Bimbisara.
Tirokudda Sutta was preached on the third day of the Buddha visit to Rajagaha. A night before that, unsatisfied beings had made a great outcry in King Bimbisara palace. In the time of Phussa Buddha, these beings had been workmen entrusted with the task of distributing alms to the Buddha and his monks, but they neglected their duties and had appropriated some of the offering for themselves. As a result, they suffered for a long period and became unsatisfied unseen beings during Kassapa Buddha’s period. Kassapa Buddha asked them to wait for Gauthama Buddha’s time when King Bimbisara, their one-time relative, gathers merit for them by offering alms to the Buddha. It was said that some unsatisfied beings who were King Bimbisara’s departed kinsmen made a great uproar in the palace because the King had failed to dedicate merits to them.
The Gautama Buddha explained that to King Bimbisara who thereupon gave alms in the names of the departed ones, thus benefited them and making them peace.
“Although Qing Ming was not originally a Buddhist tradition, it has nevertheless been observed by Chinese Buddhist members for centuries. The Buddha taught that our duties towards parents and relatives do not end with their passing away. After their demise, we may continue to honour them by performing wholesome and noble deeds, thereafter dedicate the merits to them.”
According to Buddha’s teaching, It is through our wholesome deeds and the dedication of merits that our departed relatives can truly being benefited. Performing noble deeds is beneficial to the doer; and when the merits are dedicated to departed one, it supports them as well.