【光目女救母】

 

"Stories from the Month of Filial Piety": Guangmu Saves Her Mother in Her Past Life, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva in Her Present Life (光目女救母)

Xinyou | August 25, 2007

 

Shakyamuni Buddha said that in the past, there was a woman named Guangmu who offered food to an enlightened arhat on her mother's death anniversary and asked him to observe her mother's whereabouts after death.

The arhat, observing through meditation, discovered that Guangmu's mother was suffering in the lower realms.

He asked Guangmu, "What did your mother do in her lifetime? Why do you see her suffering?"

 

Guangmu replied, "My mother loved to eat fish roe, either fried or boiled. She killed countless lives, did not believe in cause and effect, and slandered saints and sages.

 

Venerable Sir, how can I relieve my mother's suffering?"

 

The arhat instructed Guangmu, "If you sincerely and earnestly contemplate the Buddha's image, both the living and the dead will benefit."

Guangmu did as instructed, constantly offering respectful food and weeping as she gazed at the Buddha's image.

One night, Guangmu dreamed of a Buddha who told her, "Your mother will soon be reborn into your family, and will be able to speak from birth."

Sure enough, not long after, Guangmu's maid gave birth to a son who began to speak after three days.

He told Guangmu, "The karma of birth and death is the result of one's own actions.

 

I am your mother. After my death, I fell into hell and suffered.

 

Fortunately, thanks to the merits of your recitation of the Buddha's name and the image of his portrait, I was able to be reborn as a servant.

However, my bad karma has not yet been exhausted, and I will die at the age of thirteen, suffering in the evil realms. Please find a way to save me."

 

Guangmu knew her mother was not at fault and was deeply saddened.

She asked, "Do you know why you are suffering so much?" The maid's son replied, "It's the retribution for killing and slandering others."

Overwhelmed with grief, Guangmu vowed to travel through the hells and evil realms of the ten directions to rescue suffering beings.

She would not attain Buddhahood until all beings in the evil realms had attained Buddhahood.

She also wished her mother eternal freedom from the evil realms, never to suffer again.

(誓願─願到十方世界的地獄、惡道裡，救拔受苦眾生，直到所有惡道眾生全部成佛後，才願成佛；但願母親永離惡道，不再受苦。)

 

As soon as she made this wish, she heard the Buddha's voice praising her filial piety and great aspiration.

 

The Buddha then said, "Because of you, your mother will be reborn as a practitioner after this life.

 

After living for a hundred years, she will be reborn in the Land of No Worry,

 

where she will enjoy an immeasurable life span and ultimately attain Buddhahood to save all beings."

 

Shakyamuni Buddha said that the Guangmu girl of the past is the present-day Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.

 

Q1, filial piety ➊忠 ➋孝  ➌仁

 

Q2, Shakyamuni Buddha

       ➊佛陀  ➋孔子  ➌耶穌

 

Q3, mother ➊爸爸  ➋媽媽  ➌哥哥

 

Q4, fish ➊雞  ➋鴨  ➌魚

 

Q5, No Worry 

       ➊無奈  ➋無憂  ➌無樂

 

Q6, save all beings 拯救一切

       ➊人類  ➋昆蟲  ➌眾生

《孝道月的故事》前世光目女救母 今世地藏王

                                                       心祐 ｜2007.08.25

 

釋迦牟尼佛說，過去有一位女子名叫光目，在母親祭日時設食供養一位已證道的阿羅漢，並請羅漢觀察母親往生後的去處。羅漢經入定觀察，發覺光目女的母親正在惡道中受苦，便問光目：「你母親生前做過什麼事呢？為何見她正在受苦。」

 

光目回答：「我的母親生前最愛吃魚子，或炒或煮，殺生千萬，還不信因果，詆毀聖賢人。請問尊者，我應當如何解救母親的苦難？」

 

羅漢便教光目：「如果你至誠懇切，念佛畫像，則生者、亡者都會獲得利益。」光目如法照辦，時時恭敬供養，悲泣瞻禮佛的畫像。一天夜裡，光目忽然夢見佛告訴她：「妳的母親不久就會投生汝家，而且從降生起就會言說。」果然不久後，光目家的婢女生下一兒，三天就開口說話，並告訴光目：「生死業緣，果報自受。我是妳的母親，死後墮入地獄受苦，幸好靠妳念佛、畫像的功德，我才得以轉生為下人，但我惡業未盡，十三歲時又將夭折，到惡道受苦，請妳一定要想辦法救我。」

 

光目一聽，知道是她的母親沒有錯，心中非常難過，便問：「你可知自己為什麼會如此受苦無量呢？」，婢女的兒子回答：「以殺害、毀罵兩種行為而受報。」

 

光目聞言內心悲痛不已，隨即發下誓願─願到十方世界的地獄、惡道裡，救拔受苦眾生，直到所有惡道眾生全部成佛後，才願成佛；但願母親永離惡道，不再受苦。

 

此願一發，就聽到佛陀的音聲讚歎她的孝心大願，佛並且說：「妳的母親將因妳，在這一生後轉生為修行人，活了一百歲再轉生至無憂國，壽長不可計算，最後成佛度眾。」

 

釋迦牟尼佛說，過去的光目女，就是現今的地藏菩薩。