……今天想用佛陀的一些故事來與大家共勉。這些故事出自於《大智度論》卷二十七釋經（《涅槃經》）：
我們都知道佛有很高的風範，境界如虛空。如經云「佛以一切種智斷煩惱習」，「若劫盡時火燒三千大千世界無復遺餘，火力大故。佛一切智火亦如是。燒諸煩惱，無復殘習。」也就是說佛的智慧之火，像我們一個劫將要結束時，那個火燒三千大千世界那樣子燒得一乾二淨。因為火力很大。佛的智慧之火也像這種劫末之火一樣，能把一個人的一切餘習都給燒得一乾二淨。
「又復旃遮婆羅門女。帶盂謗佛。」一個婆羅門女拿一個盆子裝大肚子，譭謗說都是佛做的好事。「佛無慚色。」也沒有慚愧的臉色；「事情既露，佛無悅色。」等事情真相弄清楚了，佛也沒有因此而高興。「轉法輪時，讚美之聲滿於十方，心亦不高。」當佛轉法輪說法的時候，讚美的聲音滿十方界，也不生貢高心。
另外，「佛在阿羅毗國度，風寒，居處多荊棘，佛於中坐臥，不以為苦。」他能安然跏趺而坐，或吉祥而臥，而不覺得苦。「又在天上歡喜園中，夏安居時，坐劍婆石，柔軟清潔，如天綩綖，亦不以為樂。」天上歡喜園有一塊石頭上，柔軟清潔，佛坐在上面，也沒有覺得這是快樂。「受大天王跽奉天食，不以為美。」吃到天王供養的天上的美味珍饈，他不以為是美食。那麼在「毗蘭若國食馬麥，不以為惡。」在毗蘭若國吃馬所吃的東西，佛也不覺得這是一種粗食。「諸大國王供奉上饌，不以為得。」當諸大國王們供奉好吃的東西給他吃時，佛也沒有覺得這是我自己該得的供養。「入薩羅聚落，空缽而出，不以為失。」在薩羅聚落托缽乞食，想不到空缽而出，佛不會為此失魂落魄。「提婆達多於耆闍崛山推石壓佛，佛亦不憎。」我們都知道提婆達多在一座山上，把石頭推下去要把佛壓死，但是佛也不憎恨提婆達多。「是時羅侯羅敬心讚佛，佛亦不愛。」佛的兒子羅侯羅以恭敬心讚美佛說，「您很偉大！」佛並不因此生出愛心。「阿闍世從諸醉象，欲令害佛，佛亦不畏。」阿闍世王曾經放出五隻醉象來，準備把佛給踩死，佛也不怕。「降伏狂象」，佛伸出五隻手指化成五隻雄獅鎮住狂象。
反觀佛的一切弟子，雖然證了果還有餘習在。「如難陀婬欲習故，雖得阿羅漢道，於男女大眾中坐，眼光視女眾，而與言語說法。如舍利弗瞋習故，聞佛言舍利弗食不淨食，即便吐食，終不復受請。」這是講難陀尊者雖然證了阿羅漢果，可是往昔的這種婬欲習氣的關係，每次在大眾中講法時，眼睛一定要先看看女眾，然後才開始講法。舍利弗尊者因瞋習的緣故，聽見佛說他，「你現在吃的東西很不乾淨」，他馬上把東西都吐出來了，再也不受人家供養了。「如摩訶迦葉瞋習故，佛滅度後集法時，敕令阿難八突吉羅罪懺悔」，一種比較輕的罪懺悔，「而復自牽阿難手出，不共汝漏未盡不淨人集法」，而後牽著阿難尊者的手走出去，他說你有漏，你不淨，沒有斷欲漏，你不能跟我們一起來結集經藏。
總結一下，為什麼說這些呢？就是六度之中忍辱最難修。我們看每一個人，觀他所行，聽他所言，基本上就能知道這個人的格局在哪裏了。而一個人假如在忍辱關能夠突破的話，那麼，世間人往往就能成就他的王者之業，出世間人就能奠定自己成就道業，成就娑婆世界法中王的堅實基礎。
還有一兩分鐘時間，個人回顧一下這次禪七。按往例，專習禪的人專心參禪，不司雜務。今年個人比較幸運，大部份時間無雜緣之擾，但是和師兄弟比起來，精進方面不如他們，在早上還會漏兩、三枝香。師兄弟們都能自始至終，早上兩點半就起來，我想師兄弟在這方面對學人是一個很好的砥礪。
Another time, there was the woman Chinca-Manavika. She feigned pregnancy by placing a basin on her belly beneath her clothes. She then went around slandering the Buddha, saying that the Buddha had made her pregnant. The Buddha was not angered with her, nor did he show a happy appearance after the truth was revealed and things were clarified.”
We can also take a look at some of the Buddha’s disciples. Although they had certified to the fruition of sages, they still had some residual habits. Because Ven. Nanda had the residual habit of lust, after he certified to Arhartship, when in the assembly he would always look at the women’s side first before speaking the Dharma. Shariputra still had the residual habit of anger. When Shariputra heard the Buddha tell him that what he was eating was dirty, he vomited immediately. Hence he refused to go on to receive the offering. Mahakashyapa, because his residual habit of anger, ordered Ven. Ananda to repent of his eight kinds of dushkrita offenses [minor offenses in the Bhikshu Precepts] during the compilation of the Dharma after the Buddha’s nirvana. Then he said to Ananda while taking his hand to lead him out, “We are not going to compile the Dharma with someone like you who is impure, whose outflows are still not cut off.”