四大天王各有八大天将,大家熟悉的韦驮菩萨就是南方增长天王的八大天将之一,居四天王三十二神将之首。有人想成为这样的天将,观世音菩萨就现这样的化身来给他说法。毗沙门是四大天王中的北方天王,印度语叫毗沙门,中国叫多闻天王。寺庙里的天王殿供的四大天王:东方持国天王,身白色持琵琶,守护东胜神洲;南方增长天王,身青色持宝剑,守护南瞻部洲;西方广目天王,身红色手缠蛇,守护西牛货洲;北方多闻天王,身绿色,右手持伞左手执银鼠,守护北俱卢洲。 四大天王曾在佛前发愿:若有人皈依三宝,我即遣三十六位天大将军殷勤护持。你们有没有每个月给他们发工资啊?只要你们不违背皈依三宝的愿,真正领受三宝的教诲依法修行,三十六神将虽然不发工资给他,他也高兴地护持你;如果你懒惰放逸,造恶不行善,不听佛陀教诲自私自利,天大将军也懒得护你,就会远离你。
四大天王里以毗沙门天王威力最大、威德最大,佛教里也有人把毗沙门天王当财神来供的。其实他不是财神,但是所有的财神都归他管,不管东南西北哪个国家的财神都归他管,他是财政部长,所以有人就单供毗沙门天王,想发财就能很快发财,你们以后要想发财就走他的后门。
Eternal （Lecture on the Guan Yin Bodhisattva Universal Door）（47）
By Master Chuanxi
The four Heavenly Kings once made a vow before the Buddha: if someone takes refuge in the Three Jewels, then I will send thirty six great generals of heaven to protect them. Have you ever paid them a salary? As long as you do not go against the vow of taking refuge in the Three Jewels, but practice sincerely according to the teachings of the Three Jewels, the thirty-six great generals of heaven will be happy to protect you even though you do not pay them. However, if you are lazy and undisciplined, do evil deeds instead of anything good and are selfish instead of following the Buddha’s teaching, then the generals will not bother themselves to protect you, but will run away instead.
Vaisravaṇa is the one with the greatest power and merits amongst the four Kings. Some Buddhists also consider him to be the God of Wealth, pray and make offerings to him. In fact, he is not the God of Wealth, yet he is in the charge of all the Gods of Wealth, no matter from which country they are. He is the minister of finance, so some people make offerings to him only in order to be rich. If you want to make a fortune, you can pursue it by his ‘back door’.
——摘自《永恒的甘露》传喜法师开示录
爱出者爱返，福往者福来。随喜转载，功德无量。
