November 11, 2026

Nov 11, 2026

Master Huijing’s Short Teaching about Pure Land (I)

淨土短文 (一) 

Amitabha’s Great Vow of Special Significance - It is called “special in significance” because it is distinguished from the Four Universal Vows, which are general in scope.

Special: extraordinary or distinct.

Significance: intention or purpose.

The special significance of the Great Vow is revealed through the following four points:

1. Standing in the sky.

2. Embracing beings and never abandoning them.

3. Welcome beings at death according to the Nine Grades.

4. Reciting the Buddha’s Name even in the lowest grade of birth.

These four points reveal and illuminate the special significance of the Great Vow.

The Path/Gate of Importance: “Importance” means the essential point, while “gate” means a passage through which one enters. Each individual practice provides a gateway to the essential path of rebirth in the Pure Land. Hence, it is called the “Path of Importance.”

The various good practices of meditative and non-meditative virtue do not constitute the practice of the Great Vow. However, when practitioners of these meditative and non-meditative good practices attain rebirth in the Pure Land, they all do so by relying on the power of the Great Vow.

Although the Great Vow is said to provide a powerful karmic connection for various practices, the 18th Vow is its essential core.

— from the Transmitted Commentary

別意弘願：對總四弘，故名別意。

別：超異。意：意趣。

1.住立空中

2.攝取不捨

3.九品來迎

4.下品念佛。

即是顯彰別意弘願。

要者肝要，門者通入。謂一一行各通淨土之要，故云「要門」。

定散諸善非弘願行；定散諸善往生之時，皆乘「弘願」。

弘願雖謂諸行強緣，第十八願為其要。

(以上《傳通記》)

Namo Amituofo!

November 10, 2026

Nov 10, 2026 

Clarifying Doubts About the Pure Land (II)

淨土釋疑(二)

Answer to Q 53: (continued)

Master Jingzong once expressed this very well. He said:

“A person who truly entrusts himself to Amitabha Buddha’s deliverance, exclusively recites Amitabha Buddha’s Name, and aspires to be reborn in Amitabha’s Pure Land will inevitably be a respectful and humble person. He does not see his own goodness; what he sees is only his own evil. It is like trying to see the light of a candle under the bright sun. If you can still see the candlelight, it means you are still inside a dark room.”

For one who has faith in the person and faith in the Dharma, there is only a deep sense of shame and humility, knowing oneself to be an ordinary being burdened by offenses and caught in birth-and-death. Such a person does not feel that he or she has accomplished any significant spiritual practice.

Under Amitabha Buddha’s deliverance, even when we are able to accomplish something good, we do not regard it as anything remarkable. Thus, in this Dharma path, it is a matter of “I can neither do it, nor do I need to.” We are incapable of accomplishing these practices through our own power; but because Amitabha Buddha has already provided the way of deliverance, our inability is no longer something we need to worry about.

As the saying goes, “All fear is transformed into great peace and security.” This is precisely where that great peace and security lies. Otherwise, it would not truly be a Dharma path of deep and settled entrusting.

續答 Q53:

 淨宗法師有一段話談的很好，他說：「一個真正信受彌陀救度，專稱彌陀佛名，願生彌陀淨土的念佛人，他必定是一個恭敬謙卑的人，他看不到自己的善，他所看到的只是自己的惡；就像在太陽底下看不到蠟燭的光，如果還看到蠟燭的光，就表示還在黑暗的房子裡面。」對於一個信機信法的人，他只有自感慚愧，知道自己是一個罪惡生死的凡夫，他不會覺得自己能有任何修行。在阿彌陀佛的救度之下，即使能做什麼事，也會覺得沒有什麼了不起。所以我們這個法門是「既不能，也不必」，我們做不到，而且因為有阿彌陀佛，做不到也沒掛礙。「一切恐懼為作大安」，大安就在這裡，不然就不是大安心的法門了。 

Namo Amituofo!

November 9, 2026

Nov 9, 2026 

Clarifying Doubts About the Pure Land (II)

淨土釋疑(二)

Question 53: If we focus only on reciting the Buddha’s name, are we not placing too little emphasis on human values and morality?

Answer to Q 53: If we genuinely follow and accord with this Dharma path, we will necessarily come to recognize ourselves as ordinary beings burdened by offenses and caught in birth-and-death. A person who truly realizes this cannot help but become humble and gentle. There is no room for arrogance, conceit, or constant concern with comparing oneself with others. One’s character will naturally begin to change.

Thus, in our Dharma path, even while realizing the ultimate truth, we are able to appreciate the conventional truth; and through understanding the conventional truth, we can enter into the ultimate truth. The two complement and support each other.

The Five Precepts and Ten Wholesome Deeds are the most basic practices for anyone who learns Buddhism. In The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment, the path is divided into the paths of the lower, middle, and superior practitioners. Before attaining Buddhahood, at the very least, one should complete the path of the lower practitioner—that is, maintain a human rebirth. At the minimum, this requires keeping the Five Precepts pure.

Of course, this is a path based on self-power. In the Saha world, if we do not attain Buddhahood in this lifetime, we continue in the next; if not in the next, then in the following one, and so on. In order to continue practicing from lifetime to lifetime, we must maintain a human rebirth and encounter the Dharma in every lifetime. If in any one lifetime we fall into one of the Three Wretched Realms, our practice is interrupted. To regain a human rebirth after falling into the three evil realms depends on whether the karmic conditions from our past lives have matured sufficiently to allow us to be born human again. This is why it is called a difficult path. As Bodhisattva Nagarjuna said, it is “as difficult as climbing to heaven.”

(to be continued tomorrow)

第53問：如果只談念佛，是否太忽視人文、道德的部份了？

答：如果真的相應我們這個法門，一定會相信自己是一個罪惡生死凡夫，一個真正體會到罪惡生死凡夫的人，一定會謙卑柔軟，貢高我慢不起來，也傲慢計較不起來，這樣性情就會轉變。所以我們這個法門，即使是真諦也能體會俗諦，體會俗諦就能進入真諦，是相輔相成的。

五戒十善是一個學佛的人最平常的，《菩提道次第廣論》就有分下士道、中士道、上士道。在還沒有完成佛果之前，最起碼要完成下士道，也就是保持人身，這起碼要五戒清淨。當然這是自力法門，在娑婆世界這輩子沒有完成佛果就下輩子，下輩子沒有完成就下下輩子……，為了生生世世的修行，所以必須生生世世都保持人身遇到佛法，如果有一世墮落到三惡道就無法再繼續了。墮落三惡道要再得人身，就要看他過去世有沒有轉世為人身的緣成熟，所以是難行道。龍樹菩薩才會說：「難如登天」。

Namo Amituofo!

November 8, 2026

Nov 8, 2026

Master Huijing’s Short Dharma Teachings about “The Fear of Death” 

慧淨法師之「 死的恐怖」

Life and death are not two separate things. They are one reality— inseparable, though not identical. They are forever bound together: neither the same nor different.

They are like the two sides of a sheet of paper, one being the front and the other the back; or like the two sides of a coin. Wherever there is birth, there must be death. There is no birth that is free from death. This is why we say that life and death are “one.”

生與死不是兩個東西，生死一如，一如不是一樣，但卻密不可分。永在一起，非同非異。如紙兩面，表裏一如，又如正面與反面，故有生必有死，沒有不死之生，故曰一如。

Namo Amituofo!

November 7, 2026

Nov 7, 2026

Q and A about Practicing Amitabha-Recitation

Part Four - The Mindset and Practice in Daily Life 

念佛實用問答(4) - 日常心行

Question 86: May I aspire to be reborn in the highest tier of the highest grade?

Answer: Rather than making such an aspiration, it is better to entrust yourself entirely to Amitabha Buddha’s deliverance. We do not find such an aspiration expressed by the Pure Land masters throughout history. 

Master Yinguang said, “So long as I can attain rebirth, even the lowest tier of the lowest grade is enough for me!” This, too, means completely letting go of self-reliance and simply following Amitabha Buddha’s compassionate guidance.

86問：我發願要上品上生，可否？

答：不如發願任憑阿彌陀佛救度。歷代淨土祖師未聞如此發願者。

印光大師說：「只要能往生，下品下生足矣！」這也是完全放下自己，一味隨順阿彌陀佛的意思。

Namo Amituofo!

November 6, 2026

Nov 6, 2026

Master Huijing’s Short Dharma Teachings about the Grace of Deliverance 

慧淨法師之救恩法語(二)之愛的心語

I have compassion for you heavenly beings and people even more deeply than parents' care for their children. (from the Infinite Life Sutra)

我哀愍汝等諸天人民，甚於父母念子。《無量壽經》

Namo Amituofo!

November 5, 2026

Nov 5, 2026 

Master Huijing’s Short Dharma Teachings about “What does life look like?” 

慧淨法師之「人生之實相」

Although we may perform acts that appear to be acts of generosity, sadly, we often continue to remember them long afterward, quietly harboring within ourselves a subtle and conceited sense of superiority, i.e. a petty sense of pride . 

雖然做了似乎布施的行為，但可悲的是無論到了何時，總是留著記憶，並且在心中悄然存著卑賤之自負。

Namo Amituofo!