淨土宗溫哥華念佛會 Vancouver Pure Land Buddhism Amitabha-Recitation Association
Oct 31, 2021
上人法語
淨宗傳承之第十八願
In the Pure Land School and as an Amitabha-reciter, the importance of the 18th Vow is fundamental, absolute, and indispensable. With this vow the Pure Land School exists, without it, it would not. According to this vow, rebirth is assured, otherwise it is not.
對淨土宗和念佛人而言,第十八願之價值與重要,是根本性的、絕對性的,是不可或缺、無可替代的。有此願則有淨土宗,無此願則無淨土宗;依此願則往生決定,不依此願則往生不定。
Namo Amituofo!
Oct 30, 2021
淨土小常識
Name and body are the same, one entity - “Name” means Namo Amituofo, the six-character great Name; “body” means the body of Amitabha Buddha. Amitabha’s six-character Name and Amitabha’s Buddha-body are one. Thus, it is one as two and two as one. They are together, like two sides of a coin.
The Name is Amitabha Buddha, and Amitabha is the Name. It is just like a piece of paper with two sides. If there were no front of the sheet, there could be no back of the sheet. This is called “Name and body are the same, one entity”.
名體一如 - 「名」是指「南無阿彌陀佛」六字洪名,「體」是指阿彌陀佛本身;彌陀六字名號跟阿彌陀佛的佛體、佛身是一而二、二而一,是在一起的,是一體的兩面,所以叫作「一如」。也就是名號的本身就是阿彌陀佛的本身,而阿彌陀佛的本身也就是名號,好像一張紙,有正面,有反面,離開了正面沒有反面,離開了反面沒有正面,這叫「名體一如」。
Namo Amituofo!
Oct 29, 2021
上人法語
淨土信仰
To offer kindness is to render joy. To render joy means to share the joy of becoming a Buddha. Compassion means freeing them from suffering, i.e. to rescue them from the suffering of reincarnation within the Six Realms. The only teaching that truly frees all of us from suffering in the Six Realms, and gives us the joy of becoming a Buddha, is the teaching of Amitabha-recitation. In this respect, by propagating this teaching, we are sharing the greatest kindness, compassion, and the infinite power of Amitabha’s 18th Vow.
「慈」就是「與樂」,「與樂」就是給他「成佛之樂」。「悲」就是「拔苦」,拔他六道輪迴之苦。所以真正能夠給他拔六道之苦、與成佛之樂的,就只有念佛法門了,這樣說來,弘揚這一個法門,豈不就是一個大慈悲大願力的法門?
Namo Amituofo!
Oct 28, 2021
善導大師《法事讚》「念佛佛現」之偈:
While reciting Amitabha’s Name without interruption,
The manifested buddhas and bodhisattvas appear in front of us,
Or they offer us the lotus altar and receive us with welcoming hands.
When our lives come to their end, Amitabha Buddha will be there to receive us.
彌陀名號相續念,化佛菩薩眼前行;
或與華臺或授手,須臾命盡佛迎將。
Namo Amituofo!
Oct 27, 2021
上人法語
淨宗判教 - 總顯其義
(continued)
The Pure Land Gate is the Easy Path, the teaching of Other-power that enables ordinary beings to be reborn in Amitabha’s Pure Land. It is a teaching of deliverance emphasizing deep faith. What does it believe in? It believes in Amitabha-recitation, the exclusive recitation of Amitabha’s Name, powered by Amitabha Buddha. It is just like sailing on board a ship, “joyful, single, rapid, and ascertained”. In this way rebirth is assured.
The Sacred Gate and the Pure Land Gate, the Difficult Path and the Easy Path, Self-Power and Other-Power, are all Buddhist teachings. So, we shouldn’t say that cultivation with vigor is a Buddhist teaching, and leisurely Amitabha-recitation is not.
「淨土門」是易行道,是他力的,凡夫都可以做得到,是講信心的救度法門,信什麼呢?信念佛,專一念佛便可,就好像水道乘船,是「樂、一、速、必」,而且往生決定。
「聖道門」和「淨土門」都是佛法,「難行道」與「易行道」也都是佛法,「自力」、「他力」也是佛法,所以我們不能說精進勇猛修行的才是佛法,輕鬆念佛的就不是佛法。
Namo Amituofo!
Oct 26, 2021
上人法語
淨宗判教 - 總顯其義
Master Daochuo differentiated the Buddhist teachings into the Sacred Gate and thePure Land Gate. To enter the Sacred Gate, one must possess the qualities and capacities to practice sacred teachings; but, it is not necessary to have those kinds of qualities and capacities to enter the Pure Land Gate. By merely believing and accepting Amitabha’s deliverance, exclusively reciting Amitabha’s name, and aspiring to be reborn in his Pure Land, one can be reborn there and become a Buddha.
To conclude, the entirety of the Buddhist teachings can be divided into two gates - the Sacred Gate is the Difficult Path through “self-power”, which is suitable for those having the advanced aptitude to perfectly practice the Six Paramitas and many other practices. It is similar to walking along a land route that is “painful, ever changing, and takes a long time to reach your goal”. While following the Difficult Path it is common to have set backs; which make the possibility of realizing the Buddhist Way uncertain.
(to be continued tomorrow)
道綽禪師將佛法區判為「聖道門」和「淨土門」。也就是說,這「聖道門」必須是聖者的根器才能夠修的,而「淨土門」則不必一定要聖者的根器眾生,只要信受彌陀救度,專稱彌陀佛名,願生彌陀淨土,就能往生彌陀淨土而成佛了。
綜合言之,整個佛法可分為二門:「聖道門」是難行道,是自力的,是聖者根器才能修的,是講修六度萬行,須什麼行都要修,這就如陸道步行,所以是「苦、諸、久、墮」,既然有退墮的可能,那就表示證果的可能性不確定。
Namo Amituofo!
Oct 25, 2021
印光大師法語 -「潛通佛智」之文
Just by reciting Amitabha’s Name with faith and aspiration, an ordinary person withan ordinary mind can take refuge in the Buddha’s sea of Enlightenment. This is howthat person can penetrate the submerged wisdom of the Buddha, and align with thewonderful Way without even knowing it.
信願持佛名號,即能「以凡夫心,投佛覺海」,故得「潛通佛智,暗合道妙」。
Namo Amituofo!
Oct 24, 2021
上人法語
淨土述懷
Amitabha’s light embraces and never forsakes us. Amitabha’s merit and virtues are always received in our hearts. Amitabha’s light always protects our bodies. We live within the light of Amitabha, and Amitabha always empowers our faith. We enter the Buddha’s mind, and the Buddha enters our minds. It is just like fire burning a piece of wood, one united body. We and Amitabha get up, lie down, come, and go together. Amitabha is sad when we are sad and happy when we are happy.
彌陀的光明永遠攝取不捨,彌陀的功德納入我心,彌陀的光明攝護我身;我在彌陀光明中,彌陀在我信念中,我入佛心,佛入我心,如火燒木,一體不離,我與彌陀共起臥,共出入,成為──我苦惱彌陀苦惱,我安樂彌陀安樂。
Namo Amituofo!
Oct 23, 2021
上人法語
淨宗傳承之第十八願
The Fundamental Vow, the King of Amitabha’s 48 vows, is the 18th Vow. All of the other 47 vows are made to serve the 18th Vow, and each of them eventually returns to the 18th Vow.
阿彌陀佛四十八大願的根本願、本願王,就是第十八願;四十八願中,每一願、每一願都是為了服務第十八願,每一願、每一願最後都歸入第十八願。
Namo Amituofo!