Wonderful Metaphors in the Pure Land School
淨土宗妙喻
3F. Reflections of the Moon
Though it shines everywhere, moonlight registers only in the minds of those who look at it. Although Amitabha precludes no one from being rescued, his light embraces only those who recite his name. The moon glows in the sky and can be reflected in all the water on Earth. One can see the reflection of the full moon in vast oceans and big rivers such as the Yangtze and the Yellow Rivers, in common brooks and pools, and even in the tiny amount of water in a ladle or a raindrop.
Wherever the moon is reflected ― in the water of oceans, rivers, brooks or pools, and however the reflections are viewed ― by someone in a single place, or by a thousand people in a thousand places, each of the viewers can catch sight of the lunar image only in his own mind.
The moon shines on all, without forsaking whoever looks up at it, including even those who are in remote mountain areas. Wherever the person goes, whether east or west, the moon follows him. If he stands still, the moon stops as well.
This is true with everyone: men, women, elderly young, kind, evil, wise, or foolish. The one and only moon, even if reflected in ten thousand bodies of water, is always visible to all. Whoever looks at it and wherever it is seen, the moon shows its image to everyone in the same way, without discrimination.
Despite the exquisite presence of the moon in the sky and its myriad reflections in the water on Earth, if I do not look up at the sky or look down at the water, I will never catch sight of the moon or its reflections. The moon and I will have nothing to do with each other and it will mean nothing to me.
In spite of Amitabha’s great compassion and the myriad of virtues and merits crystallized in his name, it is really hard for sentient beings to be delivered if they do not accept the Buddha, deviate from the Buddha’s Fundamental Vow, and fail to recite Amitabha’s name.
In short, whoever we are, whenever we look up at the moon, we can see that it follows us wherever we go. The same is also true for Amitabha-recitation ― as long as we recite his name, Amitabha will forever stay with us until we are reborn in his Land of Bliss.
3F. 佛無條件救度妙喻之 - 月影喻
月光雖無處不照,唯宿仰望者心中;彌陀雖無人不救,唯與念佛人同在。月麗中天,影現萬水,不但大至大海、長江、黃河,或一般溪水、池塘,都現全月;即使小至一瓢一滴之 水,也無不各現全月。
大海、長江、黃河、溪水、池塘中的月影,一個人在一個地方觀看,這個人與月獨自相對;百千萬人在百千萬處觀看,也各自與月相對。即使在偏僻山區,月亮也不離開他,與他同在。他往東行,月跟他往東;他往西行,月也跟他往西;他若不動,月亦停留不動。
不分男女老幼、善惡賢愚,人人如此。一月普現萬水,隨人隨地各現全 月,毫不揀擇,毫無差異。月麗中天,影現萬水,但若不抬頭望明月,或不低頭觀月影,則月與 我、我與月,兩不相關。
彌陀大悲,名號萬德,但若眾生不願往生西方,或不念彌陀名號,則與佛疏離,不順佛本願,亦難得度。故無論何人,抬頭望月則月隨人行;無論何人,念佛則與佛同在,隨佛往極樂。
Namo Amituofo!
