Basic Knowledge in the Pure Land Teaching
淨土小常識
154. The Meaning of the Title of the Amitabha Sutra (continued 8/9) 4. The meaning remains while being convenient and easy.
The Sanskrit name is retained, and the sound becomes familiar through frequent hearing.
“The meaning remains, while being convenient and easy” refers to the Sutra being accessible and easy to hold in one’s memory and practice.
“The Sanskrit name is retained”—the “Amitabha” in The Sutra Spoken by Shakyamuni Buddha on Amitabha is a transliteration from Sanskrit.
The deep meaning of the name isn’t explicitly translated. Originally, the Sanskrit meaning is extremely rich. If it were fully translated as something like Inconceivable Merits of the Buddha Land, it would require extensive explanations—covering rebirth blessings, the adornments of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, the merits of all Buddhas, and more.
But the three characters of “Amitabha” mean “Infinite,” and already encompasses all of these elements—thus, it is said to “contain all within the Sanskrit Name.”
“The sound becomes familiar through hearing”—if one uses a long string of Chinese characters for explanation, the meaning may feel distant or unfamiliar. But a single, clear Buddha Name deepens one’s impression and connection—this is what’s meant by “familiar and mature.” In this way, it is convenient and easy to remember—“the meaning remains while being convenient and easy.”
(to be continued tomorrow)
154 《阿彌陀經》名義 (續 8/9)
4.四則義存便易。梵號兼含，耳聞淳熟故。
「義存便易」，方便、容易。
「梵號兼含」，《佛說阿彌陀經》的「阿彌陀」是梵號，梵語音譯，義理沒有翻 譯出來。本來梵文的義理非常多，如果翻譯為「不可思議佛土功德」，那還需 要有很多解釋，還有往生功德、佛菩薩莊嚴功德、諸佛的功德等等。而「阿彌 陀」三個字是「無量」，所有內容都總攝在內了，所以是「梵號兼含」。
「耳聞淳熟故」，如果有很多漢字說明，反而生疏，單單一個佛的名號， 就會加深印象，這是「淳熟」。這樣就很方便，很容易，「義存便易」。
Namo Amituofo!
