Clarifying Doubts About the Pure Land (I)
淨土釋疑(一)
Question # 9:
Master, may I ask—what kind of person truly accepts and trusts in Amitabha’s deliverance?
Answer:
A person who truly accepts and trusts in Amitabha’s salvation naturally has faith and reverence toward Amitabha. Such a person also has a conscience, a sense of shame within themselves, with love and tolerance toward others. Why? Because they feel Amitabha Buddha’s love for them, and have experienced his compassion
and forgiveness. When one truly feels the great love of Amitabha, they feel ashamed of their own sins, and develop a stronger sense of conscience and self-reflection. Whenever they say or do something wrong, they immediately feel the reproach of their own conscience, and their introspection becomes even deeper than before.
Amitabha’s love and forgiveness for us are vast and immeasurable. Frankly speaking, we are deeply sinful beings who have committed endless offenses over countless lifetimes. Even in this present life, if we honestly reflect on ourselves, we’ll see that we constantly, knowingly or unknowingly, offend others. Therefore, it’s not just that we should tolerate or forgive others; but rather, we should ask others to forgive us. If they were to tear us limb from limb, it still wouldn’t be enough to repay our wrongdoings.
We are the kind of people who are truly beyond forgiveness—yet Amitabha Buddha forgives us! It is this great compassion that moves us. Being touched by Amitabha’s boundless forgiveness, we should in turn develop a forgiving heart toward all beings. So, Amitabha’s life becomes a presence within us, watching over us, our inner guide and master. As a result, our ability for self-reflection becomes sharper and more sensitive.
9問：請問師父，信受彌陀救度的人，到底是什麼樣的呢？
答：信受彌陀救度的人，他當然是對彌陀有信心、有恭敬心，對自己有良 心、有慚愧心，對別人有愛心、有包容心。為什麼？因為他體會到阿彌陀佛對 他的愛心，體會到阿彌陀佛對他的包容心。當他體會到阿彌陀佛的大愛的時 候，就慚愧自己是一個罪惡的人，因此對自己有良心、有慚愧心，一旦有什麼 言語行為上的過失，立刻會受自己良心的譴責，反省比以前更加深刻。
阿彌陀佛對我們的愛心，對我們的寬諒，可以說非常的廣大，論我們的話 ，我們是罪惡深重的人，累生累劫造了無窮無盡的罪業，今生今世反省自己， 自己無時無刻有意無意都在得罪他人，所以，不是我們去忍耐別人、寬諒別 人，而是要請別人來寬諒我們。不寬諒我們的話，被他碎身萬段也不足以償 還。
我們是這種不能被寬諒的人，而阿彌陀佛來寬諒我們！我們被阿彌陀佛 的大寬諒所感動，對眾生也會有寬諒的心。所以，彌陀的生命在我們裏面作 為我們的主人，監視著我們，我們的反省力就會更加的敏銳。
Namo Amituofo!
