Clarifying Doubts About the Pure Land (I)
淨土釋疑(一)
Question 11: Earlier Master, you mentioned that the “Dharma-Eye” of the Contemplation Sutra lies in “exclusively reciting the Name of Amitabha Buddha,” and that reciting his Name ensures rebirth in the Pure Land. However, there is another view that questions what kind of recitation is necessary to attain
non-retrogression. Are these two kinds of name-recitation the same? Could you please clarify the specific meanings behind these different approaches?
Answer (1/5):
I didn’t explain that clearly earlier. So let me now elaborate further on the meaning of “reciting the Name” in the phrase “exclusively reciting Amitabha’s Name.” This includes the different types of recitation, their nature, and their inner meaning.
There are two main types of name-recitation: self-powered and other-powered.
Self-powered recitation refers to the conventional or general approach. What is meant by “self-power”? It’s actually “self-power within other-power.” While “other-power” refers to Amitabha Buddha’s vow to save all beings, a power that is already fully established. Many people are unaware of this principle. They believe that although Amitabha wishes to save us, he is far away in the Western Pure Land, and we are down here; so, we can only bow from a distance and pray fervently.
Although one seeks rebirth in the Pure Land, this approach assumes that one must accumulate merits and cultivate virtue, or refine one's recitation practice and gather enough merit to align with Amitabha’s vow.
One might think: “Although Amitabha wants to save us, if I don’t meet certain requirements or satisfy certain conditions, I won’t be saved.” This is a self-powered view within other-power—treating Amitabha’s vow as conditional. But this is not the name-recitation spoken of in the Eighteenth Vow, which says that even “ten recitations” will suffice for rebirth.
(to be continued tomorrow)
11問：剛才聽師父講，《觀經》的眼目就在「一向專稱彌陀佛名」，稱名定往生， 但是，這種稱名，它和有一種理論解釋的，就是要稱到什麼樣子才能獲得不 退，是否一樣？請師父再把這兩種稱名具體的含義解釋一下。
答：
剛剛我沒有說清楚，應該就「一向專稱彌陀佛名」的這個「稱名」再加以解釋， 以及有幾種的稱名、那幾種稱名的內涵、性質又是怎麼個樣子。
稱名，分為自力的稱名和他力的稱名。
自力的稱名，就是一般通途的稱名。什麼是自力呢？也就是「他力中的自 力」。「他力」就是指彌陀的救度，本來彌陀的救度是彌陀的力量，通通具備了 ，可是我們不曉得那個原理，以為阿彌陀佛雖然要救我們，可是他高高在上， 遠在西方極樂世界，我們低低地在這裏頂禮，遠遠地在這裏祈求。
雖然要求往生，卻認為必須積功累德，或累積稱名的功夫、功德，這樣迴向才 能與阿彌陀佛的救度相應。認為說「雖然阿彌陀佛要救度我們，可是我們如果 沒有具備某種條件，是不能被救度的」，這是「他力中的自力」，以為阿彌陀佛 是有條件的。這不是第十八願的「乃至十念」的稱名念佛。
Namo Amituofo!
