Important Knowledge in the Pure Land Teaching
淨土小常識
158. The Self-Awareness of an Amitabha-Reciter
In the Pure Land tradition, it is believed that all afflictions can be completely eliminated and enlightenment can be attained only after being reborn in Amitabha’s Pure Land. This is because, in this age of Dharma Decline , spiritually ordinary and deluded beings like us are incapable of cutting off our afflictions while still in this present life. Therefore, rebirth in the Pure Land comes first, followed by the elimination of afflictions and the realization of enlightenment.
Master Shandao explains this in his Commentary on the Contemplation Sutra, in the section entitled “The Meaning of Meditative and Non-meditative Virtues,” the concept of "deep faith in aptitude" (機深信), saying:
“Have firm and decisive faith that one is, in reality, a deluded ordinary being who, since time immemorial, has been endlessly entrapped in the cycle of birth and death, without the causes or conditions for liberation.”
To have deep faith that one is a “deluded, ordinary being,” a “being filled with afflictions,” is to be what Shandao calls a self-aware ordinary being. This is someone who deeply reflects on and recognizes his/her own suffering and
delusion in this present existence. In other words, such a person is profoundly aware that he/she is an ordinary being, full of afflictions. This is what is meant by the reciter’s deep faith.
This kind of heartfelt self-awareness is a subjective realization of one's own evil deeds and karmic burdens — a deeply rooted reflection on one’s hopeless and helpless condition in samsara. It is the realization of one's heavy karmic burden, with no means of self-salvation.
(to be continued tomorrow)
158 念佛人的自覺
以淨土宗而言，所有一切的煩惱是在往生彌陀淨土之後便可完全斷除， 並且證悟成佛。這是因為末法今時的下根下智凡夫，現世中無論如何都斷不 了煩惱的緣故。因此，先往生淨土，之後斷煩惱，得證悟。
善導大師《觀經疏‧散善義》中，機深信說： 決定深信，自身現是罪惡生死凡夫，曠劫以來常沒常流轉，無有出離之緣。
深信自身現是「罪惡生死凡夫」、「具足煩惱凡夫」，這種深信的「凡夫」，是 指自覺「自身是煩惱的存在」的「自覺凡夫」，能夠深入反省並自覺現實自身的 苦惱和迷惑的凡夫。即，深刻自覺我是具足煩惱的凡夫，叫作機深信的凡夫。
這是主體性的自覺自己的惡業罪業的心境，是深信自己具有這樣的罪業 ，這是對現實永遠無助的自己，深重罪業的自我反省。
Namo Amituofo!
