Wonderful Metaphors in the Pure Land School
淨土宗妙喻
Metaphor 37: Thinking of Something of the Greatest Importance
Resolving to be liberated from the cycle of life and death,
With aversion to Samsara,
And aspiration to be reborn in the Pure Land,
We find time to do Amitabha-recitation,
Amidst our daily hustle and bustle.
Thinking of Amitabha Buddha and reciting his Name consistently, We regard the practice of Amitabha-recitation
As something of the greatest importance,
Whether we’re at work or at rest.
It is of paramount importance that we resolve to be liberated from the cycle of life and death, with aversion to samsara, and aspiration to be reborn in the Pure Land. No matter how busy we are, if we come to understand the impermanence of life and aspire to rebirth in the Land of Bliss, we will make time for Amitabha-recitation. We will do that no matter what the circumstance is: favorable or unfavorable, in an uproar or at peace, whether we are busy or idle.
The practice of Amitabha-recitation never interferes with our various duties, whether we are dealing with customers, receiving visitors and guests, or even when attending to a great number of people and things all at the same time.
We may be physically busy, but our minds can still think of Amitabha Buddha and our lips can still move to Nianfo. What truly matters is whether we genuinely aspire to be reborn in the Pure Land. If we do, we recite the Name of Amitabha whenever and wherever we are. Even if we have a busy eight-hour schedule at work, we can still recite Namo Amituofo when performing chores that require less concentration.
Take the editors in our office for example. The team stops working every 50 minutes. They turn off the lights, quiet down, and recite the six-character Name (Namo Amituofo) for ten minutes. This is the meaning of finding time for Nianfo amidst our daily hustle and bustle. We think of Amitabha Buddha as the matter of greatest importance and recite his name consistently.
“We regard something as of the greatest importance whether we’re at work or at rest.”
What does this sentence mean?
Imagine a mother who loves to watch soap operas on TV at a fixed time every day. When the program is on, she will turn off her phone and lock the door to avoid being disturbed. One day, however, she receives an emergency telephone call. “Mrs. X, your son just had a car accident and is now in ICU. Looks rather critical. The doctor would like the family to see him at once.”
How would this thunderstruck mother react? She would be in no mood to watch her program anymore and would switch off the TV right away. Doing away with her usual routine before going out , (spending hours putting on her makeup and dressing up), she would just grab a coat, slip on whatever shoes she can find and
head straight to the hospital in a cab. Distressed at the news, the woman couldn’t care less about enjoying the street view or chatting with the cab driver. There is only one thing that occupies her mind, “What has happened to my darling son? Is he in danger? What if . . . what should I do?!” Such tormenting and worrying thoughts are of the greatest importance.
Who is our “darling son” in the metaphor? It is our aspiration for rebirth and practicing Amitabha-recitation. To be reborn in the Land of Bliss is the most important thing in our lives. Therefore, we resolve to be liberated from samsara and yearn for the Pure Land. We think of Amitabha Buddha and recite his Name consistently, whether at work or at rest.
Reciting the Name of Amitabha never interferes with anything we do. As a saying goes, “However dense a grove of bamboo may be, it cannot obstruct the water of a brook running through it. However high a mountain is, it cannot stop the clouds floating past above it.”
37. 切事繫心喻
生死心切，欣厭情深，自能忙裏偷閒、鬧中取靜，
憶佛念佛，念念不捨，猶如切事繫心，動靜不忘。
「生死心切，欣厭情深」：這個很重要。一個人無論怎樣忙碌，可是只要他痛 感無常、願生極樂的話，不論是在苦樂順逆的境界，不論是在吵鬧安靜的地 方；是清閒的時候，還是繁忙的時候；處理公事也好、私事也好，即使迎賓待 客、萬緣交雜、八面應酬，都跟念佛不相妨礙。因為忙是身體在忙，憶佛念佛 是心在憶佛念佛，口在憶佛念佛。所以，只怕他沒有真願往生的心，如果真願 往生極樂，隨時隨地都可以念佛；任何工作，只要不動腦筋的時候，都可以念 佛，即使上班忙碌八個鐘頭，也可以忙裏偷閒、鬧中取靜來念佛。就像文書組 ，打字工作五十分鐘以後，就把燈都熄掉，靜下來念十分鐘的「南無阿彌陀 佛」，這就是「忙裏偷閒，鬧中取靜，憶佛念佛，念念不捨」。
「猶如切事繫心，動靜不忘」：什麼叫「切事繫心」呢？這個可以用一個譬喻 來說明。如同一個媽媽，在一天當中某個時段一定要看某個深所喜愛的連續 劇，看連續劇的時候，也一定電話切掉、大門深鎖，深怕被干擾。突然間，來了一個緊急通知說：「某某人，妳的兒子剛剛發生車禍，現在在加護病房，好 像很嚴重，醫生要請家屬立即過去。」乍聽之下，猶如晴天霹靂，被雷一擊，這 個母親怎麼樣？立刻電視關掉，沒有心思看了，平常出門的話，都要化妝好 幾十分鐘，挑選衣服好久，這時候，也沒有想到化妝，衣服一披，鞋子一套， 就趕快搭出租車奔馳而去。一路上憂心如焚，無心欣賞街景，司機跟她談什 麼話，她也想理不理的，她的心中只有一件事：「我這個寶貝心肝到底怎麼樣 了？有沒有危險？萬一……將怎麼辦！」她此時的心中只有這焦急的一個念 頭，這叫「切事繫心」。
我們的寶貝兒子是誰？是我們念佛願生之心，往生極樂世界這件事是我 們一生之中最大的事。所以，真的願生心切，欣厭情深，則憶佛念佛就會念念 不捨，而念佛之心是動靜不忘，而且不妨礙任何工作的，所謂「竹密不妨流水 過，山高豈礙白雲飛」。
Namo Amituofo!
