Clarifying Doubts About the Pure Land (I)
淨土釋疑(一)
Question 14: (See yesterday’s post)
Continued Answer:
Indeed, all Buddhas of the ten directions have vowed to save sentient beings ; but, Amitabha Buddha’s vow is a “transcendent vow”, surpassing all the other Buddhas of the three times and ten directions.
That is to say - Some sentient beings in the ten directions can be saved by other Buddhas ; but, those like us, deeply trapped in the Sahā world, burdened by greed, anger, and delusion ; even the Buddhas of the ten directions cannot help and must turn away with sighs of sorrow.
Only Amitabha Buddha refuses to give up. He made vows for us, performed practices for us, took on our karmic burdens, and repaid our karmic debts — so that we could be reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss.
Therefore, Amitabha Buddha alone possesses the Real Mark Body and the Body that Saves Sentient Beings. Only he made the transcendent vow to save all sentient beings, and only through him do we have the chance to be saved. Without relying on Amitabha Buddha, we can only continue to sink in samsara.
As for the Real Mark Body and the Body for Helping Sentient Beings, we can only have a very slight conceptual understanding. To truly realize these aspects is the domain of Buddhas. Therefore, whether we understand them or not, we should
just recite Amitabha’s Name in the way described. Even without fully understanding , the merit still naturally comes to us.
This underlying principle is extremely deep — so deep it is bottomless. That’s why we should simply accept Amitabha’s grace and exclusively recite his Name.
14問：請師父解釋一下「實相身」與「為物身」。
續答：
當然，十方諸佛都發願度眾生，可是阿彌陀佛的願是超世願，超越十方三 世諸佛之願。也就是說：十方眾生，有的眾生其他的佛能度，像我們沉淪在娑 婆世界的眾生，由於貪瞋癡很深重，十方諸佛都不能救度，所以，只好搖首嘆 氣，無可奈何離開了。唯有阿彌陀佛，他不放棄，他為我們發願，修行功德來
承擔我們的罪業，來償還我們的罪業，使我們能夠到極樂世界去。所以，阿彌 陀佛才是實相身、為物身的佛，唯有他才有救度十方眾生的「超世願」，所以， 十方三世諸佛之中如果沒有阿彌陀佛，我們就沒有得救的機緣。不靠阿彌陀 佛的話，我們只有繼續沉淪了。
實相身、為物身，我們只是稍微理解的知道了，真正要去體悟實相、體悟 為物的話，那是佛的境界啊。所以，不管我們知道或不知道，你就這樣做，不 知道、不求當中功德自然就來到了。其中的原理，說深奧非常的深奧，無底的 深奧，所以，我們只能領受簡單容易就可以稱念的名號，我們就去稱名。
Namo Amituofo!
