Wonderful Metaphors in the Pure Land School
淨土宗妙喻
Metaphor 41: Just as Carbon Can Change into a Diamond - Ordinary Beings can be Transformed into Sacred Beings by Amitabha-Recitation
There is a saying, “A drop of an alchemic elixir can change iron into gold.” Like the magic liquid that can transmute iron into gold, the special power of the six-character name, “Namo Amituofo,” can transform ordinary beings into sacred beings. Just as rubble can be turned into gold, ordinary beings can undergo complete changes to become Buddhas, if they recite Amitabha’s Name.
Let us look at another metaphor known as the “Cause and Condition for the Change of Carbon” in the Collection of Lectures by Master Huijing (Part One, Page 209). Carbon is the element that produces both charcoal and diamonds. The outcomes are drastically and incomparably different, all because of their forming conditions. Normally, charcoal comes from burnt wood, which requires no more than the usual conditions of heat and air pressure needed for a fire to burn. But when the temperature and pressure have risen so high, for instance, to 2000 degrees Celsius and 55000 ATM (i.e., the unit of standard atmospheric pressure), the same carbon element crystallizes into diamonds.
We are iniquitous ordinary beings. If we only follow whatever Dharma teachings we come across in various circumstances, we cannot be freed from the cycle of birth and death.
In contrast, we will gain both rebirth and Buddhahood in the Pure Land if we accept the practice of Amitabha-recitation, which Amitabha Buddha has chosen specially for us. Our becoming aware of Amitabha Buddha and reciting his Name are the causes, and rebirth in the Pure Land and attaining perfect enlightenment are the effects.
41. 碳素喻：念佛一法轉凡成聖
可是，只要念佛，就能夠「令瓦礫變成金」。這可以說是天差地別的。有一 句話說：「靈丹一粒，點鐵成金。」阿彌陀佛六字名號，就好像靈丹一樣；「靈丹 一粒，點鐵成金；念佛一法，轉凡成聖」。
如果要譬喻的話，可以用《講演集》第一集209頁「碳素因緣」的譬喻。碳素 是因，如果接受的緣是一般的溫度、一般的壓力，它就是一般的「碳」；如果接 受二千度的溫度、五萬五千氣壓的話，就會變成「鑽」。緣不同，果就不同，而 且天差地別，無法相比。
我們是罪惡生死凡夫，如果依照我們各自所接觸的雜緣去學的話，還是 不離生死；如果接受阿彌陀佛為我們所選擇的稱名念佛的話，我們就能夠往 生成佛。所以，憶佛、念佛是因，往生成佛是果。
Namo Amituofo!
