Clarifying Doubts About the Pure Land (I)
淨土釋疑(一)
Question 17: Master, please explain the “Three Selections among the Four Verses” (continued 6 /6)
Answer: Therefore, when a person exclusively recites Amitabha’s Name, that person and Amitabha Buddha are united in all three actions — bodily, verbal, and mental — inseparable and inseverable.
In conclusion, there are “Three Layers of Abandoning and Adopting” (三重廢立)
1. First Layer – Outer Paths vs. Buddhism: Abandon external religions and adopt Buddhism. Only Buddhism teaches about the six realms and how to escape them.
2.Second Layer – Sacred Path vs. Pure Land: Within Buddhism, abandon the Sacred Path and adopt the Pure Land Path. The Sacred Path is hard to practice; Pure Land is easy and universally accessible.
3. Third Layer – Miscellaneous Practices vs. Name-Recitation: Within Pure Land Buddhism, abandon the miscellaneous and mixed practices and focus on the exclusive recitation of Amitabha’s Name. This is also known as abandoning doubt and establishing faith — the heart of Pure Land faith.
17問：請師父解釋一下「四偈三選」。
續答 (6 /6):
這四首偈子主要強調的是：我們要稱名，因為這合乎阿彌陀佛的因中誓 願。
其中有「三重廢立」：
第一重，「內外廢立」。所謂「內」就是佛教，「外」就是外道。我們要離開生 死的話，要捨外道入佛教，這是第一重的「內外廢立」。
第二重，「聖淨廢立」。雖然選擇佛教了，可是佛教有八萬四千法門，略講 有八宗，那我們就要捨掉其他的修行法門而選擇淨土法門，這就是「聖淨廢 立」。
第三重，「正雜廢立」，也稱為「信疑廢立 」。淨土法門也有其他雜行的，也 有專稱名號的，我們就要捨其他雜行而進入專稱名號，所以，這個也可以說 是「正雜廢立」，也可以說是「信疑廢立」。
Namo Amituofo!
