Important Knowledge in the Pure Land Teaching
淨土小常識
165 Sentient Beings of the Ten Directions (continued 4 /4)
The exclusive recitation of Namo Amitabha Buddha for attaining rebirth in the Land of Bliss must be practiced by all beings, from Equal Enlightenment Bodhisattvas down to those in Avici hell. In other words, even bodhisattvas on the verge of Buddhahood must still recite Namo Amitabha Buddha, as well as beings suffering in the deepest hell.
Master Yinguang also said:
If the beings of the Nine Realms depart from this gate, they cannot fully accomplish the Buddha’s path.
If the Buddhas of the ten directions abandon this method,they cannot universally benefit all sentient beings.
“Beings of the Nine Realms who depart from this gate cannot fully accomplish the Buddha’s path.” This means that as long as one has not yet attained Buddhahood, whether ordinary beings of the Six Realms or holy beings who have transcended the Three Realms, they cannot abandon this Dharma-gate. If they depart from this method, they cannot completely accomplish Buddhahood.
Of course, for Equal Enlightenment Bodhisattvas, there remains only one stage before Buddhahood. However, if they exclusively recite Namo Amitabha Buddha and are reborn in the Pure Land, they can quickly achieve Buddhahood. Without such rebirth, their attainment of Buddhahood would likely require a very long time.
“As for the Buddhas of the ten directions, if they were to abandon this method, they could not universally benefit all beings.” This means that, if the Buddhas of the ten directions wish to universally deliver beings, they must rely on the exclusive recitation of Namo Amitabha Buddha, and lead all beings to also recite it. Then those beings can be reborn in the Pure Land after this very lifetime and quickly attain Buddhahood. Without this method, beings could not escape the cycle of birth and death, nor could they quickly attain Buddhahood.
165 十方眾生 (續 4 /4)
淨土法門往生極樂世界的念佛之法，是從等覺菩薩到阿鼻地獄等任何根 機的眾生，都必須修習的。也就是說，等覺菩薩需要念佛，阿鼻地獄的眾生同 樣也需要念佛。
印光大師又說：
九界眾生離是門，上不能圓成佛道；
十方諸佛捨此法，下不能普利群萌。
「九界眾生離是門，上不能圓成佛道」，意思是說，只要還沒有成佛，所有 的眾生，不管是六道的凡夫也好，或是已出三界的聖者也好，都不能捨離這 個法門。一旦離開這個法門，就沒有辦法圓滿成就佛道。
當然，就等覺菩薩來說，距離成佛只不過還有一個位階。但是，他們若能 念佛往生極樂世界，就能快速成佛；如果沒有往生極樂世界，想要成佛恐怕還 要很長久的時間。
「十方諸佛捨此法，下不能普利群萌」，十方諸佛如果能夠以念佛之法來 救度十方眾生，使眾生念南無阿彌陀佛，那這些眾生就可以在這一生之中往 生極樂快速成佛，也就是可以一世圓滿，當生成就佛道。如果不是這樣，眾生 恐怕就不能解脫生死輪迴，更不能快速成佛。
Namo Amituofo!
