Clarifying Doubts About the Pure Land (I)
淨土釋疑(一)
Question 20: (See the post dated Oct. 22)
Answer: (continued 4/6)
Does this mean that one who accepts Amitabha’s salvation can become arrogant and look down on others? Certainly not! Precisely because we know that good and evil bring retribution, we should reject evil and do good. Yet, since we are incapable of fully rejecting evil or fully practicing good, we rely upon Amitabha’s salvation.
Therefore, holding the view of cause and effect, knowing good and evil, we would not deliberately commit wrongdoing. On the contrary, because Amitabha embraces and forgives us; we who have received such vast tolerance and forgiveness, will also want to extend tolerance and forgiveness to others. If even those like us—who could not otherwise be forgiven and escape saṃsāra—can be
forgiven and embraced by Amitabha, then surely we too will learn, at least in part, to forgive and embrace others.
At the same time, Amitabha gives us new life—not only release from the cycle of birth-and-death; but, immeasurable life, immeasurable light, infinite wisdom, unobstructed spiritual power, and boundless vow-energy. We receive these gifts, not only in this life, but into infinity.
(to be continued tomorrow)
20問：
續答：(4/ 6)
那麼，信受彌陀救度的人，是否就可以洋洋得意，對別人驕慢？不可能這 樣的！因為我們本來就知道有善惡報應嘛，所以才要棄惡行善。只是因為棄 惡無力、行善無能，才蒙受彌陀的救度。
因此，我們既然有因果觀念、有善惡觀念，就不會去為非作歹，反而會因 為彌陀包容、寬諒我們，我們受了大包容、大寬諒，我們即使不能大包容、大 寬諒，也會去寬諒別人、包容別人。因為像我們這種不能被寬諒、被包容的人 ，不能脫離六道輪迴的人，阿彌陀佛居然來包容、寬諒我們，我們多多少少也 會去包容、寬諒別人。
同時，阿彌陀佛賜給我們生命，這個生命不只是脫離六道輪迴的生命，而 且是無量壽的生命，具足與阿彌陀佛同樣的無量壽、無量光，智慧同等高明， 神通同樣洞達，願力同樣無量無邊，可以說不只獲得今生，而且獲得豐富的 永恆生命。
Namo Amituofo!
