Important Knowledge in the Pure Land Teaching
淨土小常識
168 - Self-Power Non-Retrogression and Other-Power Non-Retrogression
If one relies on self-power practices, one must cultivate to a certain stage before attaining non-retrogression. This is like climbing a mountain on foot: only near the summit does one no longer feel like turning back. However, if one exclusively relies on Amitabha Buddha’s saving power, from the very moment one begins practice one attains non-retrogression. This is like taking a cable car up a mountain: by entrusting oneself to the car, one proceeds with ease and comfort, without any thought of turning back.
Master Tanluan, in his Commentary on the Treatise on Birth in the Pure Land, said: “The Easy Path means that by simply having faith in Amitabha Buddha’s causes and conditions, aspiring to be born in the Pure Land, and relying on the power of the Buddha’s vows, one attains rebirth in that Pure Land. Through the sustaining power of Amitabha Buddha, one immediately enters the group of those assured of enlightenment in the Mahayana, which is called the state of non-retrogression. It is like traveling by water: if one boards a boat, the journey is comfortable.”
This illustrates the difference between self-power and other-power. Through self-power practice, it would take a thousand kalpas, ten thousand kalpas, even as many kalpas as the sands of the Ganges, to attain non-retrogression. By comparison, in the Pure Land path, non-retrogression is attained through Amitabha Buddha’s vow-power. Regardless of one’s level of practice, as long as one entrusts in Amitabha’s deliverance, exclusively recites Namo Amitabha Buddha, and aspires to be born in his Pure Land, one immediately attains non-retrogression.
168 自力不退與佛力不退
靠自力修行，須修到一定的階位方得不退，猶如徒步登山，接近山頂才不 生退心；靠佛力救度，佛力成辦故，起行即得不退，猶如乘纜車上山，信賴纜 車故，易行安樂故，全程不生退心。
曇鸞大師《往生論註》言：
易行道者，謂但以信佛因緣，願生淨土，乘佛願力，便得往生彼清淨土；佛力住持，即入大乘正定之聚，正定即是阿毗跋致。譬如水路，乘船則樂。
這就是自力和佛力的差別。靠自力修行，要千劫、萬劫、恆沙劫修行得不 退轉。淨土法門所謂「不退轉」，是因為靠阿彌陀佛的願力，不論眾生在哪一 階位，只要信受彌陀救度、專稱彌陀佛名、願生彌陀淨土，當下就是不退轉。
Namo Amituofo!
