Clarifying Doubts About the Pure Land (I)
淨土釋疑(一)
Question 23 : Master, since we are now embraced by Amitabha Buddha’s deliverance, are we ordinary or sagely beings at present?
Answer:
Right now, we are still ordinary beings; but, it can be said that we are ordinary beings who hold the status of bodhisattvas. The ancient masters called this the “status of a bodhisattva in the form of an ordinary being” (凡夫菩薩格).
Although we have accepted Amitābha’s deliverance, we still possess the poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, and may have selfish or inferior thoughts. Yet, we are no longer subject to the cycle of rebirth within the six realms. We have already become part of the community of the Pure Land. This is why it is said that we have “entered the assembly of those assured of Enlightenment” (入正定聚). Here, “assembly” refers to the assembly of sacred beings in the Land of Bliss.
We have definitely entered this assembly of sacred beings, which means we are assured of Buddhahood. The beings of the Pure Land are those certain to become Buddhas. Thus, being in the “assembly of assured Enlightenment” means we too are certain to become Buddhas. In this sense, our status is no longer that of ordinary beings.
However, as long as our consciousness resides in a physical body, our existence as ordinary beings also continues. Therefore, we must not arrogantly claim: “I am already a bodhisattva.” We are still ordinary beings, and should not speak otherwise.
23問：請問師父，既然我們現在蒙阿彌陀佛救度，那我們現在到底是凡夫還是 聖人？
答：
我們現在還是凡夫。只是說，凡夫而具有菩薩的格位，古德說是「凡夫 菩薩格」。
因為我們雖是信受了彌陀的救度，但是還有貪瞋癡的習氣，甚至還會有 自私自利的劣想。可是，這種眾生已經不是六道輪迴的眾生，已經是極樂世 界的一分子了，所以說是「正定聚」，這個「聚」就是極樂聖眾。我們已經必定 地進入聖眾裏面，所以說「即入正定聚」；極樂聖眾就是必定成佛，所以正定聚
也是必定成佛。這種眾生叫做正定聚的眾生，所以在格位上來講，我們不是 凡夫。
可是肉體存在的一天，就是凡夫存在的一天。因此我們不能驕慢地說： 「我是菩薩。」我們是凡夫，不能這樣講。
Namo Amituofo!
