Important Knowledge in the Pure Land Teaching
淨土小常識
170. Amitabha Buddha’s Body, the color of Polished Purple-Gold (continued)
Why did the World-Honored One make such repeated and detailed comparisons?
It is because sentient beings are bound by attachment to the body (view of self in terms of the body). Owing to this deluded attachment, they receive the bodies of the three evil paths, or are born into lowly and miserable forms—ugly bodies, bodies of the eight difficulties, or endlessly transmigrating bodies.
However, when they are reborn in Amitabha’s Pure Land, they all attain the same kind of body as Amitabha Buddha, attaining the supremely perfect fruit-body of polished purple-gold color..
This reveals the principle that to be born in the Pure Land is itself to attain Buddhahood. Therefore, it is said:
“All receive bodies that are natural and ethereal,
Of boundless and limitless essence.”
The Larger Sutra of Amitabha (Maha-Amitabha Sutra) says:
“All are upright, pure, and beautiful;
All are of one color and one kind.
All possess bodies of polished purple-gold,
Endowed with the thirty-two marks and eighty excellent features, All made equal to Amitabha Buddha.
In preaching the Dharma and walking the path,
All are just like Amitabha Buddha.”
The Sutra of the Adornment of the Land of Bliss says:
“Beings of the three evil paths— Those in hell, among hungry ghosts, and among animals, are all born in my land.
Through receiving my Dharma transformation,
before long they all attain Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi,
and each obtains the body of true gold.”
It also says:
“If, when I attain perfect enlightenment,
I should establish the Name Buddha of Infinite Life,
may all beings who hear this Name
all come to my land.
There they will have bodies of golden color just like mine.
With all of these wondrous marks complete,
and with great compassionate hearts, they
will benefit all living beings.”
170 紫磨金色身 (續)
釋尊為何要做如此重重比校？因為眾生以身見故，受三途身、卑賤身、醜 陋身、八難身、流轉身，若往生彌陀淨土，則能與阿彌陀佛「咸同一類」，得到 最上極果的紫磨金色身，顯示往生即成佛之義，故說「皆受自然虛無之身、無極之體」。
《大阿彌陀經》說：
皆端正、淨潔、姝好，悉同一色，都一種類。
皆紫磨金色，三十二相、八十種好，皆令如佛。
說經行道，皆如佛。
《莊嚴經》說：
三惡道中，地獄、餓鬼、畜生，皆生我剎，受我法化， 不久悉成阿耨多羅三藐三菩提，一切皆得身真金色。
又說：
我若成正覺，立名無量壽，眾生聞此號，俱來我剎中；
如佛金色身，妙相悉圓滿，亦以大悲心，利益諸群品。
Namo Amituofo!
