Important Knowledge in the Pure Land Teaching
淨土小常識
171 - Primary Karma and Complementary Karma (continued 3/5)
2. The Primary and Complementary Karma of Those Who exclusively recite Namo Amitabha Buddha
Among those who exclusively recite Namo Amitabha Buddha, their primary karma and complementary karma for the next life are not determined by their own karmic power, but by the power of Amitabha Buddha’s Great Vows (Vow-Karma).
Amitabha Buddha, through five kalpas of contemplation, formed his Forty-Eight Vows; and through countless kalpas of cultivating immeasurable virtues, accomplished:
- his ultimate level of buddhahood, through which he can save all beings of the ten directions,
- the supremely pure and splendid Land of Ultimate Bliss,
- and the Merit-Power contained within the sentence, Namo Amitabha Buddha, that can infinitely deliver all sentient beings.
Among the 48 Vows, the 18th Vow is the “Vow of Rebirth through the exclusive recitation of Namo Amitabha Buddha.” This vow contains the primary karma that leads the reciter to be reborn in the Pure Land. Anyone who exclusively recites Namo Amitabha Buddha will certainly depart from the six realms of rebirth and attain birth in the Land of Ultimate Bliss.
The 11th Vow, the “Vow of Certain Attainment of Nirvana,” is the complementary karma for the being who exclusively recites Namo Amitabha Buddha in the Pure Land. This means that once reborn there, one immediately attains Nirvana and becomes a Buddha.
The 21st Vow, the “Vow of the Thirty-Two Marks,” ensures that at the very moment one is reborn in the Pure Land, one fully attains Amitabha Buddha’s Thirty-Two Major Marks and Eighty Minor Characteristics.
The 22nd Vow, the “Vow to Widely Deliver Sentient Beings,” ensures that after becoming a Buddha in the Pure Land, one will naturally travel throughout the worlds of the ten directions to deliver sentient beings.
The Infinite Life Sutra states:
“That Buddha-land is pure, peaceful, subtle, and joyful, second only to the path of unconditioned Nirvana.
All the Sravakas, Bodhisattvas, devas, and humans there possess superior wisdom and penetrating spiritual powers;
they are of one and the same kind, lacking any differing forms. Only for the benefit of those in other lands are they given names such as devas or humans.
Their appearance is upright and exceedingly rare in the world; their features are subtle and wondrous—neither like devas nor humans.
All receive a natural, non-material, boundless body.”
Thus, we can see that the primary karma and complementary karma for the next life, of one who exclusively recites Namo Amitabha Buddha, are entirely accomplished through the Vow-Power of Amitabha Buddha. After rebirth in the Pure Land, they all possess:
● “ supreme wisdom,”
● “ spiritual insight,”
● “one and the same form,”
● “ the natural, boundless bodies of Buddhas.”
(to be continued tomorrow)
171 引業與滿業 (續)
二、念佛人的引業與滿業
念佛人下輩子的「引業」與「滿業」，不是由念佛人的業力決定，而是由阿 彌陀佛的大願業力決定。
阿彌陀佛五劫思惟所攝取的四十八願，兆載永劫所積植的無量德行，成 就了救度十方眾生的阿彌陀佛本身，成就了無比清淨莊嚴的極樂世界，成就 了廣度十方眾生的功德名號。
四十八願之中，第十八願是「念佛往生願」，是念佛人往生極樂世界的「引 業」，任何人只要念佛，必定脫離六道輪迴，往生極樂世界；第十一願是「必至 滅度願」，則是念佛人在極樂世界的「滿業」，也就是往生極樂世界就直接滅度 成佛；第二十一願是「三十二相願」，往生極樂世界的當下，就圓滿了三十二相 八十隨形好的佛身；第二十二願是「廣度眾生願」，往生極樂世界成佛之後，自 然就會前往十方世界，廣度十方眾生。
《無量壽經》說：
彼佛國土，清淨安穩，微妙快樂，次於無為泥洹之道。
其諸聲聞、菩薩、天人，智慧高明，神通洞達，咸同一類，形無異狀；但因順餘 方，故有天人之名。
顏貌端正，超世稀有，容色微妙，非天非人，皆受自然虛無之身、無極之體。
可知，念佛人下輩子的「引業」與「滿業」，都是依靠阿彌陀佛的大願業力 而成就。念佛人往生極樂世界之後，都是「智慧高明，神通洞達，咸同一類，形 無異狀」，都是「自然虛無之身、無極之體」（成佛）。
Namo Amituofo!
