Important Knowledge in the Pure Land Teaching
淨土小常識
173 - Upholding Sutras and the Buddha’s Name (1/ 6)
The Amitabha Sutra states:
“Those who hear this sutra and uphold it, and those who hear Amitabha’s Name spoken by the Buddhas— are all protected and remembered by all Buddhas. They all attain non-retrogression toward Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi
Those Who Hear This Sutra and Uphold It
What kind of people are meant by “those who hear this Sutra and uphold it?”
Upholding a Sutra consists of upholding its words and upholding its meaning. Upholding the words means reciting and memorizing the scriptural text. Upholding the meaning means practicing in accordance with the doctrinal meaning taught in the Sutra.
In this Sutra upholding the words refers to reciting and memorizing the Sutra; while upholding the meaning refers precisely to exclusively reciting Namo Amitabha Buddha. As stated in the Contemplation Sutra: “To uphold this Sutra” means exclusively reciting Namo Amitabha Buddha, the Buddha of Immeasurable Life.”
What this Sutra teaches is nothing other than the exclusive recitation of Namo Amitabha Buddha for rebirth in the Western Land of Bliss. Even if one is illiterate and unable to read or write the text, as long as one exclusively recites Namo Amitabha Buddha, and aspires to rebirth in the Land of Bliss, it is the supreme way of upholding the Sutra.
Thus, those who exclusively recite Namo Amitabha Buddha are precisely “those who hear this Sutra and uphold it.” They are therefore among those who are “protected and remembered by all Buddhas.”
(to be continued tomorrow)
173 持經持佛 ( 1/ 6)
《阿彌陀經》說：「聞是經受持者，及聞諸佛名者，是諸善男子、善女人，皆 為一切諸佛之所護念，皆得不退轉於阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。」
一、聞是經受持者
什麼樣的人是「聞是經受持者」？持經有文持、義持。「文持」是持誦經文， 義持」是按經中所說義理落實修行。
本經的「文持」是持經，「義持」即持佛。如《觀經》言：持是語者，即是持無 量壽佛名。
本經所說的，不過是專稱阿彌陀佛名號往生西方極樂世界。即使不識字， 不會讀誦，只要稱佛名號、願生極樂，就是最好的受持。可知念佛人即是「聞 是經受持者」，即是「皆為一切諸佛之所護念」。
Namo Amituofo!
