Clarifying Doubts About the Pure Land (I)
淨土釋疑(一)
Q 28: (See post dated Jan. 26, 2026)
Answer (continued 2 /3)
From the Buddha’s Side
From Amitabha Buddha’s perspective, at a time when we were: still completely unaware, committing offenses, creating karma, and not knowing which realm of rebirth we would enter; Amitabha took the initiative to make vows on our behalf. He vowed to create a Land of Ultimate Bliss and to share it with us. This is like parents in this world who vow to accomplish things for their children.
Thus, Amitabha Buddha made his Forty-Eight Great Vows, fulfilled the Land of Bliss, gathered all virtues and merits into the Six-Character Sentence, and transferred these to us. This “transfer of merit” is an act of pure grace and unattached giving.
We ourselves have no pure: goodness, cultivation, or merit. Amitabha Buddha transfers the merit of the Six-Character Sentence to us. Invisibly, we then possess great goodness, great practice, and great merit.
Therefore, from Amitābha’s side, it is Amitabha who makes the vow and shares the Six-Character Sentence with us.
From Our Side
From our side, it is a matter of receiving Amitabha’s deliverance, complying with Amitābha’s guidance, and aspiring to rebirth in the Land of Bliss. This state of compliance and aspiration is what appears, from our side, as a vow and dedication.
But all of these functions are already fully contained within the Six-Character Sentence.
(to be continued tomorrow)
28問：
答 ( 續 2/ 3)：
從佛那一邊來講是：阿彌陀佛在我們都不知道，甚至還在造罪造業、不曉 得輪迴到哪裡去的那個時候，就主動為我們發願，要為我們成就一個極樂世 界，把極樂世界送給我們。好像世間父母親發願，要為兒女完成什麼什麼事 情。所以，阿彌陀佛是在為我們發四十八大願，完成極樂世界，同時，把所有 功德納入六字名號當中，然後將這句名號迴向給我們，作為我們的功德。這 個「迴向」，就是恩賜，就是「給」的意思。
我們沒有善、沒有修行、沒有功德，阿彌陀佛將六字名號功德迴向給我們 ，使我們有了這個功德，無形中就有了大善、大修行、大功德，所以，從彌陀 來講，是彌陀將六字名號發願迴向給我們。
從我們這一邊來講，是我們蒙受彌陀的救度，隨順彌陀，願生極樂，這一 種隨順願生的狀態。從我們這一邊來講，是我們這裏的迴向發願，這種功能 通通具足在六字名號裏面。
彌陀的發願迴向與我們的發願迴向通通具足在六字名號裏邊，所以，信 願行通通在裏邊了，我們不必另外再迴向。 即使迴向發願，與一般人的迴向 發願也不一樣。
Namo Amituofo!
