Clarifying Doubts About the Pure Land (I)
淨土釋疑(一)
Q28 (see post dated Jan. 16, 2026)
Answer (continued 3 /3)
Both Amitabha’s vow and dedication, and our own responsive vow and dedication, are entirely contained within the Six-Character Sentence. Therefore, faith, vow, and practice are all complete within it. There is no need for us to add an additional dedication of merit.
Even if we speak of dedication and vow, it is not the same as the dedication practiced by ordinarily.
Ordinarily, people think: “I recite the Buddha’s Name, accumulate a certain number of recitations or a certain level of effort, and then dedicate that merit to Amitabha Buddha.” Another view is, “I accumulate other good deeds and merits and dedicate them all toward rebirth in the Pure Land.”
If one practices in this way, it is called self-power. It shows that one does not understand the principle of the Name, nor comprehend Amitābha’s compassion. It is like taking a knife and plunging it into Amitābha’s chest, causing him sorrow.
Why? Because with such an attitude, rebirth becomes difficult—it seems to depend on whether one has successfully dedicated enough merit. Moreover, one fails to understand Amitābha’s compassion, and thus recites the Name without true resonance or communion with Amitābha.
Then should we still recite the Dedication Verse? Yes, we still recite it. During morning and evening services, at the end we recite:
May the merit of this be equally shared with all,
So that together we awaken perfect Enlightenment,
And are reborn in the Land of Peace and Joy.
This verse was composed by Master Shandao, and its purpose is to proclaim and spread Amitabha’s dedication of merit, not to assert self-powered dedication.
28問：
答 ( 續 3/ 3)：
：一般人的迴向發願是：自己去念佛，累積念佛的數目、功夫，迴向給阿彌陀 佛，或者是累積其他的善行、功德，通通迴向到極樂世界去。如果是這樣的話 ，就是自力的，是不曉得這句名號的原理，不懂得彌陀的慈悲，等於是拿一把 刀插在彌陀的胸膛上，讓彌陀傷心。因為你這樣做的話，要往生就困難了，就 必須迴向才能往生。而且，不懂得彌陀的慈悲，來念這句名號，跟彌陀就不相 感通。
那麼，我們還念《迴向偈》嗎？還念《迴向偈》。那是早晚做功課的時候，最後 念：
願以此功德，平等施一切，
同發菩提心，往生安樂國。
這首偈子是善導大師所寫的，意思是在傳播彌陀的迴向。
Namo Amituofo!
