Important Knowledge in the Pure Land Teaching
淨土小常識
172 - The Dharma of Removing Suffering and Affliction ( continued 3/7)
Namo Amitabha Buddha inherently encompasses the Buddha’s power: the power of his vows, the power of his merits and virtues, his unobstructed light, and his power to save all those who exclusively recite Namo Amitabha Buddha throughout the ten directions. Amitabha Buddha does not appear casually or without purpose; whenever he appears, there must be a definite intent and content. That content is Amitabha Buddha’s equal, non-discriminatory, and unobstructed deliverance of all sentient beings.
Here another question arises. The “Dharma for removing suffering and affliction” refers to a teaching (Dharma). So correspondingly, Amitabha Buddha should respond with a teaching. Yet in the sutra, what responds to the “Dharma for removing suffering and affliction” is Amitabha’s Buddha-body standing in midair.
This seems to suggest a mismatch between body and Dharma. How should we understand this?
At first glance, this does appear problematic; but, upon closer reflection there is actually no contradiction. The Amitabha Buddha standing in midair is the “Thus Come One of Unobstructed Light Pervading the Ten Directions.” The Amitabha Sutra states:
“That Buddha’s light is immeasurable, illuminating the lands of the ten directions without obstruction.”
Thus, Amitabha Buddha’s light pervades the ten directions without hindrance, revealing him as the Thus Come One of Unobstructed Light Pervading the Ten Directions.
This Buddha, Amitabha, possesses unobstructed light and the Twelve Kinds of Light. Where does Amitabha Buddha come from? Fundamentally, he arises from the fulfillment of the 18th Vow. What does the 18th Vow accomplish? It empowers the Name of Amitabha Buddha.
(to be continued tomorrow)
172 除苦惱法 (續 3 / 7)
南無阿彌陀佛本身涵蓋佛的力量、佛的願力、佛的功德力、佛的無礙光 明、救度十方念佛眾生的力量，有這一種含義。阿彌陀佛不會隨隨便便顯現， 他顯現一定有目的，一定有內容，那內容就是阿彌陀佛的平等、無差別、無障 礙的救度眾生。
這裡還有一個疑問。「除苦惱法」講的是「教法」，所以相對的，阿彌陀佛也 應該以教法來與之呼應。然而經文中，與「除苦惱法」相呼應的，卻是住立空 中的「佛身」，這不能不說是身法不應，這是怎麼一回事？
這個疑問看來確實是個問題。但是仔細想想，其實也不衝突。因為住立空 中的阿彌陀佛就是「盡十方無礙光如來」，《阿彌陀經》就說「彼佛光明無量，照 十方國無所障礙」，所以阿彌陀佛遍照十方、無所障礙的光明，就顯示出阿彌 陀佛是盡十方無礙光如來。
阿彌陀佛這一尊佛，有無礙光，乃至十二光。阿彌陀佛從哪裡來？最根本 可以說是從第十八願成就所顯現的；第十八願所成就的是什麼呢？成就一句 名號。
Namo Amituofo!
