Important Knowledge in the Pure Land Teaching
淨土小常識
172 - The Dharma of Removing Suffering and Affliction ( continued 4/7)
Of course, the 18th Vow accomplishes the Buddha-body—“If they are not born there, I will not attain perfect enlightenment.” Only by enabling sentient beings of the ten directions to attain birth can he become Amitabha Buddha. Yet the content fulfilled by the 18th Vow is: “With sincere mind, joyful faith, the desire to be born in my land, and the exclusive recitation of Namo Amitabha Buddha up to ten times.”
“Sincere mind, joyful faith, and the desire to be born in my land” constitute the Three Minds, and the Three Minds are precisely the meaning of “Namo.” “Sincerely and joyfully entrust in Amitabha” is faith; “desire to be born in my land” is aspiration (vow); and “even up to ten recitations” is practice. This is “Namo” (faith and vow) and “Amitabha Buddha” (practice).
“Amitabha Buddha” is our practice. The merit for our rebirth, as well as the merit for attaining Buddhahood in the Land of Ultimate Bliss, is fully contained within these four characters, to be bestowed upon sentient beings who say “Namo.” As soon as sentient beings say “Namo”—that is, as soon as they have faith and vow—they immediately possess the merits of Amitabha Buddha.
It is like water needing a cup to hold it, or rice needing a bowl to contain it. With what kind of mind do we receive Amitabha Buddha’s deliverance? We receive it with a mind of faith.
We must believe in Amitabha’s deliverance and aspire to be born in Amitabha’s Pure Land—this is precisely what is meant by “Namo.” Since we already have the cup of “Namo,” the sweet dew from Amitabha Buddha’s great ocean of merit is ready to be contained within it. As long as we carry the bowl, the exquisite feast of merits that enables us to attain Buddhahood is already in our bowl.
(to be continued tomorrow)
172 除苦惱法 (續 4 / 7)
當然，第十八願成就佛身，所謂「若不生者，不取正覺」，要能夠使十方眾 生往生，才能夠成為這樣的一尊佛，可是第十八願成就的內容，是「至心信樂 ，欲生我國，乃至十念」。「至心、信樂、欲生我國」就是三心，三心也就是「南 無」的意思。「至心信樂」是「信」，「欲生我國」是「願」，「乃至十念」是「行」，就 是「南無」（信、願）和「阿彌陀佛」（行）。
「阿彌陀佛」就是我們的「行」，我們往生的功德，以及在極樂世界成佛的 功德，都在這四個字裡面，要給「南無」的眾生。只要眾生「南無」了，也就是 「信」和「願」了，當下就擁有阿彌陀佛的功德了。
好像水要用杯來承載，飯要用碗來承載，阿彌陀佛的功德我們要用什麼 心來承載呢？要用「信心」來承載。
我們要信彌陀的救度，我們要願生彌陀的淨土，這個就是在「南無」。既然 我們有「南無」的杯子，阿彌陀佛功德大寶海的甘露水就在裡面了；我們只要 把碗端出去，阿彌陀佛讓我們成佛的功德佳餚也在碗裡面了。
Namo Amituofo!
