Important Knowledge in the Pure Land Teaching
淨土小常識
172 - The Dharma of Removing Suffering and Affliction ( continued 7/7)
Therefore, at the very moment Queen Vaidehi saw Amitabha Buddha appear, it can be said that she also heard Amitabha Buddha saying to her: “Vaidehi, I will save you. Come just as you are, I will protect you. Do not be afraid.” Amitabha Buddha speaks to Queen Vaidehi in this way, and in the same way, Amitabha Buddha speaks to us. If we truly hear it, our suffering and afflictions will be eliminated, our hearts will soften, and joyful faith will arise. Amitabha Buddha teaches without sound—what is called “soundless teaching” surpasses audible sound.
Finally, the statement following the Contemplation of the lotus throne —“eliminating the karmic offenses of five billion kalpas of birth and death”—includes all karmic offenses, independent of any literal numerical value.
For this reason, the Contemplation Sutra also speaks elsewhere of “eliminating the karmic offenses of eighty billion kalpas of birth and death,” or of eliminating the offenses of innumerable kalpas, or immeasurable billions of kalpas. In ancient India “five hundred” was used to indicate a very large quantity. Queen Vaidehi is said to have had five hundred attendants. This does not mean she literally had exactly five hundred attendants; but rather, signifies that as the queen mother of a kingdom, she had a great many attendants.
172 除苦惱法 (續 7 /7 )
所以韋提希夫人看到阿彌陀佛出現的當下，可以說也隱隱約約地聽到阿 彌陀佛對她說：「韋提希呀！我要救你呀！你就這樣來，我保護你，你不要害 怕。」阿彌陀佛對韋提希夫人這樣講，同樣阿彌陀佛也對我們這樣講，如果我 們有聽到的話，我們的苦惱就會消除，心就會柔軟，就會信心歡喜。阿彌陀佛 是無聲的說法，所謂無聲勝有聲。
另外，華座觀後面說的「滅除五萬億劫生死之罪」是表示所有罪的本體， 與數字無關，所以在《觀無量壽經》往往也講到「除八十億劫生死之罪」，或除 無數劫生死之罪，或除無量億劫生死之罪。如同「五百」，在古印度是形容很 多的意思，像韋提希夫人就有五百侍女，難道她真的有五百位侍者嗎？不是 的，是指一個國家的太夫人侍者很多的意思。
Namo Amituofo!
