Clarifying Doubts About the Pure Land (I)
淨土釋疑(一)
Question 29: Venerable Master, when a Buddha-reciter’s ordinary mind and the Buddha’s mind become one, rebirth is decisively assured in the present moment. Then, while this physical body still exists, is this what is called “rebirth with residual karma”? Does this mean that before the time of death the intermediate state (bardo) no longer exists? And is there still the suffering of dying?
Answer to Q29: (1/4)
The existence of Amitabha Buddha is precisely to bear the karmic offenses we have accumulated through countless lifetimes and to repay the debts we have incurred over innumerable kalpas. Where are the vows Amitabha Buddha made, and the bodhisattva virtues he accumulated over immeasurable eons? They are right here. His merit and virtue are meant to repay our karmic offenses. If he could not repay the karmic debts we owe others from previous lives, how could we ever leave the Saha world? Therefore, before this, Amitabha Buddha must first repay them for us. Within our faith, aspiration, and exclusive recitation of Namo Amitabha Buddha, the karmic debts accumulated over countless lifetimes are repaid by Amitabha Buddha.
As long as the physical body still exists, there will naturally still be greed, anger, and delusion, and one may continue to create other karma. However, this karma is no longer an obstacle to rebirth.
(to be continued tomorrow)
29問：請問師父，念佛人凡心佛心成為一體，當下往生決定，那我們現在肉體存在之間就叫做帶業往生嗎？是不是臨終以前中陰已經沒有了？還有沒有死苦的折磨？
答：(1/ 4)
阿彌陀佛的存在是為了承擔我們累生累劫的罪業，償還我們累生累劫的債務，阿彌陀佛所發的願，兆載永劫所累積的菩薩德行在哪裡？就是在這裏，他的功德，就是要償還我們的罪業，如果他不能償還我們生生世世欠人家的業債，我們怎麼能夠離開娑婆？所以，在這之前，阿彌陀佛一定要先為我們償還，我們信願稱名之中，累生累劫的罪業，就被阿彌陀佛償還了。
如果肉體還存在，自然就有貪瞋癡，還會造其他的業。可是這些業已不是往生的障礙了。
Namo Amituofo!
