Clarifying Doubts About the Pure Land (I)
淨土釋疑(一)
Answer to Q29: (3/4)
As for whether rebirth has already occurred in the intermediate state before death—this is not the case. As long as we are still alive, we are not in the intermediate-body state. As explained the other day, once we are born as human beings, the living physical body is called the “present aggregate” (現陰). The moment of death is called the “death aggregate” (死陰). The period from death until the next rebirth is called the “intermediate aggregate” (中陰). When one enters rebirth, it is called the “birth aggregate” (生陰). The process of life consists of these four stages: present, death, intermediate, and birth.
A person who, in this very life, has faith in Amitabha Buddha and exclusively recites Namo Amitabha Buddha, does not pass through the intermediate stage at all. The moment the breath ceases, one goes directly to the Land of Ultimate Bliss.
After death, the ālaya consciousness of ordinary people leaves their physical bodies. They are now in the death aggregate—but before rebirth occurs, this is called the intermediate body. Can an intermediate body attain rebirth? Yes, it can. Because the vows speak of “sentient beings of the ten directions.” “Sentient beings of the ten directions” includes all sentient beings without exception. An intermediate body is also a sentient being, just in the intermediate state. In the human world, we are human sentient beings; in the heavens, heavenly sentient beings; in hell, hell - sentient beings. All are “sentient beings of the ten directions.”
If someone has died and we know that in life they did not study Buddhism or recite Namo Amitabha Buddha, and they have already been dead for several hours, or even one or two days, we should still seize the opportunity of the intermediate state. At their side, we explain the Buddha-recitation Dharma to them and then recite Namo Amitabha Buddha together. If we fail to seize this chance, they may fall into hell. However now, with conditions coming together, they too can be reborn in the Land of Bliss.
(to be continued tomorrow)
29問：
續答：(3/ 4)
臨終之前是不是中陰已經往生呢？不是這樣的，我們還存在的話，就不算中陰身。前天也講過，我們已經轉生為人，生命的肉體叫做現陰；死的那一剎那叫做死陰；那麼，由死到轉胎這一段時間，叫做中陰；到去轉生的話，叫做生陰。我們生命體的過程分為四個階段：現陰、死陰、中陰、生陰。
一個現生信佛念佛的人，是不經過中陰身的，一斷氣就到極樂世界去。
一般人死後，阿賴耶識離開肉體，離開這個死陰，還沒有轉生，這個叫中陰身。那中陰身能往生嗎？也能往生！因為「十方眾生」嘛，「十方眾生」，任何眾生沒有不包括在裏面的，中陰身也是眾生啊，只是他是在中陰的眾生而已。我們在人間，就是人間的眾生；在天上，天上的眾生；在地獄，地獄的眾生，都是「十方眾生」。
如果一個人死了，我們曉得他在生沒有學佛念佛，他死了已經好幾個小時，甚至一兩天了，也要把握這個中陰的機會，在他旁邊為他開示念佛法門，然後大家一起念佛，因為這個時候再不把握，就要到地獄啊，現在因緣和合，也能往生極樂世界。
Namo Amituofo!
