Important Knowledge in the Pure Land Teaching
淨土小常識
174 - The Classification of Cause and Effect (10/11)
The reason “other-cause, self-result” can occur is that sentient beings exclusively recite Namo Amitabha Buddha, and fulfill a special condition. Amitabha Buddha has made the vow: “As long as sentient beings exclusively recite Namo Amitabha Buddha, I give them all my merit.” There is a giver and a receiver. It is like a special password or program setting: when the reciter satisfies the condition, they immediately receive Amitabha Buddha’s merit.
The relationship between other Buddhas and us is somewhat like that of teacher and student. They teach us, but we still must practice ourselves. The relationship between Amitabha Buddha and us is more like that of father and child. All the merit he has accumulated becomes our own.
Ultimately, self and other are originally nondual. From the standpoint of the ultimate meaning of the Dharma, self is other, and other is self; the difference lies only in the point of entry.
174 因果的分類 (續 10 /11)
產生「他因自果」這樣的現象，也是因為眾生念了佛，滿足了這樣特殊的一個因；然後阿彌陀佛又發了這樣的願──「眾生只要稱念我的名號，我的功德就全部給他」。有一個施者，有一個受者。就像一個特別的密碼、程序設定，念佛的人滿足了這樣的程序設定，當下就得到阿彌陀佛的功德。
所以，諸佛和我們的關係有點像師生，他教會了我們，但還是需要我們去做。阿彌陀佛和我們的關係更像是父子，他所積累的一切功德都成為我們自己的。最究竟來講，自他本來是不二的。從佛法了義的角度來說，自也是他，他也是自，只不過入手不同。
Namo Amituofo!
