Clarifying Doubts About the Pure Land (I)
淨土釋疑(一)
Answer to Q31 about Dharani blanket (continued 3 /3):
In ancient India, there was once a bhikṣu who died after suffering greatly — whether from a severe illness or some other cause is unknown; but, his pain was extreme. A Brahmin happened to pass by outside the door while the bhiksu was still alive and heard his cries of suffering. This Brahmin—who was not a Buddhist—wrote a dhāraṇī mantra on a piece of paper and hung it around the bhikṣu’s neck.
Later, the bhiksu passed away and was buried. When he reached hell, because this dhāraṇī was hanging on his body, the beings in hell who had an affinity with him, were liberated by the radiant power of the dhāraṇī mantra, which emitted light. As a result, the bhiksu himself returned to life. This illustrates the awe-inspiring, miraculous power and merit of mantras.
Amitabha Buddha is the King of all Buddhas. Namo Amitabha Buddha fully contains the eighty-four thousand Dharma treasures. All hundreds and thousands of dhāraṇī mantras are entirely encompassed within Namo Amitabha Buddha. For this reason, the ancient masters praised Namo Amitabha Buddha as the “King of Mantras.”
Therefore, when it comes to Namo Amitabha Buddha , rather than hanging it on the body, it is far better to “hang it” in the mind, to place it within the Alaya-consciousness. There, it will never fall off and will never disappear. When the appropriate conditions and timing arise, it will naturally manifest. When it manifests, it will emit light, and spontaneously deliver all those sentient beings who have the karmic affinity to be saved.
續答 Q31:
在古印度，有一位比丘死掉了，不知是生重病還是什麼原因，總之非常痛 苦。有一位婆羅門，在他還沒死的時候從門外經過，聽到這位比丘病痛哀嚎 的聲音，這位婆羅門（是沒有學佛的人）去寫了一段咒語在紙上，然後把它掛 在這位比丘的脖子上。後來這位比丘斷氣了，然後埋葬了。到了地獄，由於有 這個陀羅尼咒掛在身上的原因，結果，地獄有緣的眾生，因為陀羅尼咒放光 的威力，就離開地獄了，這位比丘也就還陽了。可見咒力的威神功德。
而這句名號就是阿彌陀佛本身，而阿彌陀佛又是諸佛之王，這句六字名 號具足八萬四千法藏，所有百千陀羅尼通通在這句六字名號裏面。所以，古 德稱六字洪名為咒王。
那麼，掛六字洪名的陀羅尼，與其掛在身上，不如掛在心中、掛在阿賴耶 識裏面，這個永遠不會掉落，永遠不會消失，遇到時節因緣就顯現出來，顯現 出來就放光，自然會度脫四周的有緣眾生。
Namo Amituofo!
