April 1, 2026

Apr. 1, 2026 

Important Knowledge in the Pure Land Teaching 

淨土小常識 

178. Endless Exhortation

Shakyamuni Buddha exhorted three times, saying “You should aspire (to be reborn).” All the Buddhas gave their support by declaring “You should believe this sutra.” Shakyamuni further urged, “All of you should believe and accept my words and those spoken by all of the Buddhas.” 

From this, we know that this exhortation refers to all times, in every thought, and in every place. Shakyamuni Buddha and all the Buddhas ceaselessly and repeatedly encourage beings to believe in and accept Amitabha’s deliverance. If one still refuses to believe and accept, or refuses to make the vow, he is truly like “ stubborn stone that cannot be transformed, or rotten wood that cannot be carved.” 

As Master Shandao says in his In Praise of Dharma Rites : “The Forty-eight Vows earnestly call out; Rely on the power of Amitabha’s vows and go to the Western Land.” 

He also says:“As the World-Honored One was about to conclude his teaching of the Dharma, he earnestly praised the Name of Amitabha.” 

And Master Zhiyi states in Ten Doubts About the Pure Land : “Amitabha Buddha has a particularly deep karmic affinity with the most evil beings of this world. As for the other Buddhas and their Pure Lands, although one or two sutras briefly encourage rebirth there, they are not like the Pure Land of Amitabha. In sutras and treatises everywhere, beings are earnestly and repeatedly urged to seek rebirth there.” 

178 無盡勸囑 

釋尊三勸「應當發願」，諸佛證誠「當信是經」，釋尊又勸「汝等皆當信受我語及 諸佛所說」，可知是時時勸、念念勸、處處勸。釋迦及諸佛如此無窮無盡地迭 相勸導「當信、當願」，如果再不信受，再不發願，實在類似「頑石不可化，朽木 不可雕」了。

善導大師《法事讚》言：四十八願殷勤喚，乘佛願力往西方。 善導大師《法事讚》言：世尊說法時將了，殷勤付囑彌陀名。 

智者大師《淨土十疑論》言：阿彌陀佛，與此世界極惡眾生，偏有因緣。其餘諸 佛一切淨土，雖一經兩經，略勸往生，不如彌陀佛國，處處經論，殷勤叮嚀勸往生也。 

Namo Amituofo! 

March 31, 2026

Mar. 31, 2026 

Master Huijing’s Short Teaching about the Pure Land (I) 

淨土短文 (一) 

11. (continued) 

Amitabha Buddha’s mind, body, and land all consist of True Suchness (the true Self-Nature). This true Self-Nature is vast and boundless. 

There is one Dharma Body (Dharmakaya); “one” means equality without any distinction or differentiation. 

Amitabha’s true reward land is a realm of Nirvana. It pervades everywhere. Therefore, all Buddhas arise from within the realm of the Land of Bliss.

“The pure lotus assembly of the Tathagata is born by transformation from the lotus of Perfect Enlightenment.” Since they are born from Perfect Enlightenment, they likewise realize Perfect Enlightenment—the cause is the same and the result is the same. 

Under the compassionate light of Amitabha’s embrace and protection, beings finally come to enjoy great liberation and great freedom. 

12.續： 

佛心、佛身、佛土皆以真如自性為體，真如自性廣大無邊。 一法身，「一」是平等無差別。 

彌陀真實報土是涅槃境界，遍一切處，故即諸佛亦從極樂界中出。 如來淨華眾，正覺華化生：既是正覺所生，故亦成正覺，因同果同。 在彌陀慈光攝受下，終於享受到大解脫、大自在。

Namo Amituofo!

March 30, 2026

Mar. 30, 2026 

Master Huijing’s Short Teaching about the Pure Land (I) 

淨土短文 (一) 

11. Although the Land of Bliss is said to be a hundred thousand million worlds away from here, when speaking in terms of its traces or appearance, it seems unimaginably distant. Yet the wisdom-nature of Amitabha Buddha encompasses the entire expanse of empty space and all worlds; therefore, there is nowhere that it is not present. 

For this reason, all sentient beings — whenever they think or take a step forward — are already within Amitabha Buddha’s nature. If one reaches out with utmost sincerity and earnestness of heart, there is no one that will fail to receive a response. (From Longshu’s Pure Land Writings, Vol. 8) 

To be reborn in the Land of Bliss actually means rebirth that is beyond birth and death. The Land of Bliss transcends all duality; it is the joy that is unborn and undying. It is the bliss inherently possessed within one’s own true nature, the bliss of the true nature of Nirvana. When ignorance is completely removed, the True Suchness of the Self-Nature fully manifests—this is unconditioned bliss, free from fabrication: non-doing, non-conditioning, and non-arising. 

All beings there receive bodies of naturalness and boundless essence. The “rebirth” in Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land is a birth without birth and without death; it is Immeasurable Life itself — absolute rather than relative. In that very moment, one attains Immeasurable Life. 

(to be continued tomorrow)

11. 極樂世界雖云去此百萬世界，論其蹟則不勝其遠；然佛之慧性，含虛空世 界，故無所不在。 

是以一切眾生，舉意動步，皆在佛之性中，至心懇切，無不應驗。（龍舒淨土文 卷八） 

往生極樂，即不生不滅之謂也。極樂是超越相對性，不生不滅，自性本具之樂 ，自性所生之樂，涅槃真性之樂，無明盡除，真如自性全現之無為樂，無作、 無為、無生。皆受自然虛無之身無極之體。往生彌陀淨土之生是無生無滅之 生，是無量壽，是絕對非相對，即時得無量壽。 

Namo Amituofo! 

March 29, 2026

Mar. 29, 2026 

Clarifying Doubts About the Pure Land (I) 

淨土釋疑(一)

Answer to Question 32 (continued) 

Amitabha Buddha says, “Even up to ten recitations—if one is not born there, I will not attain Perfect Enlightenment.” Master Shandao also said, “With each thought of reciting Namo Amitabha Buddha, one constantly repents.” Thus, in the very act of reciting Namo Amitabha Buddha moment after moment, we are invisibly 

repenting the various types of uneasiness and wrongdoing within our hearts. When we understand this principle, we will no longer feel anxious or burdened. Now we know that exclusively reciting Namo Amitabha Buddha is itself repentance. Therefore, we should single-mindedly and exclusively recite Namo Amitabha Buddha. 

Good actions bring good results; evil actions bring evil results. Eating meat carries its karmic consequences. If not for Amitabha’s deliverance, those consequences would inevitably have to be repaid—this must be understood. 

Reflecting on the kind of beings we are—helplessly having killed countless beings and eaten countless lives just to survive—we realize that without Amitabha’s salvation, we would have to repay those debts. When we contemplate our helplessness and the depth of our karmic obstacles, we see all the more that we must entrust ourselves to Amitabha’s deliverance. Amitabha’s deliverance is precisely meant to penetrate into the hearts of such beings and grant them peace of mind. 

“Netherworld” refers to the realm of the departed. The “Precepts for the Netherworld” means that we receive the Five Precepts on behalf of someone who has died. Since the deceased can no longer come to receive the precepts personally, we receive them in their stead; this is called receiving the Precepts for the Netherworld. 

32問：

續答： 

阿彌陀佛說「乃至十念，若不生者，不取正覺」，善導大師也說「念念稱名常 懺悔」，所以，念念稱名之間，無形中就是懺悔我們心中種種的不安。理解這 個道理的時候，我們就不會有掛礙，現在我們曉得，原來念念稱名，就是在懺 悔，因此應一向專念彌陀佛名。 

善有善報，惡有惡報，我們吃肉就有吃肉的果報，如果不是阿彌陀佛來救 度的話，果報非償受不可，這一點要瞭解。 

所以，想到我們這一種眾生，無可奈何，原來是殺了無數眾生、吃了無數 肉才使我們生存的啊！非彌陀的救度不可，不然的話，還要還債給牠們。想 到自己的無可奈何，想到自己的業障深重，才更非信受彌陀的救度不可；而彌陀的救度原來就是要徹入這一種眾生的心中，使他得到安心。 幽冥是指陰間，我們代替死去的人受五戒，因為他已經死了，不能來受戒了， 那我們代替他受，這個叫做受幽冥戒。 

Namo Amituofo!