Clarifying Doubts About the Pure Land (I)
淨土釋疑(一)
Question 33:
Master, I understand that since Amitabha Buddha saves us, we should not do things that go against the Buddha, but instead do things to repay the Buddha’s kindness. Yet sometimes, without realizing it, we still create negative karma. When we commit such negative karmic actions, will it affect our positive karma? Can Amitabha Buddha eliminate these karmic offenses for us?
Answer:
If we are speaking about ordinary beings like ourselves, when are we not committing negative offenses and karma? The Ksitigarbha Sutra says: “Sentient beings of Southern Jambudvipa — every movement and every thought create negative karma.” In particular, the very fact that we can survive often depends on eating the flesh of other beings. Who among us has never eaten meat since birth? Therefore we have all created the karma of killing — if not by doing the killing,
then by others killing on our behalf. Every thought we give rise to can create negative karma.
Our thoughts are filled with greed, anger, and ignorance. We are all very self-centered. For example, when we are about to take a photograph, we first make sure our own appearance looks proper; and when the photo is developed, the first person we look for is ourselves.
If someone treats us slightly better or praises us a little, we feel pleased. However, if someone says something unfavorable about us, or whispers behind our backs, we feel unhappy. If we are insulted or slandered, we feel even worse. Thus greed, anger, and ignorance constantly exist in our minds and will not disappear even after death. Even after we have accepted Amitabha’s deliverance, this remains the case.
It is precisely such beings that Amitabha Buddha intends to save. The only condition for receiving Amitabha’s saving embrace is exclusively reciting Namo Amitabha Buddha.
(to be continued tomorrow)
33問：請問師父，我知道佛的救度，本來不應該幹一些對不起佛的事，應該幹 一些報佛恩的事，可是有時候不知不覺就造了業，造這些業，是不是就受影 響了？阿彌陀佛能不能給我們消除這些業？
答：如果論我們眾生，何時不在造罪造業？《地藏經》說：「南閻浮提眾生， 舉止動念，無不是業，無不是罪。」尤其是我們之所以能夠生存，是靠著吃眾 生肉而來的——誰生下來沒有吃過肉？所以，我們都曾造殺生的業，不是自 己殺，就是人家為我而殺，起心動念都是業、都是罪。
我們起心動念都是貪瞋癡，都是自私自利，把自己考慮在第一位。今天要 照相了，一定要先端正自己的儀容；等相片出來了，第一眼先看的一定是自 己。所以，自自然然地，我們都把自己考慮到第一位。
人家如果對我稍微好一點，對我稍微讚歎一兩聲，心中就會很快意；如果稍微說我們一兩句壞話，或 者是背後竊竊私語，我們就會不喜歡；受到侮辱、誹謗，則更加不愉快。所以， 貪瞋癡時時存在於我們心中，到死都消不掉，即使我們信受彌陀救度了，也 仍然如此。
阿彌陀佛正是要救度這種眾生。阿彌陀佛救度的條件，就是「你只要稱名 念佛就可以了」，這樣的眾生就已經給救到了。
Namo Amituofo!
