Clarifying Doubts About the Pure Land (I)
淨土釋疑(一)
Question 37:
Just now, after listening to so much of your teaching, I truly believe that, at the time of death, I will receive Amitabha Buddha’s support and go to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. As an ordinary person, on the one hand, I deeply believe that by exclusively reciting Namo Amitabha Buddha one can be reborn in the Western Pure Land. On the other hand, there is the matter of propagating the Dharma. A person like me is quite foolish, not good at expressing myself, and in all aspects of cultivation I really have little to speak of.
However, I wonder: if I want to further improve my practice, is there some method to increase my wisdom? Would this create any contradiction?
Please, Master, give your guidance.
Answer:
This is exactly what Master Shandao called “having faith oneself and guiding others to have faith”.
Once you receive Amitabha Buddha’s saving compassion, quite naturally you will, without even realizing it, both believe yourself and encourage others to believe. If at that time you begin to feel your own shortcomings, what should you do then?
You should read more books on the Pure Land thought of the lineage of Tanluan, Daochuo, and Shandao. At the same time, listen more to recordings that explain these teachings, and reflect on them carefully.
After you truly understand the principles of Amitabha Buddha’s saving compassion, when you speak to others about them, your explanation will naturally have more substance.
(to be continued tomorrow)
37問：剛才聽您開示這麼多，我確實深信臨終的時候會蒙佛的加被，去西方極 樂世界。作為一個凡夫，一是深信念佛往生西方極樂世界，另外，面臨一個弘 法的問題，像我這個人，挺愚癡的，表達能力也差，修行各方面都談不上，可 是我想：自己要再進一步修行，有什麼方法進一步增加智慧，是不是有矛盾？ 請師父開示。
答：這個就是善導大師所講的「自信教人信」。
領受彌陀的救度，不知不覺就會自信教人信，那個時候才會感覺到自己 的缺乏，那怎麼辦呢？要多看曇鸞、道綽、善導一系淨土思想的書，同時多聽 闡述這些思想的錄音帶，能夠加以思惟。領會阿彌陀佛救度的道理之後，再 給人家講就比較有內容。
Namo Amituofo!
