Clarifying Doubts About the Pure Land (I)
淨土釋疑(一)
Question:
Can someone who has not entered the Buddhist path still attain rebirth by exclusively reciting Namo Amitabha Buddha?
Answer:
Even people who have not formally become Buddhists or taken the Three Refuges can still certainly attain rebirth in the Pure Land; if throughout their lives they exclusively recite “Namo Amitābha Buddha”. The merits and benefits gained from this are inconceivably greater than those of people who have taken the Three Refuges; but, do not exclusively recite Namo Amitabha Buddha and therefore do not attain rebirth.
This is because a person who exclusively recites Namo Amitabha Buddha throughout his/her life ; has already, knowingly or unknowingly, boarded the ship of Amitabha’s Vow, and will likewise be carried to rebirth in the Pure Land.
What is to be feared is this: although one exclusively recites Namo Amitabha Buddha, one does not understand the principle of Amitabha Buddha’s deliverance; and afterward gives rise to aspirations for rebirth in the heavenly realms or for blessings in the human world. In that case, rebirth in the Pure Land becomes uncertain.
39問：沒進佛門的人，念佛能否往生？
答：沒有進佛門的人、沒有三皈的人，如果他一生都是念「南無阿彌陀佛」，也 一定往生，比有三皈而沒念佛、沒往生的功德利益還要大得不可思議。
因為他一輩子念佛，即使不知道，已經在願船裏邊，照樣往生。
所怕的是：他雖然念佛，但不曉得彌陀救度的原理，然後又起了一種想要到天 上或人間的那種心，那就不定了。
Namo Amituofo!
