Clarifying Doubts About the Pure Land (I)
淨土釋疑(一)
Question 44:
Master, you once told the story of a Brahmin and his wife who recited Namo Amitabha Buddha together. Why did the Brahmin still fall into hell despite his practice? Please explain?
Answer to Q44 : (1 /3)
Perhaps, although he recited Namo Amitabha Buddha, he did so reluctantly or merely as a formality.
Even though he fell into hell, he had nevertheless recited Namo Amitabha Buddha. Therefore, under the appropriate conditions, the Name would inevitably manifest its power. Just the fact that he recited Namo Amitabha Buddha revealed the influence of Amitabha’s power upon him and his wife. Although he was not immediately reborn in Amitabha's Land of Bliss, the compassionate function of the Name nevertheless revealed itself.
It is also possible that this was Amitabha Buddha's compassionate arrangement —that he first went to hell so that, through the power of the recitation of Namo Amitabha Buddha he could bring deliverance to even more beings there. Afterwards, he was allowed to return to the human world to recount this story; so that all who heard it would be deeply moved to begin reciting Namo Amitabha Buddha themselves, and pass the story on to others.
The account of his experience is recorded only in this brief form. It does not explain all the causes and conditions before and after the event. Therefore, we can only make such inferences.
We know that the recitation of Namo Amitabha Buddha enables those who recite it to be reborn in Amitabha's Land of Bliss. If this Brahmin was not reborn there immediately, there must have been various reasons.
The reason such a person exclusively recites Namo Amitabha Buddha is that he has a clear motivation and purpose. That motivation is nothing other than to renounce the suffering of the Saha World and aspire to rebirth in the Land of Bliss.
(to be continued tomorrow)
44問：師父講的公案，就是一個婆羅門和他的妻子一起念佛，為什麼他念佛還 會墮到地獄？請師父開示。
答(1 /3)：這或許他雖然稱念，但卻是一種勉強的念、應付式的念。
雖然他墮落地獄了，但畢竟他念過佛，這句名號就會在某種機緣下顯 示它的功能，所以它的功能也顯現出來了，雖然沒有即刻往生極樂世界，但 是功能顯現出來了。
或許這也是彌陀的安排，使他到地獄去，借這句名號度更多的眾生，同 時又讓他還陽來，告訴世人這一則典故，使凡是聽到的人都感動，都去稱名， 然後又傳佈出去。
他的事蹟就是很簡要地這樣述說而已，至於其他的前因後果，並沒有 交代，所以，我們只能這樣推論。
我們知道，這句名號能夠使稱念的人往生極樂世界。這個婆羅門不能往 生，那有種種原因。
能夠往生的，當然都是一生專稱佛名的人，一生專稱佛名就必定往生極 樂世界。他之所以專稱佛名，當然有他的動機、目的，他的動機、目的無非是 厭離娑婆、願生極樂，然後才會去稱念這句名號。
Namo Amituofo!
