Clarifying Doubts about the Pure Land (I)
淨土釋疑(一)
Answer to Q42: (3 /3)
Can any of us truly practice perfectly? No, we cannot.
Among us, the person with the deepest cultivation should be Dharma Master Jing'an. He once attained uninterrupted pure mindfulness (sustained
concentration) in Buddha-recitation, and even experienced the same mindfulness in dreams as in waking life. Yet he still felt uneasy about rebirth. It was only after deeply accepting Amitabha's saving vow that he became truly settled, secure, and at peace. Thus the name "Jing'an" ("Pure Peace") suited him perfectly.
In fact, that name is equally fitting for every one of us, because Amitabha Buddha wants us to attain great peace of mind. He declared:
When I attain Buddhahood, I shall universally fulfill this vow:
For all who are fearful, I will grant deep peace and security.
May I quickly attain Perfect Enlightenment in this world,
and uproot the very source of the painful cycle of birth and death. In other words:
"I wish to attain Buddhahood as quickly as possible; so that, I may swiftly remove the root cause of the sufferings of birth and death for all beings throughout the ten directions."
What is the greatest fear of sentient beings? It is the fear of impermanence. When impermanence arrives, one may fall into the lower realms, even into hell. What could be more terrifying than that?
Yet, Amitabha Buddha wishes to give us peace and security. He wishes to eliminate our fears. Therefore, among all teachings, only the Pure Land path is able to bestow upon us the deepest and most complete peace of mind in the face of every fear.
42問：
答 (3 /3)：
大家會修行嗎？不會修行。我們這裏修持最好的，應該是淨安法師。他曾 經達到淨念相繼、功夫成片、夢寐一如，可是對往生還是心中不安，直到聞信 阿彌陀佛的救度才踏實下來、安頓下來，真正是「安」了。所以「淨安」，以這兩 個字作為他的名字是最好的了——當然，這個名字對每個人來說都同樣恰當 ，因為阿彌陀佛事先要我們大安心，他說：
吾誓得佛，普行此願，
一切恐懼，為作大安。
令我於世，速成正覺，
拔諸生死，勤苦根本。
「我要快一點成佛，趕快拔除十方眾生生死苦惱的根本。」
我們眾生最大的恐懼是什麼？就是無常的恐懼。無常一到，就要墮落到 地獄去——世間有什麼比這更恐懼的？但是，阿彌陀佛要給我們「安」，要消 除我們的恐懼。所以，對一切恐懼來說，唯有淨土法門才能給我們大安心。
Namo Amituofo!
