Wonderful Metaphors in the Pure Land School
淨土宗妙喻
Metaphor 67: The Joy of the Third Dhyana (continued)
Those who commit the five gravest transgressions or slander the right Dharma deserve the greatest retribution, and should fall into Avici Hell when they are on the verge of death. However, if they recited Namo Amitabha Buddha, they are reborn in the Pure Land at once, thereby avoiding these painful karmic consequences. The lotus flower buds appear when they are about to fall into hell, and they are reborn inside the buds. Although there are three kinds of obstacles within the flower buds, the joy they experience there is still like entering the Third Dhyana.
Master Shandao contrasts the extreme differences in joy and suffering in the Saha World to encourage us to seek rebirth in the Pure Land. What he means to tell us is that we should know that even in our lotus-palaces, we will experience joy comparable to the Third Dhyana, and our life in the Pure Land will always be better than that of beings who suffer the unspeakable torments in Avici Hell for countless eons.
The text from the Nirvana Sutra is specially adapted and the reason for its adaptation is shown. Therefore, he says, “You ought to know”.
Accordingly, what exactly is it that we should know? The answer is: the fact that, as long as we are reborn in the Pure Land, even if we have to stay in our lotus-palaces for a period of time, we will still be filled with joy as pleasant as the bliss experienced by meditators in the Third Dhyana. Besides, even if our lotus buds do not bloom for many kalpas , our life there will definitely be much better than that of beings in Avici Hell, who can only experience endless suffering and pain.
As a matter of fact, when even sacred beings [such as the Great Bodhisattvas Manjusri and Samantabhadra] seek rebirth in the Land of Bliss, there is all the more reason for defiled beings to do so. No matter how we look at it, aspiring to rebirth in the Pure Land only benefits us. It is all pros and no cons.
67. 三禪之樂喻 (續)
論五逆或誹謗正法的人，他所造的罪非常重，當他臨終的時候，就應該墮入 地獄受最大的苦報，可是因為念佛，當下往生極樂，免除這些痛苦的因果罪 報，花苞就是在臨終即將墮入地獄的這個時候現前的。雖然在花苞之內有三 種障，但是他所受的快樂依然如入第三禪，所以，善導大師就用娑婆世界最 快樂跟最痛苦的相比對，以之讓我們來瞭解二者的懸殊差別，勸導我們所有 眾生，無論如何都應該求生極樂世界。所以，在這裏特別隨義轉用《涅槃經》 之文，並顯示轉用原由，故說「應知」。
又，「應知」什麼？應知即使在花苞之內，所受之樂還是如入三禪之樂，即使 在蓮花之中多劫不開，都遠遠勝過在阿鼻地獄之中的長時長劫受種種痛苦， 讓我們瞭解不管自己有罪無罪，都要往生極樂世界！無罪都要求生極樂世界 了，何況有罪，更要求生極樂世界，不管從那個角度來講，都是有百利而無一 害的。
Namo Amituofo!
