Clarifying Doubts About the Pure Land (II)
淨土釋疑(二)
Answer to Q47: (2 /3)
There was a very poor family in Japan whose ancestors, generation after generation, had made their living performing with monkeys. This man had several monkeys, and one of them had served him for many years. It had grown old and had a very spiritual nature. The man himself was a Buddhist who practiced Amitabha-recitation. Whenever he recited Namo Amitabha Buddha, this old monkey would sit nearby and recite along with him. It would even put its palms together in reverence to the Buddha or pick flowers and grasses as offerings to the Buddha.
One day, the monkey died. That night, the man dreamed that the monkey appeared to him in the form of a dignified human male and expressed its gratitude, saying that through reciting Namo Amitabha Buddha it had already been reborn in Amitabha’s Land of Bliss.
The cats and dogs around you are like that monkey. You should carefully guide them so that they may attain rebirth and liberation. Of course, this should be done according to your own ability.
(to be continued tomorrow)
續答Q47: (2 /3)
日本有一戶很貧困的人，他的祖先代代都是靠耍猴子的技藝謀生。他有幾隻 猴子，其中一隻已經為他服務很多年了，老邁了，這隻猴子也很有善根，他本 身又是學佛念佛的人，他念佛的時候，這隻老猴子會在旁邊跟著念佛，甚至 會合掌禮佛或摘花草來供佛，有一天，這隻猴子死去了，當夜他夢到這隻猴 子顯現很端正的男身來跟他答謝感恩，說由於念佛的關係，他已經往生極樂 世界了。你身邊的貓或狗，就像那隻猴子一樣，必須要謹慎引導使其能往生 解脫。不過，這當然是量力而為。
Namo Amituofo!
