Clarifying Doubts About the Pure Land (II)
淨土釋疑(二)
Answer to Q49 (5 /9 )
The Contemplation Sutra speaks of the Three Meritorious Deeds, Nine Grades, Meditative and Non-Meditative Virtues, in order to guide practitioners of the Sacred Path.
The eighty-four thousand Dharma teachings can, broadly speaking, be classified as Meditative and Non-Meditative practices. These are Meditative and Non-Meditative Virtues that encompass all of the various practices of the Sacred Path.
These teachings concerning the Three Meritorious Deeds, Nine Grades, Meditative, and Non-Meditative Virtues; were taught in order to guide such practitioners into the Pure Land Path of Buddha-recitation. They would then attain rebirth in the Land of Bliss.
Therefore, at the end, Shakyamuni Buddha did not transmit Meditative and Non-Meditative Virtues for continued practice. Instead, he transmitted the practice of exclusively reciting Namo Amitabha Buddha. The sutra says: “The Buddha said to Ananda, ‘You should uphold these words well. To uphold these words is to exclusively recite Namo Amitabha Buddha.”
It is no longer “contemplate the form of Amitabha Buddha;” but rather, “exclusively recite Namo Amitabha Buddha.”
Master Shandao explained: “Although I have explained above the benefits of the two gates, (of Meditative and Non-Meditative Virtues) In view of Amitabha’s Fundamental Vow, the intent is for sentient beings to exclusively recite Namo Amitabha Buddha.”
Although the benefits of the two kinds of practices are taught, when viewed in light of Amitabha Buddha’s Fundamental Vow, the purpose is not to dedicate the merits of Meditative and Non-Meditative Virtues toward rebirth. Rather, it is to exclusively recite Namo Amitabha Buddha.
Clearly, therefore, Meditative and Non-Meditative Virtues are not the practices of the Fundamental Vow. Only the exclusive recitation of Namo Amitabha Buddha is the practice of the Fundamental Vow.
The cause of rebirth through the exclusive practice of Namo Amitabha Buddha in the Fundamental-Vow is different from the causes represented by Meditative and Non-Meditative Virtues. When the cause is different, the result is also different.
The cause of the highest grade produces the result of the highest grade; the cause of the middle grade produces the result of the middle grade; and the cause of the lower grade produces the result of the lower grade.
(to be continued tomorrow)
續答 (5 /9):
《觀經》講三福九品、定善散善是為了引導修聖道門的人，因為八萬四千法門 歸納起來不是「定」就是「散」，定善散善就是聖道門所有的行門，為引導這類 人歸入淨土念佛，往生極樂世界而說三福九品、定善散善。
所以釋迦牟尼佛最後不流通定善散善，而流通持佛名號，經言：「佛告阿難， 汝好持是語，持是語者，即是持無量壽佛名」，已經不是「觀無量壽佛像」，而 是「持無量壽佛名」了。善導大師解釋說：「上來雖說定散兩門之益，望佛本願 ，意在眾生，一向專稱，彌陀佛名。」
雖說定散兩門的利益，可是以阿彌陀佛的本願來說，不在於迴向定散，而在 於專稱彌陀名號。可見定散不是本願，只有稱名才是本願。而本願稱名之 「因」與定善散善的「因」是不一樣的，「因」不一樣所得到的「果」就不一樣。上 品的因得到上品的果，中品的因得到中品的果，下品的因得到下品的果。可 是本願稱名都不是那些因，所以就不是那個果。
Namo Amituofo!
