Common Knowledge in Pure Land Teaching
淨土小常識
137. General Discussion on Pure Land (continued)
Before responding to those three criticisms, let’s share some basic principles regarding Buddhist teachings:
1. “No Dharma is spoken by the Buddha in a definitive way.” It simply responds in accordance with sentient beings’ aptitudes and needs when establishing and expounding the teachings.
2. The principle of sharing a teaching in accord with sentient beings’ environment and needs, uses various expedient means to present them in ways that will most benefit them.
3. When previously used expedient means no longer resonate with those being taught, new explanations of the teachings are required.
4. The Buddha’s realm could not be imagined by human beings, so the Buddha had to replace the reality of its holistic, infinite, deep, and fathomless state in ways that would be attractive and desirable; yet, still convey as much as he felt his students could grasp. The Buddha had to accord with sentient beings’ minds, karma, aptitudes, and attachments when speaking the various Dharmas. So, it is inevitable that the Dharma, presented in a different time and place, seems a bit biased when judged by today’s standards. Thus, those beings who criticize Buddhist teachings should take into consideration the difficulties that the Buddha encountered. One ought to remember this point often.
Based on the four points above, we can answer in a fair manner when being asked about these issues.
(to be continued tomorrow)
137 淨土泛論 * (續上)
解答這三個問題之前，我想首先提醒讀者，有關佛教聖賢說法之幾項原則：
（一）佛無定法可說，是應眾生機，隨眾生需而施設法教的。
（二）因施教之原則在「隨順眾生」，故隨環境及需要而施設種種權巧方便之說。
(三）某一方便之效果發揮盡致後，必然會演進至衰敝之階段而喪失其原始作用，此時則必須有新的解釋來激發再生之作用，新的方便於焉產生。
（四）佛之境界非人類所能臆測，佛必須要犧牲其全體、無限及深邃無涯之廣大見解來將就人之有限愚蒙意識。佛必須要順眾生心，順眾生業，順眾生機，順眾生執來說法，這樣，所說之法就必然會受到種種限制和有所偏向，不能將真理之全體顯露出來，此為佛教聖賢之苦衷及其不得已處，吾人在批評佛法時，應常常牢記此點。
基於以上四點認識，我們對現代人所提出之種種質難，就可以作較公正的解答了。
Namo Amituofo!
