June 22

Jun 22, 2017
慧淨上人法語
凡夫入報

All those reborn in the Land of Bliss are the Buddhas in one more lifetime, not two, not three, or a hundred, a thousand lifetimes. It is because, once reborn in the Land of Bliss, one will be far apart from reincarnation within the Six Realms, leave the two kinds of birth and death, and immediately attain an infinite lifespan, no birth and no death.

凡是往生極樂世界都是一生補處，沒有二生、三生或百生、千生才補處的，因為往生極樂世界就遠離了六道的生死、離開了分段生死、變易生死，當下都是無量壽，不生不滅。

Namo Amitabha!

June 21

Jun 21, 2017
慧淨上人法語
專稱彌陀佛名
(continued)

According to the explanation of Master Shandao, practitioners of the high tier are not superior, and practitioners of the low tier are not inferior; and all are entitled for rebirth. It is truly a teaching that covers all three tiers, and will receive both people with sharp root as well as the slow-witted. It is what Master Ouyi says, “those of the highest level in the high tier cannot exceed its boundary, and those of the lowest level in the low tier are able to reach its region.”

So, the intention of [introduction of] the three tiers is mainly to guide us back to exclusive recitation of Amitabha Budda’s name.

如果是根據善導大師的解釋，上輩根機不會憍慢，下輩根機不會卑劣，人人有份，真的是三根普被，利鈍全收，也就是藕益大師所講的：「上上根莫能踰其閫，下下根亦能臻其域。」

所以三輩的用意，主要在導歸一向專稱彌陀佛名。

Namo Amitabha!

June 20

Jun 20, 2017
慧淨上人法語
專稱彌陀佛名

The three tiers are spoken in the context of aptitude [of the sentient beings], aimed at guiding [the practitioners] back to name-recitation in accordance with the Fundamental Vow.

When Master Shandao explains the meaning of the three tiers in his works,  “The Teachings of Contemplation and Recitation”, he says, “The aptitude and capacity of all sentient beings are different, which can be classified into the high, medium, and low tiers. The Buddha urges them to exclusively recite the name of the Infinite Life Buddha according to their aptitude and capacity. The Buddha and a multitude of sagely beings will come to receive them actively when their lives are close to death, and all of them will attain rebirth”. It indicates that the aptitude of sentient beings can be classified into high, medium and low.

As far as the teaching is concerned, the same teaching is applicable to different tiers of aptitude. So it has a guiding function to lead sentient beings of all the three tiers to reciting Amitabha’s name. For practitioners of the high tier, no sense of superiority is produced because they are not practicing an exclusive high-tier teaching. For practitioners of the low tier, no sense of inferiority is produced because they are not excluded from the chance of rebirth.

(continued tomorrow)

講三輩是就根機來講的，目的在導歸本願稱名。

所以善導大師在《觀念法門》解釋三輩時談到：「一切眾生，根性不同，有上中下。隨其根性，佛皆勸專念無量壽佛名。其人命欲終時，佛與聖眾，自來迎接，盡得往生。」這就顯明根機有上中下。

但就法來講，機不同，法都相同，所以有一種引導的作用，引導上中下的根機都來稱名，不因為是上輩的根機就修上輩的法，而有一種憍慢；也不因為是下輩的根機就認為自己往生無份，而心生卑劣。

Namo Amitabha!

June 19

Jun 19, 2017
慧淨上人法語
信受彌陀救度

Is it affirmative to say that cultivating various practices for dedication of rebirth is having doubt on Buddha’s wisdom? In this case, the cause and effect are reciprocal, and from the effect we can get the idea about the cause.

If you don’t doubt about the Buddha’s wisdom, why do you dedicate various practices [for rebirth]? Because you don’t believe, accept, and understand the deliverance of Amitabha’s Fundamental Vow, so you do cultivate various practices for dedication.

In the passage about rebirth by womb and by manifestation, the Infinite Life Sutra says, “They have doubt on these wisdoms, but still believe in the retribution for evil and the reward for virtue. So, they cultivate a stock of merits, aspiring for rebirth in that land."

That is to say, they do not believe in the wisdom of Amitabha Buddha, but still believe in the retribution of cause and effect. Hence, they cultivate various merits and virtues for dedication of rebirth. If that is the case, they will be reborn in the bud.

修諸行迴向往生就一定是疑惑佛智嗎？這互有因果，由果可知因。如果不疑惑佛智怎麼會迴向諸行呢？就因為他不信受、不了解彌陀本願的救度，以致修諸行來迴向。

在《無量壽經》的「胎化段」中提到：「疑惑不信，然猶信罪福，修習善本，願生其國。」也就是說，對阿彌陀佛的佛智不信，但是他還是相信有因果報應而修種種的功德來迴向往生，這樣的話他就往生在花苞當中。

Namo Amitabha!

June 18

Jun 18, 2017
慧淨上人法語
人生目的
(continued)

If he, however, does not take on the Pure Land path that leads to rebirth in the Land of Bliss, he simply makes a karmic relationship with ［Amitabha］ Buddha, and he has to wait in the next life [for rebirth]. It is almost impossible for a person, using his own effort within one short life-period, to cut off all afflictions, pay back all the debts accumulated in numerous past lives, and leave the reincarnation in the Three Domains and the Six Realms.

Nevertheless, if he relies on Amiatbha Buddha, he will not only leave safely the reincarnation within the Six Realms, he can also achieve Buddhahood through rebirth [in the Land of Bliss]. In this respect, the highest goal of life for all is to achieve Buddhahood through rebirth. Isn’t it?

但是，如果沒有行走在淨土的道路上，往生極樂世界的話，也只是結個佛緣，還必須要等待未來世，因為要在短短的一生中以自己的力量來斷除煩惱，來償還自己生生世世以來的債務，來脫離三界六道輪迴，那是太不可能了。

可是如果依靠阿彌陀佛，不但能夠安然離開六道輪迴，而且能往生成佛。這樣講起來，往生成佛豈不就是所有人的最高目的嗎？

Namo Amitabha!

June 17

Jun 17, 2017
慧淨上人法語
人生目的

If a person does not know there is a great matter of birth-and-death that he has to solve, his fate is almost identical to a dog or a cat—born alike, die alike, and reincarnate alike. Conversely, if he is born as a human being and comes across the Buddhist teaching, understanding the retribution of good and evil deeds, the causes and effects in the three periods of time, the reincarnation within the Six Realms, and knowing that he should leave the samsara of reincarnation and realize the realm of nirvana, he will not have a waste trip in this life.
（continued tomorrow）

如果生而為人卻不曉得有這麼一件生死大事要解決，那麼他跟一隻狗、一隻貓幾乎是沒有兩樣的──同樣的生，同樣的死，又同樣的輪迴。反之，如果生而為人，能遇到佛法，曉得有善惡報應、三世因果、六道輪迴，曉得要離開輪迴而親證涅槃境界的話，那就沒有白來一趟了。

Namo Amitabha!

June 16

Jun 16, 2017
慧淨上人法語
念佛度亡

For an Amitabha-reciter who exclusively recites Amitabha’s name and aspire to be reborn in Amitabha’s Pure Land, certainly he will see Amitabha Buddha and an assembly of sagely beings appear before him at the near end of his life, which is close to his last breath.

只要是專稱彌陀佛名，願生彌陀淨土的人，臨命終時，亦即將斷氣未斷氣，也就是斷氣之前，一定會看到阿彌陀佛與諸聖眾，現在念佛人眼前。

Namo Amitabha!