Sept 8

Sep 8, 2017
慧淨上人法語
凡夫入報

The Land of Bliss is a world of enlightenment, a world of nirvana. Only those who obey and follow Amitabha’s Name of Perfect Enlightenment, also receive and accept the meritorious virtues of the Name of Perfect Enlightenment can be reborn in Amitabha’s Pure Land of nirvana.

極樂世界是覺的世界、涅槃的世界，唯有隨順阿彌陀佛正覺的名號，領受正覺名號的功德，才能夠往生阿彌陀佛涅槃的淨土。

Namo Amitabha!

Sept 7

Sep 7, 2017
慧淨上人法語
專稱彌陀佛名

A person who exclusively recite Amitabha’s name is assured rebirth in the Land of Bliss. Of course, there must be a motive, or a purpose, for him to exclusively recite Amitabha’s name, i.e., being tired of and willing to depart from the Saha world and aspired to be reborn in the Land of Bliss. With this in mind, he exclusively recite Amitabha’s name.

Once he has this motive and recites the Name, whether he has sufficient understanding of Amitabha’s deliverance is no longer critical. His rebirth is assured because he has already satisfied the conditions for rebirth: being tired of and willing to depart from the Land of Saha, being aspired to be reborn in the Land of Bliss, and exclusively reciting Amitabha’s name.

一生專稱佛名者就必定往生極樂世界。他之所以專稱佛名，當然有他的動機、目的，就是厭離娑婆、願生極樂，然後才會去稱念這句名號。

至於他有了這個動機而稱念這句名號的時候，他對於彌陀的救度是否有充分的瞭解，已經無關緊要了，往生是必定的，因為，他已經合乎往生的條件了——厭離娑婆，願生極樂，專稱彌陀佛名。

Namo Amitabha!

Sept 6

Sep 6, 2017
慧淨上人法語
信受彌陀救度

Our doubt about Amitabha Buddha can be dissipated by the bright Name of Amitabha Buddha (in a form of light). On one hand, through a deep and comprehensive study of the teachings and a full understanding of the principles, we can also foster a belief in and make no doubt that sentient beings will certainly be reborn through Amitabha-recitation. On the other hand, as long as we exclusively recite Amitabha’s name, we are also able to imperceptibly nourish a belief in Amitabha’s deliverance and dispel the doubt. In general, however, it is easier to clear up doubts and establish faith through comprehension and apprehension of the bright Name.

我們對阿彌陀佛的懷疑是會受阿彌陀佛的光明名號所消除的，一方面，我們就教理去深入探討、融會貫通，也能夠信受只要眾生稱念就必得往生而沒有懷疑；一方面，只要專稱彌陀佛名，在無形之中，對彌陀的救度也會破疑生信。不過，往往必須透過對這句光明名號的理解體會比較容易「破疑生信」。

Namo Amitabha!

Sept 4

Sep 4, 2017
慧淨上人法語
淨土宗宗風真諦

There are two parts of the tenets and traditions of the Pure Land School of Buddhism. The first part covers the ultimate truth—the way leading to rebirth (in the Land of Bliss), and the second part covers the relative or worldly truth—the way of life (in the mundane world).

No matter learning Buddhism in the capacity of a world-renouncing practitioner (monastic) or a lay practitioner (householder), the purpose is mastery of the law or teaching (“dharma” in Sanskrit), which is composed of dharma of this world (loka-dharma in Sanskrit) and dharma of the transcendental world (lokuttara-dharma in Sanskrit).

The dharma of this world is the worldly truth—the way of life; the dharma of the transcendental world includes the “Difficult Path and the “Easy Path”. Our transcendental dharma is an Easy Path, i.e. the Pure Land School that focuses on rebirth by Amitabha-recitation. In other words, the so-called “worldly truth” refers to the benefits of living in the present life, and “ultimate truth” to the benefits of rebirth through Amitabha-recitation.

「淨土宗宗風」有兩部份，第一部份是真諦──往生之道，第二部份是俗諦──處世之道。

學佛不管是出家也好，在家也好，都是為了「法」。法有世間法、出世間法。世間法就是俗諦──處世之道，出世間法有「難行道」，有「易行道」。

我們的出世間法是「易行道」，也就是「淨土法門」，就是「念佛往生」。易言之，所謂「俗諦」是現世生活的利益，「真諦」是念佛往生的利益。

Namo Amitabha!

Sept 3

Sep 3, 2017
慧淨上人法語
人生目的

An ancient saying discloses, “The only great matter in the world is birth and death, so if we don’t invoke Amitabha, whom should we invoke?” The purpose of life is reciting Amitabha’s name with faith. The sutra says, “That is the one and only one real fact; no the second or third one.”

古德云：「世間大事唯生死，不念彌陀更念誰。」人生的目的，是信心念佛，經云：「唯此一事實，無二亦無三。」

Namo Amitabha!

Sept 2

Sep 2, 2017
慧淨上人法語
念佛利益

Recitation of Amitabha’s name in a small quantity is associated with heavy afflictions, as well as the person’s habitual temperament, of course. If one recites Amitabha’s name in large quantities, he will attach less to worldly love, and have less afflictions. To mitigate afflictions of other people, we should advise them of the teachings, in addition to Amitabha-recitation.

念佛少與煩惱重有關係。當然，也與個人習氣有關係。念佛多，則對凡情少執著，煩惱會減少。減輕他人煩惱，除勸念佛外，也要從理上勸導。

Namo Amitabha!

Sept 1 2017

Sep 1, 2017
慧淨上人法語
念佛方法

(continued)

Some other people who have already understood the existence of “self-power” within “other-power” still think that they should recite the Name to a profound level of proficiency, or should be able to subdue all false thought—either achieving one-pointedness in law or one-pointedness in matter; either cutting off the delusion of views and afflictions or reaching a state of non-duality. They believe that only with such abilities they will have the right mindfulness at the time near to the end-of-life, and hence have a better chance for rebirth.

If a person recites the Name with such a concept, he is still having a “self-power” mentality. This is known as “self-power within the other-power”.

另也有人，雖然他已經了解他力當中有自力的道理，但是仍以為念這句名號要念到功夫成片，要念到能夠降伏妄想──沒有理一心不亂，也要事一心不亂；沒有破思惑，也要斷見惑；再不然也要使功夫成片、夢寐一如；有這種功夫，臨終比較能夠正念現前，往生比較可靠。

若帶著這樣的觀念來念這句名號，仍然是自力的心態， 這叫做「他力中的自力」。

Namo Amitabha!