April 7

Apr 7, 2018
善導大師語錄
《觀經四帖疏》「弘願文」

The Great Vow is, as said in the Longer Sutra (Infinite Life Sutra), “No good and evil ordinary being who attains rebirth [in the Pure Land] has not resorted to the karmic power of Amitabha’s Great Vow as an augmentative cause”.

言「弘願」者，如《大經》說： 一切善惡凡夫得生者，莫不皆乘阿彌陀佛大願業力為增上緣也。

Namo Amitabha!

April 6

Apr 6, 2018
慧淨上人法語
出離與輪迴

The goals of studying Buddhism are liberation from the cycle of reincarnations and achievement in Buddhahood. In this respect, the true study of Buddhism should be recitation of Amitabha's name, as well as believing and accepting Amitabha’s compassionate deliverance; otherwise, it is not perfect and complete, even though we have studied Buddhism. Why? It is because we haven’t been liberated from the cycle of reincarnations.

學佛就是要脫離輪迴、要成佛，這樣講起來，唯有念佛，信受彌陀對我們的悲心救度，才是真正的學佛，否則雖然學佛了，還不算圓滿，為什麼？因為還未出輪迴。

Namo Amitabha!

April 5

Apr 5, 2018
慧淨上人法語
機法深信

(continued)

Deep faith in “teaching” means: even though we are persons of such aptitude, we can still be assured rebirth, if we recourse to Amitabha’s vow-power (of which the vehicle is name-recitation and aspiration to rebirth). So, we should believe that any person who always exclusively aspires to be reborn and recites Amitabha’s name has already been delivered. It does not matter whatever his feeling and emotion are. If we believe in this way, our internal mind is settled fearlessly although we may still come across karmic afflictions.

「信法」：即是如此之人，若乘托彌陀願力（稱名願生即是乘），定得往生。
是故，應信任何人，凡是一向願生專念者，即已被救，心情之如何，一概不論也。如是信知，則雖遇緣煩惱，內心安然無畏。

Namo Amitabha!

April 4

Apr 4, 2018
慧淨上人法語
機法深信

The practitioners in Pure Land teaching should have deep faith in both “aptitude” and “teaching”:

Deep faith in “aptitude” means: knowing by faith that we are ordinary beings full of heavy afflictions from birth to old age and death. How can such kinds of beings burst with joy? That may happen when they encounter the necessary conditions; but it will extinguish when the conditions leave.

Further more, we cannot liberate ourselves through cultivation of the worldly virtues; on the other hand, we also fail to cultivate virtues that help us leaving this world. So, with our own strength we don’t have the conditions for liberation [from the cycle of reincarnations].

(continued tomorrow)

淨宗行人，應具「機法二種深信」。
「信機」：即是信知自己從出生到老死，始終都是煩惱深重之凡夫，如是之人何能心花怒放？有，也是遇緣則現，緣過則滅。
又，世間善不能解脫，出世間善我們修不成，所以自身無有出離之緣。

Namo Amitabha!

April 3

Apr 3, 2018
慧淨上人法語
佛法知見
(continued)

With this respect, sentient beings in the ten directions that Amitabha vows to deliver are those in the nine realms except the buddhas. Within the nine realms, srvaka, prateyabuddha and bodhisattvas, however, are the three kinds of sagely beings who have been liberated from reincarnations within the Six Realms. Although they are not buddhas, they have no greed, hatred and delusion, no commitment in karmic offenses, and no sufferings resulted from reincarnation. Those who need Amitabha’s deliverance are ordinary beings going on to commit karmic offenses and suffering from reincarnations within the Six Realms.

如果從這裏來講，彌陀發願救度的十方眾生，就是除佛以外的九法界眾生。但是，九法界之中，聲聞、緣覺、菩薩，這是三種聖人，已經出了六道輪迴，雖然還沒有成佛，但並沒有貪瞋癡，不受造罪造業、受苦受難的輪迴果報。而需要彌陀救度的眾生，就是還在造罪造業、受苦受難的六道輪迴的凡夫。

Namo Amitabha!

April 2

Apr 2, 2018
慧淨上人法語
佛法知見

Bodhisattvas with the three virtuous states and the ten excellent characteristics of a holy one are still subjected to the retribution of causal conditions. How do I put it? If a person can cut off the delusion of view, he is in the “fruitful position” (or stage) of Initial Faith. If a person can cut off the delusion of affliction, he is in the stage of Seventh Faith. If a person can cut off the delusion of worldly affairs, he is in the stage of Tenth Faith.

From this point onward, if he breaks one part of ignorance and realize one part of Dharma Nature, he can attain the stage of the Ten Dwellings, moving upward one by one. If he continues to break one more part of ignorance and realize one more part of Dharma Nature, he can move on part by part, eventually proceeds to the 41st stage when all kinds of ignorance are cut off. He will then enter the Buddha realm.

So, if a person has not reached the Buddha realm, he is still subjected to causal retribution. Only a Buddha dwells in the Land of Permanent Stillness, a realm of no-birth and no-death.

(to be continued tomorrow)

三賢十聖的菩薩，還在因果報應之中，怎麼講呢？如果斷見惑的話，他就進入了初信的果位；斷思惑的話，就進入了七信的果位；斷塵沙惑的話，就進入了十信的果位。

之後，破一分的無明，證一分的法性，就進入了十住的果位，一階一階上去。破一分無明，證一分法性，破一分、證一分，直到四十一品的無明通通破盡，就進入佛的境界。

所以，如果還沒有到達佛的境界的話，都還在果報當中。只有佛一人在常寂光土裏面，不生不滅。

Namo Amitabha!

April 1

April 1, 2018
慧淨上人法語
淨土信仰

(continued)

The Pure Land teaching in Song and Ming Dynasties covers the period from North Song to Ming Dynasties, and even down to Qing Dynasty [1644-1912]. The contents of this teaching are different from that of the Shandao lineage in Sui and Tang Dynasties, although both of them are known as the Pure Land teaching.

Because the Pure Land teaching in Song and Ming Dynasties is mixed with the teachings of the Tientai, Huayuan and Chan sects, it looks great and rich; but has been mixed with teachings of the Sagely Path. As a result, it leads practitioners to a state of uncertainty and anxiety in regards of the great matter of rebirth.

宋明淨土，就是北宋一直到明朝，以至到清朝的淨土。這個淨土跟隋唐善導大師的淨土相比，雖然同樣都是淨土法門，但內容卻不一樣。

因為宋明淨土已經摻雜了天臺、華嚴、禪的思想在裏面，所以看起來教理很豐富、很磅礡，可是已經摻雜了聖道門的思想，其結果就是導致修學者對往生大事心存不確定與不安。

Namo Amitabha!