June 14

Jun 14, 2018
慧淨上人法語
佛法知見
(continued)

This idea is wrong. Let us think about the case: this person only came across this [Pure Land] teaching on his deathbed and he was reborn; he is said to have deep virtuous past karma. However, we have now encountered the teaching. How can it be shallow in term of virtuous past karma?

He did evil throughout his life, while we have already studied Buddhism and invoke the Buddha, and we have also refrained from evil deeds and practice good deeds with all due diligence in accordance with given conditions, responsibilities and capacity. It is therefore not logical to say that he has deep virtuous past karma and that we have shallow virtuous past karma. Such kind of conception is unwholesome, not a right understanding and right view.

這種觀念是錯誤的。大家想想看，這個人臨終才遇到這個法門，他往生了，說他是宿善深，那我們現在就遇到了，怎會是宿善淺呢？

他平生就做惡多端，而我們現在就已經學佛念佛，已經隨緣隨份隨力諸惡莫作、眾善奉行了，這樣說他宿善深而我們宿善淺，是不合乎邏輯的。這樣的見解就是惡見，不是正知正見。

Namo Amitabha!

June 13

Jun 13, 2018
慧淨上人法語
佛法知見

People in general have a misconception that the reason for this evil person, who met a Dharma mentor prior to death and recited “Namo Amituofo” merely ten times, to be set free from the sufferings of being burned in hell, free from the endless cycle of reincarnation, and to acquire Buddhahood in his future life is due to his deep and solid virtuous root. Although we also recite Amitabha’s name now, our virtuous roots perhaps is not so good as his. Therefore, he can be reborn [in the Land of Bliss], while we may not be assured for rebirth.
(to be continued tomorrow)

一般人有一種錯誤的觀念，認為這個五逆十惡的人臨終能遇到善知識，只念十聲南無阿彌陀佛就脫離地獄之苦的燃燒，乃至脫離永世的輪迴，獲得往生成佛，是因為他宿善深厚；那我們現在念佛，恐怕宿善不如他，所以他能往生，我們不一定能往生。

Namo Amitabha!

June 12

Jun 12, 2018
慧淨上人法語
淨土信仰

By rebirth in the Land of Bliss through Amitabha-recitation, we can reach a realm of “emptiness of the three-wheel condition”[i.e. the giver, receiver, and gift].  No matter whether we have subdued our greed, anger and delusion or not, whether we still have false and miscellaneous thoughts or not, those things cannot obstructed [our rebirth]. [The Gatha in Praise of the Buddha says,] “On arrival and blossom of the flower, we hear the wonderful dharma, the vows and practices of [bodhisattva of] the Ten Grounds are naturally manifested’, Such an achievement depends on the power of Amitabha’s merits and virtues, not on the efforts made by our ordinary beings.

念佛往生極樂世界就能達到三輪體空之境，不管我們貪瞋痴有沒有降伏，是否還有妄想雜念，這些都不妨礙，所謂「到彼花開聞妙法，十地願行自然彰」，因為不是靠我們凡夫的功夫，而是靠阿彌陀佛的功德力量。

Namo Amitabha!

June 11

Jun 11, 2018
慧淨上人法語
淨土宗宗風俗諦

Begin our cultivation with no false speech. Try your best not to read, not to listen, not to speak, and not to spread gossip. Not even engaged in small talks. Cherish your words like gold, and always keep your mouth shut.

修行從不妄語開始，對於是非儘量不看、不聽、不說、不傳，即使閒話也不要講，要惜話如金，守口如瓶。

Namo Amitabha!

June 10

Jun 10, 2018
慧淨上人法語
念佛利益

All matters are related to cause and effect. A certain cause will lead to respective effect. Amitabha-recitation can, of course, eliminate karmic offenses, safeguard us against jeopardy, and lead us to rebirth in the Pure Land. However, since our body that formed by the Five Aggregates still exists, our mind has afflictions due to false and miscellaneous thoughts, our physical body suffers from aging and illness due to metabolism, the climate fluctuates between hotness and coldness due to changes of the four seasons, and human efforts produce results in gain or loss due to right and wrong, or success and failure.

Being partial in terms of words and deeds, responses, life style, and diets, one will inevitably be affected by the results of respective causes. For example, if we don’t eat when we’re hungry, we will have stomach illness; if we are not warmly clothed in chilly weather, we will contract a cold; and if our words and deeds are improper, our relationship with others will not be smooth and harmonized.

凡事皆有因果，有何因，便感何果。念佛固能消業解厄、往生淨土，但五蘊之體尚在，心有妄想雜念之煩惱，身有新陳代謝之老病，氣候有春夏秋冬之寒熱，人事有是非成敗之得失。

若言行、應對、生活、飲食有所偏失，則難免有其因而感其果。如飢不食、寒不衣、言行不當，則胃病、感冒、人事不和等，例此可知。

Namo Amitabha!

June 9

Jun 9, 2018

善導大師語錄
《觀經疏》「念佛延促」之文:

上盡一形，下至一日、一時、一念等； 或從一念十念，至一時、一日、一形。 大意者：一發心以後，誓畢此生，無有退轉，唯以淨土為期。

For as much as from now on till the last of one’s life, or as few as only one day, one hour, one thought; or starting from one thought, ten thoughts, up to one hour, one day, or one life. The general idea is that: once aspired to be reborn in the Pure Land, one vows to a life of Amitabha-recitation, never set back or retrogress, until attaining rebirth there.

Namo Amitabha!

June 8

Jun 8, 2018
慧淨上人法語
出離與輪迴

For sentient beings living in the Saha World of Five Turbidities, the state of suffering and joy that they get differs in thousands of ways because their karma— karma of deed, word, and thought are mixed and complicated, different in thousands of ways.

Born in the human world, there are so-called “Four Sufferings”,  “Eight Sufferings”, mental sufferings, physical sufferings, and environmental sufferings. Sufferings in each of the Six Realms are different too. So comes the saying “ten thousand grades of sufferings and joys”.

For unwholesome karma, there are ten unwholesome/evil deeds [i.e., killing, stealing, adultery, lying, double-tongue, coarse language, filthy language, covetousness, anger, perverted views]; for wholesome karma, there are ten wholesome/good deeds [i.e., not killing, not stealing, not committing adultery, not lying, not speaking harshly, not speaking divisively, not speaking idly, not being greedy, not being angry, not having wrong views].

Among all these karma, each of them has its own weight--heavy or light. Hence, the retributions differ, which include, say, the four modes of birth [i.e., viviparous, as with mammalia; oviparous, as with birds; moisture, or water-born, as with worms and fishes; and metamorphic, as with moths and others], the ten thousands grades of sufferings and joys, and certain number of family dependents. This is the situation of the Saha World.

娑婆世界五濁惡世的眾生，因為他們的業很雜，亦即他們的身口意很雜，千差萬別，因此得到的苦樂境界也千差萬別。

生在人間就有所謂「四苦」、「八苦」，心理上的苦、生理上的苦、環境上的苦；六道當中每一道的苦又各不相同，所以說「苦樂萬品」。

以惡業來說有十惡，善業就有十善，當中各有輕重，所以感得的果報就有四生、苦樂萬品、眷屬若干。這是娑婆世界的情形。
Namo Amitabha!