Jan 14 2019

Jan 14, 2019
Master Huijing’s Short Dharma Teachings about Taking Refuge to Amitabha
皈命彌陀

To take refuge in Amitabha Buddha means to let our impermanent reincarnated life rely on the eternal Amitabha Buddha, the absolute Amitabha Buddha, and his infinite life. Thereafter, we exclusively recite Namo Amituofo, no miscellaneous and assorted practices. By cutting off the root source of birth-and-death, we are determined to be reborn in the Land of Bliss, and to become a Buddha!

歸命阿彌陀佛，就是用我們輪迴無常的生命依靠無量壽命的阿彌陀佛，永恆的阿彌陀佛，絕對救度的阿彌陀佛。此後就專念南無阿彌陀佛，沒有雜修雜行，這樣生死根源一刀斬斷，就決定往生極樂世界，決定成佛！

Namo Amituofo!

Jan 13 2019

Jan 13, 2019
Master Huijing’s Short Dharma Teachings about Deep Faith in Aptitude and Teaching
機法深信

(continued)
We feel “falling” and “being rescued” at the same time. Our mind is at ease and joyful. We are grateful and feel regretted. Because of the internal fermentation of the aptitude of feeling evil and the teaching of compassionate great vow, we change in our temperament.

Being stubborn and mean in the past, we become soft and tender with no argument now. Lacking of compassion and kindness in the past, we become compassionate now. Facing all adverse circumstances and failure, we review our faults and karmic conditions in past life, and do not blame others. In our daily life, we will have faith in the Budhha, have regrets to ourselves and have loving-kindness to others.

墮落與被救是同時感受到的。心中有平安、喜樂，有感恩、慚愧；因為機的罪惡感在內心發露與法的大悲願在內心發酵，故性情會轉變。

以前剛強計較，現在柔和不爭；以前缺乏慈愛，現在有了悲心；凡一切的逆境挫折，都會反省是自己的過失，或宿世的罪業，而不會責怪別人。此後的生活是對佛有信心，對己有愧心，對人有愛心。

Namo Amituofo!

Jan 12 2019

Jan 12, 2019
Master Huijing’s Short Dharma Teachings about Deep Faith in Aptitude and Teaching
機法深信

There are two kinds of deep faith - in aptitude and teaching. When an iniquitous  ordinary being is about to fall from a cliff, he is suddenly saved by the Buddha; when he struggles in a rough sea, and is almost to be drowned, he is rescued by the Buddha to a vow-ship, just like coming back from the death’s door.

Thus, this teaching talks about complete other-power. It is a teaching of deliverance through absolute “other-power”, no deliberate action of any kind. So, NAgarjuna Bodhisattva describes it as “travelling on board” – no need to pay the ship fare, no need to help in steering. Some people may have skills and power, but they don’t need to help. Not to mentioned, we fall and need rescue because we are lacking of skill and power.
(continued)

善導大師的機法二種深信，罪惡生死凡夫之機，感受到正當墮落懸崖時，突然被佛扶起來；在海中掙扎喝水時，被佛抱上願船。所謂絕處逢生，置之死地而後生。

故此法門是完全他力、絕對他力的救度法門，無絲毫的自力與造作。因此龍樹菩薩譬喻為「乘船」，坐在願船上的人既不必付船票，也不必幫忙駕駛；自己儘管有何力量，在此也置於無用之地。何況就是因為毫無力量，才會墮落，才會被救。

Namo Amituofo!

Jan 11 2019

Jan 11, 2019
Master Huijing’s Short Dharma Teachings about Right View on Buddhist teachings
佛法知見

From our perspective, the Three Domains and the Six Realms are real; but, from Buddha’s perspective, they are unreal(like a dream). This Name – Namo Amituofo is the main substance of Nirvana, which is real. The merits and virtues of a myriad of practices are contained in the Name. Amitabha Buddha puts all of the merits and virtues he accumulated during countless eons inside this Name.

The substance of karma is stored within our Alaya Consciousness; but, karma itself is unreal. In contrast,  the merits and virtues of the Name are real. Unreal matters, no matter how plentiful, are not comparable to the real one, even a small amount. So, when we recite this Name of great merits and power, with each repetition it enters our Alaya Consciousness, and changes our karmic retribution.

依我們的眼光來看，會認為三界六道是真實的，可是以佛的眼光來看，三界六道本來就是虛假的，好像夢一樣。而南無阿彌陀佛這句名號是涅槃的主體，是真實的，萬善的功德通通在這句名號裏面，阿彌陀佛累生累劫所修的點點滴滴的功德，都容納在這句名號裏面。

因為業的體在阿賴耶識裏面，而且業的本身其實是虛假的、幻化的，而這句名號的功德卻是真實的。再多的虛假都不如一點點的真實，正所謂「千虛不如一真」，所以，只要這句名號的大功德、大力量一句一句地貫入我們的阿賴耶識裏面，便能轉我們的業。

Namo Amituofo!

Jan 10 2019

Jan 10, 2019
Master Huijing’s Short Dharma Teachings about Faith in Pure Land Buddhism
淨土信仰

Through Amitabha-recitation, we gain splendid merits in the most easy way. “Splendid” means this Name possesses a myriad of practices. It is called “Easy” because it only requires opening our mouths and reciting the Name. Even a small bird can recite, so it is very easy.

稱名念佛有殊勝的功德和容易的功德。「殊勝」的意思是，這句名號具足萬行，所以很殊勝；「易」的意思是，念這句名號，只要有口就能念，甚至，只要可以開口出聲，連小鳥也能念，所以非常容易。

Namo Amituofo!

Jan 9 2019

Jan 9, 2019
Master Huijing’s Short Dharma Teachings about Attributes of the Pure Land School: Worldly Truths
淨土宗宗風俗諦

A practitioner should remain quiet about his achievements and flaunt his mistakes. Why? If we reveal our wrongdoings and mistakes to others, our karmic obstructions will be cleared. If we cover them up, the karmic obstructions will become even heavier. If we have reached certain goals or received credit for our accomplishments, we should keep them to ourselves as much as possible, and do not flaunt them. This is a good way to enhance our blessings and clear our karmic obstructions.

Above all, though we can certainly clear our karmic offenses through Amitabha-recitation, we should also sincerely review and reveal our wrongdoings. Otherwise, it is like sweeping the floor with your right hand; but, sprinkling the dust with your left. It is unwise to do that.

一個修行人應該是「誇罪掩功」的，為什麼？把自己的錯誤缺失顯露出來，讓人家知道，可以消業障，也可以警惕自己；如果一直掩蓋，那真是業障愈加深重。自己有功勞有成就，要儘量掩蓋，不要誇耀出來，這個都是增德消業最好的良方。

總之，雖然念佛確實能夠消我們的罪業，但我們也必須至誠反省發露，儘量不要掩蓋，不然的話就會像右手掃地、左手灑灰塵一般的不智。

Namo Amituofo!

Jan 8 2019

Jan 8, 2019
A quote from Master Shandao’s “Dharma School of Contemplation and Recitation”
善導大師語錄

A passage about “ the mere practice of exclusive Amitabha-recitation for practitioners of the three tiers”

All sentient beings are different in their roots of virtues, and they can be classified into high, medium and low tiers. The Buddha urges all of them to exclusively recite the Name of the Buddha of Infinite Life according to their current roots of virtues. Amitabha Buddha and a multitude of sagely beings will come to receive them, without needing to be invited, when they are close to death. In that way all of them can attain rebirth.

《觀念法門》「三輩唯在專念」之文
佛說一切眾生，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。

Namo Amituofo!