July 30 2020

Jul 30, 2020

Master Huijing’s Short Dharma Teachings about Attributes of the Pure Land School: Worldly Truths

淨土宗宗風俗諦

In the Chapter of Yanyuan in the Analects of Confucius, it says, “a kind person’s words are ‘conservative’. He does not speak for temporary joy and he cannot bear to do so.”

If a person is sympathetic, he cannot bear to gossip or comment about others. He accepts loss as a normal part of life. A person who is able to accept loss possesses great wisdom and blessings.

《論語》〈顏淵篇〉有一句話:「仁者其言也訒」,一個君子對他所要講的話,要忍耐片刻,不可逞一時之快,要有所不忍心。

一個人如果有惻隱之心,他會不忍講人家的是非好壞。從此之後,凡事就肯吃虧、不計較,真正肯吃虧的人,他一定是有福報有智慧的人。

Namo Amituofo!

July 29 2020

Jul 29, 2020

An excerpt from ‘In Praise of the Rite of Rebirth’ by Master Shandao

善導大師語錄

《往生禮讚》

Deep Mind is genuine faith. We know we are ordinary beings full of afflictions, with no fertile roots of virtues. This causes us to reincarnate within the Three Domains and makes us unable to leave this burning house. However, we now believe in and accept Amitabha’s Great Fundamental Vow, which teaches us that, by reciting his Name ten times, or even once, our rebirth is assured. For these reasons it is called the Deep Mind.

「深心」:即是真實信心:信知自身是具足煩惱凡夫,善根薄少, 流轉三界,不出火宅;今信知彌陀本弘誓願,及稱名號,下至十聲、 一聲等,定得往生;乃至一念無有疑心,故名深心。

Namo Amituofo!

July 28 2020

Jul 28, 2020

Master Huijing’s Short Dharma Teachings about the Amitabha Sutra

《佛說阿彌陀經》

There are different interpretations about the sentence, “One cannot attain birth in that land with few roots of virtues, meritorious blessings, and causal conditions” as said in the Amitabha Sutra. Moreover, none of them can explain this as simply as Master Shandao.

Some people split the phrase into three – what is meant by roots of virtues, what is meant by meritorious blessings and what is meant by causal conditions, in order to explain. However, Master Shandao did not split the phrase; but, but simply explained miscellaneous virtues according to circumstances. Practicing the virtues according to circumstances is miscellaneous virtues, and miscellaneous virtues must be performed according to our circumstances, because they are not according to the Buddha’s circumstances.

古來註解《阿彌陀經》中「不可以少善根福德因緣,得生彼國」,這一句經文的註解都各不一樣,同時都沒有善導大師所解釋的來得要簡不繁。《阿彌陀經》所說:「善根福德因緣」這六個字,有的拆開來解釋,「善根」是什麼意思,「福德」又是什麼意思,「因緣」又是什麼意思。

善導大師對這六字經文並不加以拆解,而是整句解釋為「隨緣雜善」,可說精要確當。隨緣而修的善就是雜善,雜善必定是隨自己的緣,不是隨佛的緣。

Namo Amituofo!

July 27 2020

Jul 27, 2020

Master Huijing’s Short Dharma Teachings - the Buddha’s Enlightening Mottos

醒世箴言

Elder Sudatta sponsored and built Jetavava-vihara for Shakyamuni Buddha. In measuring the foundation of the building, Sariputra found ants on the ground, and he took the opportunity to talk to Elder Sudatta, “They have been repeatedly born to be ants during the lifetimes of the past seven Buddhas.

How long does it take for a Buddha to be born in terms of kalpas? The time that must pass for seven Buddhas to be born is very long and the ants have been reincarnating during that length of time . The eighth Buddha to be born will be Maitreya Buddha, in 5.67 billion years in the Longhua Assembly. Despite that long passage of time, it is not sure that these ants can transform to another body? Even if they can transform, they may not have a human body. So, it says, “Once a human body is lost, it cannot be recovered for ten thousand kalpas.

須達長者發心為釋迦牟尼佛建造祇園精舍,在丈量地基的時候,舍利弗看到地上的螞蟻,當下利用機會對須達長者說:這些螞蟻從七佛以來都一直當螞蟻——「七佛以來,猶為蟻子」。

一尊佛出世要經過多少時間,甚至多少劫?何況「七佛以來」,時間那麼漫長,都是當螞蟻。而第八位佛就是彌勒佛, 祂還要再經五十六億七千萬年才到這個世間成佛,龍華三會, 那個時候,這些螞蟻,是不是已經離開了螞蟻之身呢?縱使離開了螞蟻之身,能夠得到人身嗎? 所以說「一失人身,萬劫不復」。

Namo Amituofo!

July 26 2020

Jul 26, 2020

Master Huijing’s Short Dharma Teachings about Encouragement to practice Amitabha-Recitation

念佛警策

(continued)

Householder Jingwu Auyeung had a deep and profound understanding of Buddhist studies, and was a great master of his era. However, his understanding was only intellectual and not useful in cultivating his mind according to the teachings. Though he was known to have studied the Buddhist teachings for his whole life, it was only valuable for writing and discussion.

If a person does not cultivate his mind according to the Buddhist teachings, his knowledge will only bring him more false and miscellaneous thoughts. He must be confused and panic when his eyes close at his end-of- life.

歐陽竟無佛學底子是很深厚的,可說是一代宗師,但他學佛主要用力是在學問上,而不在於藉教觀心、依教奉行,所以雖說一生研究佛學,然而可說只是「記問之學」。

因為,一個人如果不藉教觀心、依教奉行,等於只是增加自己的妄想雜念,到最後眼光落地時常會手忙腳亂的。

Namo Amituofo!

July 25 2020

Jul 25, 2020

Master Huijing’s Short Dharma Teachings about Encouragement to practice Amitabha-Recitation

念佛警策

A contemporary Buddhist scholar (Householder Jingwu Auyeung) is regarded as a great master with good knowledge of Buddhism, especially the Mere Consciousness doctrines. In Northern China, he was considered the foremost in Buddhist studies.

Even so, he was in great pain near his end-of-life, and expressed his feelings with a deep sigh,“Uhhh, I am even worse off than an illiterate Amitabha-reciter in a rural village.”So, he told his friends, “ all that I learned in my entire life cannot be effectively used at this moment.” He advised them to truly recite Amitabha’s Name.

(to be continued)

近代佛學家歐陽竟無居士,他對佛學很有研究,尤其唯識學方面,被認為是大師,在中國大陸北方,可說是第一把交椅的佛學人物。但是歐陽竟無臨終的時候很痛苦, 他流露出自己的心情說:「唉!還不如一個鄉下一字不識的念佛者。」

因此他又跟身旁的人說:「一生所學,到此都不得力。」而勸大家老老實實念佛。

Namo Amituofo!

July 24 2020

Jul 24, 2020

Master Huijing’s Short Dharma Teachings about Faith in Pure Land Buddhism

淨土信仰

(continued)

Similarly, in the Sutra of Samadhi of Pratyutpanna , Amitabha Buddha tells the practitioners who see the Buddha in the meditative state, “If you wish to be reborn here, you should think of my Name unceasingly, then you will attain rebirth at once.

The Buddha explains that rebirth is attained because of exclusivity in thinking of his Name.” He also regrets seeing those who seek the previous way to see the Buddha. One should thoroughly take refuge in Amitabha, whether one can see the Buddha or not, and always recite Amitabha’s Name without thinking of any other way.

亦如《般舟三昧經》阿彌陀佛告入定見佛之行者言:「欲來生者,當念我名, 莫有休息,即得來生。佛言: 專念故得往生。」

亦因此而悔責先前見佛之方法,而見如不見,徹底歸命彌陀,一向稱名,不作他想。

Namo Amituofo!