December 26, 2022

Dec 26, 2022

Master Yinguang’s Short Teaching about “the certainty of falling into one of the wretched realms”

印光大師法語「必墮惡道」之文

To be born as a human being in the next life is more difficult than to attain assured rebirth near the end-of-life. Seeking rebirth in the Western Land is much easier than seeking to become a human being in the next life.

來生做人,比臨終往生還難。求生西方,比求來生做人尚容易。

Namo Amituofo!

December 25, 2022

Dec 25, 2022

Master Huijing’s Short Dharma Teaching of the Patriarchal Lineage of the Pure Land School – the 18th Vow

淨宗傳承之第十八願

The 18th Vow says, “Those who sincerely and joyfully entrust themselves to me, wish to be reborn in my Land, and recite my name even ten times”, will be reborn. The method of rebirth mentioned in the 18th Vow reveals the Buddha mind of Amitabha.

With respect to sentient beings, all of the high, medium, and low aptitudes are included. There are almost no conditions. It enables all those who can set forth the Bodhi Mind and those who cannot, and all those who can or cannot accumulate all merits and virtues to be reborn. Thus, the 18th Vow thoroughly reveals Amitabha’s infinite compassion and incomparable power.

第十八願只說:「至心信樂,欲生我國,乃至十念」,就必使他往生。第十八願所講的這一種往生方法,可以說完全是阿彌陀佛的佛心的流露,對眾生來講是包含上、中、下任何根器,因為這當中幾乎是沒有什麼條件,它的門檻非常的低,低到幾乎沒有門檻,使得能發菩提心、不能發菩提心,能修諸功德、不能修諸功德,都能夠往生,徹底顯露佛平等的慈悲,徹底彰顯佛偉大的力量, 這都在第十八願當中。

Namo Amituofo!

December 24, 2022

Dec 24, 2022

善導大師《法事讚》 轉《阿彌陀經》31偈語

31 Verses Explaining the Amitabha Sutra from in “Praise of Dharma Practices” by Master Shandao

15. A Verse to Praise Amitabha’s Light and Life as his Rewards in Virtues

Wish to be reborn. Wish to be reborn.

Through reaching eternal Nirvana, Amitabha Buddha always exists in the cosmos.

His life has been prolonged to an immeasurable extent.

It lasts thousands, millions, billions, and trillions of eons, as many as sands of the Ganges River.

Once seated, Amitabha Buddha remains motionless. His body can emit light permeating the boundless cosmos.

The features of Amitabha Buddha’s body are filled with goodness, genuine and golden in color. Majestically, he delivers sentient beings while sitting alone.

When any ordinary or sacred beings in the ten directions recite his Name, Amitabha Buddha splits his body and dispatches numerous manifested Buddhas to go and welcome them.

When Amitabha-reciters are ready to be reborn, their Dharma bodies travel through space with the speed of a single thought, and join the Buddha’s Assembly. Their bodies and lives become the same as and equal to Amitabha Buddha’s.

All people should dedicate their merits and aspire to be reborn in the Pure Land. Let’s hold fragrant flowers in our hands, and always make offerings to the Buddha.

15. 讚果德光壽偈

願往生 願往生

果得涅槃常住世 壽命延長難可量

千劫萬劫恆沙劫 兆載永劫亦無央

一坐無移亦不動 徹窮後際放身光

靈儀相好真金色 巍巍獨坐度眾生

十方凡聖專心向 分身遣化往相迎

一念乘空入佛會 身色壽命盡皆平

眾等迴心皆願往 手執香華常供養

Namo Amituofo!

December 23, 2022

Dec 23, 2022

Common Knowledge in Pure Land Teaching

淨土小常識

Oneness in Name and Body

“Name” means “Namo Amituofo”, the great six-syllable name. “Body” means Amitabha Buddha himself. Amitabha’s six-syllable name and Amitabha’s Buddha-body are one-in-two and two-in-one. They are together, just two sides of the same coin. This is referred to as “oneness”.

That is to say, Amitabha’s name contains Amitabha Buddha himself. Amitabha Buddha is his Name, like a piece of paper with a front side and a back side. Without the front side, there could be no back side, and vice versa. Thus, it is called “Oneness in Name and Body”

名體一如

「名」是指「南無阿彌陀佛」六字洪名,「體」是指阿彌陀佛本身;彌陀六字名號跟阿彌陀佛的佛體、佛身是一而二、二而一,是在一起的,是一體的兩面,所以叫作「一如」。

也就是名號的本身就是阿彌陀佛的本身,而阿彌陀佛的本身也就是名號,好像一張紙,有正面,有反面,離開了正面沒有反面,離開了反面沒有正面,這叫「名體一如」。

Namo Amituofo!

December 22, 2022

Dec 22, 2022

Short Dharma Teaching about Faith in Pure Land Buddhism

淨土信仰

Reciting Namo Amituofo adorns the Pure Land with all kinds of virtuous roots. It can do this because this Buddha’s name was accomplished in the fruition ground by Dharmakara Bodhisattva, who accumulated a myriad of virtues through a multitude of Bodhisattva practices. A myriad of practices while in the causal stages and a multitude of virtues that were accumulated in the fruition ground are included in this six-syllable Name. So, all virtuous Dharmas, merits and virtues are naturally absorbed by simply reciting the six-syllable name (Namo Amituofo).

念南無阿彌陀佛,就是一切善根莊嚴淨土。因為這句佛號是阿彌陀佛在因地所累積的菩薩萬行,成就了果地的萬德。因位的萬行、果地的萬德,全都包含在這句六字名號裏面。所以只要稱念六字南無阿彌陀佛,一切善法、功德自然具足。

Namo Amituofo!

December 21, 2022

Dec 21, 2022

A verse about ‘plentiful joy with no unfavorable paths” from “In Praise of the Rite of Rebirth” by Master Shandao

善導大師《往生禮讚》「樂多無廢道」之偈:

There is plentiful joy with no unfavorable paths

The sound of name-recitation spreads far and wide, so it is not difficult to hear it

Why do people crave the Five Kinds of Turbidity?

They constantly burn themselves by playing with its fire.

樂多無廢道,聲遠不妨聞;

如何貪五濁,安然火自焚。

Namo Amituofo!

December 20, 2022

Dec 20, 2022

Master Huijing’s Short Dharma Teaching about Classification of Teachings – the Sacred and the Pure Land teachings

淨宗判教 – 聖淨二門判

(continued)

Apart from the Pure Land School, all other schools such as: the Tientai School, the Huayen School, the Chan School, the Tantric School, the Vinaya School, or the Three Shastra School, all belong to the Sacred Path.

The Sacred Path requires one to cultivate with one’s own power to reach the Land of Bliss. If he cannot achieve it in this life, he has to continue in the next. If he cannot achieve in the next life, he has to continue in the life after that. This is called the Sacred Path teaching. It is classified separately from the doctrines of the Pure Land School.

除了淨土法門以外的所有宗派,天台宗也好、華嚴宗也好,禪宗、密宗、律宗和三論宗等都屬於「聖道門」。

「聖道門」的定義是靠自己的力量在娑婆世界修行,這一輩子不成,下輩子再來,下輩子不成,下下輩子再來,這一種法門叫做「聖道門」,這是以淨土門的教理來判別的。

Namo Amituofo!