April 30, 2023

Apr 30, 2023

Common Knowledge in Pure Land Teaching

淨土小常識

Quickly Be Reborn in my Buddhaland

The Adornment Sutra says, “All beings in the various realms of reincarnation come to be reborn in my land and receive the fullness of joy!”

“Various realms” refer to the Six Realms. “All beings in the various realms of reincarnation” are sentient beings who reincarnate within the Six Realms.

This means that Amitabha hopes that reincarnated sentient beings will wish to go to the Land of Bliss after their present lives, so he can relieve them from the suffering of reincarnation within the Six Realms, and enjoy the Buddha’s rewards of freedom, peace and joy.

“My Buddha-land (‘Buddha-kshetra”) refers to the Land of Bliss, which is Amitabha Buddha’s world. Amitabha enables us to be reborn in his world of perfection. “Quickly reborn” means to be reborn as soon as our present lives are finished.

速生我剎

《莊嚴經》言:

輪迴諸趣眾生類,速生我剎受快樂。

「諸趣」就是六道,「輪迴諸趣眾生類」就是輪迴六道的眾生。

「速生我剎受快樂」,希望輪迴的眾生今生今世就到極樂世界去,不受六道輪迴之苦,能

夠享受自在、安樂的佛果。

「我剎」就是極樂世界,極樂世界是佛的世界,阿彌陀佛要我們往生到這樣 一個世界, 而且「速生」── 今生今世就到這個世界。

Namo Amituofo!

April 29, 2023

Apr 29, 2023

Master Huijing’s Short Dharma Teaching about Faith in the Pure Land School

淨土信仰

If a person is sincere, the Buddha will respond to him, and support him without the person realizing it. However, at other times, we have to deal with a matter only with our best capacity. This is regarded as being “in accord with the conditions”. We try our best, with an unbiased and unattached mind, not to care about our own gain or loss.

People should develop a mind of responsibility and a sense of honor, repay our debts and act according to conditions. In terms of paying debts, when a person comes across adverse conditions, he should understand that there must be a reason for them. We must owe someone something. As the conditions ripen, other people may ask us to pay our debts.

In order to act according to conditions, we should always think of it as gratefully repaying a debt in all circumstances. We should not feel it is unfair or unsatisfying, harbor resentments, or even attempt to take revenge.

人有誠心,佛有感應,冥冥之中,都會有佛的加持。當然有事情的時候,要看事辦事,當盡心盡力之後,就是隨緣,平常心看待,不患得患失。

人要有責任心、榮譽感,同時要有所謂的「報冤行」和「隨緣行」。「報冤行」──當遇到逆境,要想到這不是沒有原因的,一定是生生世世以來,我們虧欠人家,現在因緣到了,所以自然別人會來討債。

「隨緣行」──要有一種償報冤債的觀念,隨今生今世的緣去償還人家。不應該有不平、不滿,甚至積忿在懷,想要報復的心。

Namo Amituofo!

April 28, 2023

Apr 28, 2023

A Verse about Compassionate Advice and Cautions quoted from “In Praise of Dharma Practice” by Master Shandao

善導大師《法事讚》慈悲勸誡偈

I feel insignificant compared to the great compassionate Shakyamuni, and all Buddhas in the ten directions, as many as the sands of the Ganges.

They never forsake me; but, compassionately guide me through many skillful means, towards the gate of Amitabha’s Great Vow.

All of the many gates within the forty-eight vows support the great vow of name-recitation, which is the most intimate.

When we recite Amitabha’s name, he embraces us with his mind; if we think of Amitabha, he knows it.

Those who exclusively remember the Buddha are also remembered and known by the Buddha.

If they sincerely dedicate all of their merits towards rebirth in the Land of Peace and Joy, they can see Amitabha’s fully adorned golden body, which is also adorned with merits and virtues.

All sacred beings are equally adorned in the Pure Land. They always appear before practitioners in a mist.

Any practitioner who has seen these sacred beings becomes incredibly joyful. They follow the Buddha and sit upon a golden lotus when their life ends.

Riding upon the lotus, they arrive at a Buddhist Assembly in a flash, realize the state of non-retrogression, and immediately become benevolent bodhisattvas.

慚愧釋迦大悲主,十方恒沙諸世尊;

不捨慈悲巧方便,共讚彌陀弘誓門。

弘誓多門四十八,偏標念佛最為親;

人能念佛佛還念,專心想佛佛知人。

一切迴心向安樂,即見真金功德身;

淨土莊嚴諸聖眾,籠籠常在行人前。

行者見已心歡喜,終時從佛坐金蓮;

一念乘華到佛會,即證不退入三賢。

Namo Amituofo!

April 27, 2023

Apr 27, 2023

Pure Land Patriarch - Master Daochuo

道綽大師

Name-recitation in accord with the Fundamental Vow contains the main principle and objective of the Pure Land School. It originates from the 18th Vow in the Great Sutra. Master Daochuo considered the Vow as the body of the entire teaching. It means that he explained the concept of “the Fundamental Vow” and “Name-Recitation" in his book - the Collection on Peace and Joy.

In Chapter 3 - the Third Great Gate, he says in the passage on the divisions of the teachings of the Sacred Gate and the Pure Land Gate, as follows:

The Great Sutra says, “ if a sentient being who has committed offenses for his entire life, recites my name and is not born in my land, I will not attain perfect Enlightenment.” This idea is inherited from Nagarjuna Bodhisattva, who established the fundamental dogma of “Name-recitation in accord with the Fundamental Vow”.

本願稱名說:淨土門以「本願稱名為宗」,其根源來自《大經》之第十八願,道綽大師以此願為淨土門的教體,即所謂「本願」,並以「稱名」解釋之,本書(《安樂集》)第三大門第三章之「聖淨二門判」說:大經》云:若有眾生,縱令一生造惡,臨命終時,十念相續,稱我名字,若不生者,不取正覺。」此是承續著龍樹菩薩以來「本願稱名」之根本教義。

Namo Amituofo!

April 26, 2023

Apr 26, 2023

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

In regard to the oneness of sentient beings and the Buddha, the Sacred Path says there is no difference between mind, Buddha and ordinary beings; because ordinary beings’ “original nature” possess the same qualities as a Buddha. This belief causes ordinary beings to believe they can realize their Buddha Nature through their own power. However, accomplishing this is as difficult as flying to the moon. So, it is said, “Out of millions and billions of people, it is rare for even one to attain the Way.”

The Pure Land teaching is totally different. Pure Land practitioners know that, though sentient beings have the Buddha-Nature, they cannot realize it without totally relying on Amitbaha’s deliverance. As easily as we turn over our hands, ten thousand out of ten thousand can be reborn.

聖道門所講的是「生佛一如」,凡夫跟佛,所謂「心佛眾生三無差別」,凡夫本性都具有佛的內涵,所以他們是想以自己的力量,去證悟自己的佛性而成佛,但這事難如登天,所謂「億億人修行,罕一得道」。

淨土法門完全不一樣,淨土法門曉得眾生雖有佛性,但以我們自己的力量證悟不到,所以完全依靠彌陀救度,則易如反掌,所謂萬修萬人去。

Namo Amituofo!

April 25, 2023

Apr 25, 2023

The 31 Verses Explaining the Amitabha Sutra from the “Praise of Dharma Practice” by Master Shandao

善導大師《法事讚》 轉《阿彌陀經》31偈語

28. A verse explaining how all Buddhas embrace and remember

Wish to be reborn. Wish to be reborn.

Shakyamuni Tathagata possessed Great compassion. It caused him to transform and appear in the Saha World to deliver sentient beings.

Sentient beings reside in all of the three thousand realms. He teaches them in accordance with their aptitudes and capacities, how to eliminate greed and hatred and attain enlightenment.

He advises them to let go of impermanent celestial and human joys, because the Eight Sufferings of birth-and-death are like a burning fire that seriously injures people.

People can think of Buddhas and recite the Sutras to eradicate their karmic obstructions. All Buddhas will embrace and protect them remotely.

They should make a strong wish during the six periods of time. Controlling their minds while practicing without distractions, they accomplish the karma that assures rebirth.

Once they accomplish the karma of assurance, they can see the Buddha, the Master of the Lotus Altar. Upon arrival in that land the altar transforms to a purple golden color.

They follow the Buddha and travel freely to enter the jeweled country, where they never again hear any sounds of sorrow or worry.

The multitude is filled with admiration and unanimously aspires to be reborn. Let’s hold fragrant flowers in our hands and always offer them to the Buddha.

28.釋諸佛護念偈

願往生 願往生

釋迦如來大慈悲 應現娑婆度有緣

有緣遍滿三千界 隨機示悟斷貪癡

總勸厭此人天樂 無常八苦火燒人

念佛誦經除罪障 諸佛遙加護念身

晝夜六時強發願 持心不散業還成

業成見佛華臺主 須臾變作紫金臺

從佛逍遙入寶國 畢竟永絕愁憂聲

眾等迴心皆願往 手執香華常供養

Namo Amituofo!

April 24, 2023

Apr 24, 2023

Common Knowledge in Pure Land Teaching

淨土小常識

Receiving the Assurance of Nirvana (continued)

“Sentient beings who merely recite his Name for - the remainder of their lives, ten times, one time, or even within one thought near the end-of-life; this name-recitation is done for the sake of receiving the reward of blessings in this life. You can also be born in a heavenly realm in future. However, those who aspire to be reborn in that Land [of Bliss] through sincere dedication, will be reborn in that Land. Thus, they are assured of rebirth immediately, and dwell in the state of non-retrogression.

Receiving the Assurance of Nirvana is a benefit received in the present life (out of the two kinds of benefits - in the present and in future lives). Other schools believe that receiving the assurance of Nirvana is attained only after rebirth in the Land of Bliss. However, the Pure Land School believes it can be attained in the present life.

入正定聚

眾生只要上盡一形,乃至臨終十聲、一聲、一念,念其名號 —— 這個念佛不是只為了現世的福報,或者將來求生人天,而是「至心迴向,願生彼國」,這樣就「即得往生,住不退轉」,當下就獲得往生身分了。

「入正定聚」屬「現當二益」中的現世利益。以一般法門來看,認為往生極樂之後才能入正定聚,但是我們淨土法門不然,是現在就能獲得。

Namo Amituofo!