May 31

May 31, 2017
慧淨上人法語
念佛度亡

Although we may learn the way to attain rebirth in the Land of Bliss through Amitabha-recitation only at the time near to the end of our life, Amitabha will respond immediately and come before us as long as we recite his name continuously. Every single recitation is eradicating our karmic offenses that lead to reincarnations within the cycle of birth-and-death, because it has the function of eradicating karmic offenses of birth-and-death.

雖然臨終才知道念佛求生，但只要念佛相續，彌陀便應聲來迎，所以每一念每一念，念念都在消除生死輪迴之罪，念念都有滅生死罪的功能。

Namo Amitabha!

May 30

May 30, 2017
慧淨上人法語
念佛利益

During Amitabha-recitation, the Buddha-light of our body fills up the entire universe, because it is the light of Amitabha. How big, then, is the light of Amitabha? The Amitabha Sutra says, “For what reason, is that Buddha called 'Amitabha'? That Buddha's light shines boundlessly and without hindrance over all the worlds of the ten quarters.”

So, when we ordinary beings anticipate to commence reciting Amitabha’s name, our feeble mind will follow Amitabha’s light and become vast and boundless during recitation.

只要念佛，我們身上的佛光都是遍滿整個大宇宙的，因為這個光是彌陀的光，彌陀的光有多大呢？《阿彌陀經》說：「彼佛何故，號阿彌陀？彼佛光明無量，照十方國，無所障礙，故名阿彌陀。」所以我們一起心動念念南無阿彌陀佛，我們這麼一個凡夫微弱的心，就隨著這一句佛號的光明而廣大無邊了。

Namo Amitabha!

May 29

May 29, 2017
慧淨上人法語
念佛方法
(continued)

The so-called Mani pearl is an auspicious pearl that can bring about gold or sliver as you wish. Therefore, if you have two, one hundred, or two hundred Mani pearls, it will yield the same amount of gold or silver. You will not gain more if you have one pearl more; you will not lose anything if you have one less.

It is not to say, if you have two pearls, more will be brought about; if you have just one, less will be brought about. It is because Amitabha-recitation transcends the meditative and non-meditative practices; it also transcends the number of recitation (a few or a lot). Every single recitation suffices inconceivable, non-depictive and unnamed “unsurpassed merits and virtues”.

所謂「如意珠」，就是有一顆如意，你要吐黃金就是黃金，吐白銀就是白銀，你有兩顆如意、或是一百顆如意，或是兩百顆如意，多一顆並沒有增加，少一顆並沒有減少，因為只要有一顆，他就能夠吐了。

並不是說有兩顆就吐得多，一顆就吐得少。因為念佛本身是超越定善、散善，也超越多念、一念，每一念每一念都是具足不可稱、不可說、不可思議的無上功德的。

Namo Amitabha!

May 28

May 28, 2017
慧淨上人法語
念佛方法

As we exclusively and single-mindedly recite Amitabha’s name, we gain unsurpassed merits and virtues regardless of the number of recitation. What does it mean by reciting a few or a lot? Our virtuous roots and aptitudes are different. Some people may recite more if they have more time; some people less. Some people recites for the same period of time, but the degree of intensity and exclusivity is different.

As far as merits and virtues are concerned, you get the same for a few or a lot of recitation. What matters are Amitabha’s merits and virtues, not our effort or proficiency in practicing. It is just like a Mani pearl (auspicious pearl), each pearl is auspicious.
(continued tomorrow)

只要我們專一念佛，多念少念都是無上功德。什麼叫多念少念呢？每一個人的根機不一樣，時間比較多的人就多念，有的人時間沒有那麼多就少念；有的人時間同樣的多，可是精進度不一樣，所以有的人多念，有的人少念，可是功德上來講都是一樣的。因為不是靠他的功夫，而是靠彌陀本身的功德。就好像「如意珠」，每一粒每一粒都是如意。

Namo Amitabha!

May 27

May 27, 2017
慧淨上人法語
凡夫入報

A [bodhisattva] practitioner must take one eon (one great Asaṃkhyeyakalpa) to reach the state of the tenth dedication-transference, and then take another eon to proceed from the first ground to the seventh ground [of bodhisattva]. To continue, he has to take one more eon to reach to the tenth ground [of bodhisattva]. So, it takes “three great Asaṃkhyeyakalpa” in total. This is the process of general practice.

However, achievement of perfect Enlightenment in the Land of Bliss that constructed by Amitabha Buddha is different. It allows us to directly transcend various grounds of the ordinary path, and to practice the virtues of universal worthiness immediately upon rebirth in the Land of Bliss.

Practicing the virtues of universal worthiness means going out to the worlds in ten directions for deliverance of sentient beings. That is to say, upon rebirth in the Land of Bliss, we have directly transcended bodhisattva of the tenth ground and above, and become the bodhisattva of Equal Enlightenment, which is a state of Buddhahood.

Because there is only one Buddha in one world, we are not called buddhas but “bodhisattvas”.

行者必須要經過一大阿僧祇劫才到十迴向，再經過一大阿僧祇劫由初地到七地，接着另再經過一大阿僧祇劫由八地到十地，所以說「三大阿僧祇劫」，這是一般修習的過程。

但是阿彌陀佛建設的極樂世界所完成的正覺是不一樣的，是讓我們一到極樂世界就直接「超出常倫諸地」，而且當下就能「修習普賢之德」。

「修習普賢之德」就是到十方世界去救度眾生。也就是說，到極樂世界我們直接超越十地以上，進入等覺菩薩，就是佛的果位。但是因為一個淨土只有一尊佛，所以就不稱為佛，而稱為菩薩。

Namo Amitabha!

May 26

May 26, 2017
慧淨上人法語
專稱彌陀佛名

If you can accomplish the Four Kinds of Mindfulness, you will be able to liberate from the reincarnation within the Three Domains and the Six Realms. However, we are unlikely to acquire such accomplishment. As we are aware of the serious limitations of “self-power”, we hence rely entirely on the “other-power” [for liberation]. According to our teaching, relying on the “other-power” means to rely on the 18th Vow. As long as we rely on Amitabha’s vow power, our rebirth in the Land of Bliss is enabled.

It doesn’t matter whether we still have greed, hatred, illusion, false thoughts and miscellaneous thinking, or whether our virtuous conduct is sufficient or not. Don’t worry about that unnecessarily; just practice Amitabha-recitation exclusively and continuously.

能夠成就「四念處」，就能解脫三界六道生死輪迴，可是我們是不可能做到的。就因為自覺靠「自力」是無能為力的，所以才完全依靠「他力」；以我們的法門來說，依靠「他力」就是依靠第十八願，只要依靠彌陀的願力就能往生極樂世界。
不管是否有貪、瞋、癡、妄想雜念，不管其他的德行能不能具足，都不必掛慮，只要「一向專稱彌陀佛名」。

Namo Amitabha!

May 25

May 25, 2017
慧淨上人法語
信受彌陀救度

The targets of Amitabha’s deliverance are equal with no differentiation. There is nothing can be said as making differential treatment or not. The issue of differentiation emerges because of our sentient beings’ differences in aptitude and capacity, as well as our differences at the level of belief and acceptance.

阿彌陀佛救度的對象是平等而無差別的，無所謂一樣、不一樣；會有一樣、不一樣的問題，是因為我們眾生的根性，我們眾生的信受而有所不同。

Namo Amitabha!