Jan 31

Jan 31, 2018
慧淨上人法語
淨土信仰

The purpose of Buddha’s descent to this world is to deliver all sentient beings. If his teachings do not provide means to deliver sentient beings, his goal of coming to this world cannot be achieved. Conversely, if his teaching, no matter of what kind of teaching, that can deliver sentient beings in the ten directions, helping them to leave the Three Domains and the Six Realms, to break the cycle of birth-and-death, and to attain happiness without any suffering, this teaching is regarded as fulfilling the purpose and intent of Shakyamuni Buddha.

Because rebirth in the Land of Bliss is the only thing we sentient beings are able to do, and also the only way we can escape from the cycle of birth-and-death and reincarnation in the present life, so we can say that the main purpose of Shakyamuni Buddha’s descent to this world and preaching for 49 years in his life is wishing for all sentient beings of the ten directions be reborn in the Land of Bliss.

佛陀出世的目的就是要救度所有的眾生，如果所講的法沒有辦法救度眾生，就沒有達到祂出現在世間的目的。反之，所講的法，不管是什麼法，只要能使十方眾生往生，使十方眾生脫離三界六道，了生脫死，離苦得樂，那這個法就是釋迦牟尼佛的目的、本懷。

因為唯有往生極樂世界這法門才是我們眾生做得來的，也是今生可得解脫生死輪迴的，所以可說釋迦牟尼佛出生這世間中，一生講經四十九年最主要的目的，就是希望十方眾生都往生極樂世界。

Namo Amitabha!

Jan 30

Jan 30, 2018
慧淨上人法語
淨土宗宗風俗諦

An Amitabha-reciter must have deep faith in “aptitude”. He must deeply believe that he is an iniquitous sentient being, without any chance to leave the cycle of birth-and-death. However, owing to this name, and with the augmentative cause and support given to us by Amitabha Buddha, we are empowered and will not feel afflicted being an iniquitous sentient being. Our life, thereafter, will be stable and happy; we will live with regret at and repentance for [our karma], as well as with gratitude and humility.

With the grace of Amitabha Buddha, we care of others with a gentle mind, as said in the attribute of our sect’s Worldly Truth: Be reverential and trusting towards Amitabha Buddha, and compassionate and understanding to other people. In our deportment, we should be modest and amiable. It is the living of Amitabha-recitation.

念佛人要有「機」的深信，深信自己始終是罪惡生死凡夫，無有出離之緣。但因為有這句名號，有阿彌陀佛的力量做我們的增上緣，給我們依靠，所以不因自己是罪惡生死凡夫而苦惱，從此所過的生活，是安穩、喜樂的生活；是慚愧、懺悔的生活；同時也是感恩、謙和的生活。

感阿彌陀佛的恩，柔軟自己的心腸來體貼他人，這就是我們宗風俗諦所講的：「對彌陀恭敬信順，對他人恩慈體貼，對自己謙卑柔和。」過這種念佛的生活。

Namo Amitabha!

Jan 29

Jan 29, 2018
慧淨上人法語
淨土宗宗風真諦

One Gatha says, “The greatest benefit is free from illness, the greatest wealth is contentment with your lot, the greatest relation is good friends, and the greatest happiness is Nirvana”. Through out our whole life, the greatest enjoyment is health and free from illness; the greatest riches is a heart that knows enough is better than too much. Our most intimate relation is not necessarily our family, but good and virtuous friend of our school, for husband and wife could be an awkward bedfellow, while father and son will depart in the future and wander around in accordance with respective karma, or even obstruct each other. 

So, our good and virtuous friends are those who bring benefits to our whole life and help us for emancipation of our reality body and sectarian life. “The greatest happiness is Nirvana”: the Land of Bliss is a realm of nirvana, where we can realize enlightenment once we are reborn there. As achievement of nirvana is the true happiness, so it says that “the greatest happiness is Nirvana”.

有首偈語說：「無病第一利，知足第一富，善友第一親，涅槃第一樂。」我們一生最大的受用是健康無病，最富有的是知足的心，跟我們最親近的是善友，是我們這個法門的善知識，倒不是家人，因為夫妻往往同床異夢，而父子至親，然而將來都各自隨業流轉，甚至有可能彼此障礙。

因此，對我們一生有益處、有幫助的，能使我們法身慧命得解脫的，是我們的善友、善知識。「涅槃第一樂」，極樂世界是涅槃世界，我們往生極樂世界之後就能夠證悟涅槃，而涅槃才是真正的樂，所以說涅槃第一樂。

Namo Amitabha!

Jan 28

Jan 28, 2018
慧淨上人法語
念佛利益

The Infinite Life Sutra says, “If there are people who hear the Name of that Buddha, rejoice so greatly as to dance, and remember him even once, then you should know that they have gained great benefit by receiving the unsurpassed virtue.”

It means that when we hear this name – Namo Amituofo, we will have boundless, immeasurable, and inconceivable merits and virtues. By reciting this name, reincarnation within the Six Realms resulted by our karmic offenses can be eliminated. It also enables us to attain rebirth and expedite the achievement of Buddhahood in the Land of Bliss. So, we must be joyful and devoted in exclusive practice of Amitabha-recitation. In every single recitation, we are embraced by the unsurpassed merits and virtues with great benefits.

So, in the course of studying Buddhism, we have to clear karmic obstruction on one side, and to increase merits and virtues on the other. For achievement in both of these two areas, we have to exclusively recite Namo Amituofo. Nothing is easier or more splendor than reciting Namo Amituofo.

《無量壽經》說：「其有得聞，彼佛名號，歡喜踊躍，乃至一念；當知此人，為得大利，則是具足，無上功德。」

意思是說，當我們聽到這句「南無阿彌陀佛」的名號，有無量無邊不可思議的功德，念這句名號能 夠消除我們六道輪迴生死的罪業，能夠令我們往生極樂世界快速成佛，我們就歡喜地、虔誠地專一稱念，念念當中，都在擁有這句名號的大利無上功德。

所以，我們學佛一方面要消業障，一方面要增長功德，無論消業障也好，增長功德也好，都要專念南無阿彌陀佛，都沒有比專念南無阿彌陀佛來得既容易又殊勝的。

Namo Amitabha!

Jan 27

Jan 27, 2018
慧淨上人法語
念佛方法

What is the most important thing to a Buddhist practitioner? The critical matter of death-and-birth, because it comes rapidly. We ordinary beings can do nothing to escape from the cycle of rebirth by ourselves. So, we must rely on Amitabha Buddha. Once having this idea, we will invoke and recite without forsaking – reciting the Name when we are doing anything.

對一個修行人來講，什麼事情最重要呢？──生死事大，無常迅速。可是對我們而言，我們沒有辦法靠自己了脫生死輪迴，所以，我們要靠阿彌陀佛，有這一種觀念，他就會念念不捨，就會「隨作務，隨念佛」。

Namo Amitabha!

Jan 26

Jan 26, 2018
慧淨上人法語
專稱彌陀佛名

Amitabha Buddha knows that the spiritual capacity and aptitude of each individual is different. Monastic people take Buddhist practice as their career and devote more time to Amitabha-recitation. Because they don’t have any family burden and worries about the future, their mind may become relatively tranquil when they recite Amitabha’s name. Most of the householders are engaged in various kinds of work and have to take care of the elderly and the kids in their family, so they are inevitably distracted and worried when they practice Amitabha-recitation, particularly in the time, say, when they are heavily in debts during a financial crisis. Amitabha Buddha knows all about these situations.

Hence, Amitabha Buddha says, “You can exclusively recite Amitabha’s name in accordance with your own capacity and circumstances. When time comes (near the end-of-life), I will come to greet you with Avalokitesvara, Mahasthamaprapta, and Bodhisattvas of the Great Sea of Purity, accompanied by a percussion ensemble in grand march, and take you to the Land of Bliss. If the time is yet to come, I will keep emitting light on you, so as to protect you, follow you, and stay above your head. I am always with you.”

阿彌陀佛知道每個人的根機各不一樣，出家眾是專業的修行人，所以念佛的時間比較多，因為他沒有家累、沒有後顧之憂，念起佛來或許心比較清淨；在家眾大多從事於士農工商之中，上有老下有小，如果遇到金融風暴，又負債累累，念起佛來難免三心兩意、東想西想的，這一切阿彌陀佛都知道。

阿彌陀佛就說：你們就以各自的根機因緣專稱彌陀佛名，時間到（臨命終）的 時候，我會率領著觀音、勢至、清淨大海眾，敲鑼打鼓，浩浩蕩蕩來迎接你到極樂世界；如果時間還沒有到，我會持續以光明照耀你、保護你、跟著你，我就住在你 的頂上與你同在。

Namo Amitabha!

Jan 25

Jan 25, 2018
慧淨上人法語
正依經典

The principal sutras of the Pure Land Buddhism include: the Infinite Life Sutra, the Contemplation Sutra, and the Amitabha Sutra. Of course, the three sutras have different text and vary in length; but they all have the same line of thinking and objective. There is no difference. They talk about only one thing, not two. Hence, the method of our rebirth is name-recitation in accordance with the Fundamental Vow. By name-recitation, we can get on board Amitabha’s boat of the Fundamental Vow.

淨土宗的正依經典：《無量壽經》、《觀無量壽經》、《阿彌陀經》，三經固然文字不同，經文也各有長短多寡，可是它們的思想與宗旨都一致，並沒有差別，所講的就是一件事，沒有兩件。所以我們往生的方法，就是「本願稱名」，稱名就能乘上了阿彌陀佛的本願船。

Namo Amitabha!