Feb 28

Feb 28, 2018
慧淨上人法語
專稱彌陀佛名

With respect to single-minded and exclusive recitation of Amitabha Buddha’s name, the emphasis is given on singleness in mind, which also means exclusivity. Master Honen said, “Reciting Amitabha Buddha’s name single-mindedly is in nature having the Three States of Mind”. Although you may not know, the Three States of Mind already exist there naturally. Why? Because the name “Namo Amituofo” itself has this kind of function.

一向專念阿彌陀佛名號，都是強調「一向」，也就是要專。法然上人說：一向專稱名號，自然具足「三心」。即使你不知道，自自然然地就具足「三心」，為什麼？因為「南無阿彌陀佛」名號本身就有這種功能。

Namo Amitabha!

Feb 27

Feb 27, 2018
Quotation of Master Shandao善導大師語錄
解釋第十八願《觀念法門》本願釋:

If, when I achieve Buddhahood, sentient beings of the ten directions who wish to be reborn in my land and recite my name, even ten times, should fail to be born there relying on the power of my Vow, may I not attain perfect enlightenment.

若我成佛，十方眾生，願生我國，稱我名字，下至十聲； 乘我願力，若不生者，不取正覺。

Versus the original text of the 18th Vow in the Infinite Life Sutra:

If, when I achieve Buddhahood, sentient beings of the ten directions who sincerely and joyfully entrust themselves to me, wish to be reborn in my land and recite my name, even ten times, should fail to be born there, may I not attain perfect enlightenment. Excepted are those who commit the five gravest transgressions or slander the correct Dharma.

對文增減《無量壽經》「第十八願」：

設我得佛，十方眾生，至心信樂，欲生我國，乃至十念； 若不生者，不取正覺。唯除五逆，誹謗正法。

Namo Amitabha!

Feb 26

Feb 26, 2018
慧淨上人法語
出離與輪迴

If a person does not aware of the existence of the Three Domains and the Six Realms, and does not believe that there are the good and bad retributions being governed by the Law of Cause and Effect in the three periods of time, he will think that man will live his life only once, and no afterlife. He also thinks man dies once, and there is nothing after death, and no such a thing as reincarnation. He confines his life to the present one, and hence spends his whole life to pursue ways to make his present life happy.

However, if he believes the cause and effect in the three periods of time, and good and bad retributions, reincarnation within the Six Realms, and if he understands that life is impermanent, temporarily short, and full of various kinds of afflictions and sufferings, he will diligently seek for eternal emancipation for the future in order to depart from suffering and attain happiness forever in his short life.

一個人如果不知有三界六道輪迴，不信有三世因果的善惡報應，他就會認為人只不過是活一次，沒有第二次；他會認為人只不過是死一次，死了就沒有了，沒有所謂的輪迴；他只曉得有現生這一輩子，因此他一生所追求的就是如何使這一輩子快樂。

但是如果確信有三世因果、善惡報應、六道輪迴，而且了解人生無常、短暫，並且充滿種種苦惱，那時他就會努力在這短暫的人生當中尋求未來永恆的解脫、永遠的離苦得樂。

Namo Amitabha!

Feb 25

Feb 25, 2018
慧淨上人法語
佛法知見

Owing to the fact that sentient beings who have not cut off or subdue his greed, anger and delusion, they are forever attached. If our mind is attached, it is completely impossible for us to match with the Buddha Nature, which has no attachment. So, if we want to achieve Buddhahood with our own power, it is more difficult than ascending to the sky. However, if we make recourse to external power, i.e. to the Buddha power, it will be extremely easy to achieve Buddhahood.

眾生在貪瞋癡還沒有斷除、降伏之下，永遠都是有執著的。心若有執著，要和沒有執著的佛性相應，那是完全不可能的。所以，要以自己的力量達到成佛，真的是比登天還難。但如果有外力──也就是藉助佛的力量，那我們成佛就非常容易。

Namo Amitabha!

Feb 24

Feb 24, 2018
慧淨上人法語
淨土信仰
(continued)

For now, we are not just born to be human beings, but also encounter the Buddhist teachings, and the Pure Land teaching, in particular, the real teaching that enables us to be liberated in this lifetime.  It is the result of Amitabha’s compassionate and sagacious guidance in many lives, so that we can be born as human beings even though we are not  ‘qualified’, and also encounter Amitabha’s teaching of deliverance under various favorable and unfavorable circumstances, up and down situations.

如今我們不只生而為人，且遇到佛法，更遇到佛法之中能真實解脫、當生成就的淨土法門，這可說是百千萬世承受阿彌陀佛慈悲智慧的導引，才使我們這一輩子本來不能出生為人而終於出生為人，不能逢遇佛法卻在種種順境、逆境中，遇到了彌陀救度的法門。

Namo Amitabha!

Feb 23

Feb 23, 2018
慧淨上人法語
淨土信仰

During the 49 years after his Enlightenment, Shakyamuni Buddha preached the teachings in more than 300 assemblies. His teachings were expounded in accordance with the aptitude of sentient beings, some are expedient, and some are real. The final aim is to lead them from expedient to real teachings.

If we cannot differentiate between the expedient and real teachings, and do not know that expedient teachings are just transitional to the real teachings, and we attach to or stay along with the expedient teachings, we have no way to be liberated. We cannot be liberated in this lifetime, and have to wait other lifetime in future.

(to be continued tomorrow)

佛陀成道後四十九年間，講經說法三百餘會，都是隨著眾生的根機，有方便性的、有真實性的，最終的目的是以方便導入真實。

學佛如果不知道分辨方便與真實，不曉得方便是進入真實的通道，而執著、停留在方便上，就無法解脫了；這一輩子沒有解脫，還要等到未來世。

Namo Amitabha!

Feb 22

Feb 22, 2018
慧淨上人法語
淨土宗宗風俗諦

All the Buddhas who descend to this world urge us sentient beings “to refrain from evil deeds, and to practice various virtues”. In [Amitabha’s] Fundamental Vow, It is also said that “excluded are those who commit the five gravest offences and abuse the right Dharma”. In the Second Fascicle of the Larger Sutra, the meaning of this statement is augmented to the admonition of the Five Virtues and the Five Evils.

So, we know that Amitabha deeply wants all Amitabha-reciters “be sincere and scrupulous in interpersonal relationships; avoid evil and cherish good; be an upstanding citizen by showing civic-mindedness and respecting the law”, just like the second statement in the attributes of the Pure Land Sect of Buddhism (2): Worldly Truths (governing everyday life).

諸佛出世，皆勸「諸惡莫作，眾善奉行」，本願亦言「唯除逆謗」，《大經》卷下更擴充「唯除逆謗」之意，而廣說「五善五惡」之勸誡。

可知：彌陀深欲念佛之人，「敦倫盡分，閑邪存誠，奉公守法，為世良民」，如「宗風二──俗諦（處世之道）」。

Namo Amitabha!