March 23, 2023

Mar 23, 2023

Common Knowledge in Pure Land Teaching

淨土小常識

(continued)

We know the Land of Saha is full of various kinds of sufferings; but , the Land of Bliss

has none. Once there we only experience pleasure and various kinds of enjoyment.

Thus, the Lotus Sutra explains the reality of Saha (like a burning house); and the

Amitabha Sutra explains the reality of Bliss, in which there is no suffering of any kind:

no suffering through the stages of birth-and-death, no suffering of transformed

birth-and-death, and enjoyment of the happiness of Nirvana (no-birth and no-death).

So, we should know the purpose of the Lotus Sutra is to direct us to the Land of Bliss.

三界如火宅 (續)

可見,娑婆充滿眾苦,而極樂是無有眾苦,而且是但受諸樂,因此可知,《法華經》是在說明娑婆的實相 —— 就像火在燃燒的房子;《阿彌陀經》是在說明極樂的實相 —— 一旦往生淨土,就離開種種苦,沒有分段生死的苦, 沒有變易生死的苦,只有不生不滅涅槃之樂。以此也可以知道,《法華經》 的目的是在指向極樂世界。

Namo Amituofo!

March 22, 2023

Mar 22, 2023

Common Knowledge in Pure Land Teaching

淨土小常識

The Three Domains are like a Burning House

The Lotus Sutra says, “There is no peace in the Three Domains. It is like a burning house, full of all kinds of countless horrible sufferings!”

The Three Domains are the Desire Realm, Form Realm and Formless Realm. “Like a burning house” means the entire great cosmos is like a house on fire with flames burning all over. Because the flames are all over the house, nothing is more painful than being inside the house. So, it says, “full of all kinds of countless horrible suffering”

What about the Land of Bliss? The Amitabha Sutra says, “The beings in that land suffer no pain; but, only enjoy pleasures of various kinds. That is why it is called the Land of Bliss.”

(to be continued tomorrow)

三界如火宅

《法華經》言:三界無安,猶如火宅, 眾苦充滿,甚可怖畏。

「三界」就是欲界、色界、無色界。「猶如火宅」,整個三千大千世界,就像燃燒的房子,充滿了大火;既然充滿了大火,沒有比被火燒更苦的了,所以說:「眾苦充滿,甚可怖畏」。

而極樂世界怎麼樣呢?《阿彌陀經》說:彼土何故名為極樂? 其國眾生,無有眾苦,但受諸樂,故名極樂。

Namo Amituofo!

March 21, 2023

Mar 21, 2023

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

淨土信仰

By merely reciting Namo Amituofo we can see Amitabha Buddha, see all Buddhas in the ten directions, and receive predictions from all Buddhas in the ten directions. The Contemplation Sutra says, “Seeing the Buddha of Infinite Life is seeing all Buddhas in the ten directions.” By seeing an infinite number of Buddhas, we receive an infinite number of predictions.

So, among all Buddhas in the ten directions, we can gain these merits and virtues only by reciting Namo Amituofo, without even asking for them.

我們只要念南無阿彌陀佛,就能夠見到阿彌陀佛,也能夠見到十方諸佛,蒙受十方諸佛的授記。《觀經》說:「見無量壽佛者,即見十方無量諸佛;得見無量諸佛故,諸佛現前授記。」所以在十方諸佛當中,我們只要念南無阿彌陀佛,這些功德不求自得。

Namo Amituofo!

March 20, 2023

Mar 20, 2023

A verse about ‘The Rareness of meeting the Buddha’ quoted from “In Praise of the Rite of Rebirth”by Master Shandao

善導大師《往生禮讚》「佛世甚難值」:

It is extremely rare to meet the Buddha in this world.

It is even more difficult for a person to have the wisdom to believe in the Buddha.

Encountering the rare Dharma [of Amitabha’s deliverance],

Is the most difficult of all.

佛世甚難值,人有信慧難;

遇聞稀有法,此復最為難。

Namo Amituofo!

March 19, 2023

Mar 19, 2023

Pure Land Patriarch - Master Daochuo

道綽大師

(continued)

The Sutra of the Great Collection of the Moon Store says, “ Sentient beings now live in an era that is approximately the fourth five-hundred-year period since Shakyamuni Buddha passed away. They should practice blessings, repentance, and recite Amitabha Buddha’s name.”

When selecting a teaching with respect to the aptitude and the era, it is clearly indicated by the trustworthy words in the Sutra that sentient beings nowadays should recite Amitabha Buddha’s name. It also says, “If a practitioner wishes to enter the sacred paths, it is difficult to attain a high ranking even when they experience splendid outcomes. Only through the Pure Land teaching, can a practitioner easily enter if he wishes.”

It also concisely points out: In the world with five kinds of turbidity, in the Dharma-Ending age, and in the absence of the Buddha, the Three Learnings and the Six Paramitas are difficult for people to practice and gradually realize. It is only the teaching of Amitabha’s deliverance to be reborn in the Pure Land of Peace and Joy, that can allow us to enter the Bodhi Way. This means that Pure Land teaching is the path to Buddhahood for even a person who commits offenses throughout his entire life, in the world of five kinds of turbidity, in the Dharma-Ending era. This is because the teaching is suitable for the aptitudes of people in that era.

其根據《大集月藏經》之意而言:「計今時眾生,即當佛去世後第四五百年,正是懺悔修福,應稱佛名號時者。」

就「時」就「機」而選擇「教法」,依聖言量明確地指出「今時眾生,應稱名念佛」。又說:「若欲於斯進趣,勝果難階;唯有淨土一門,可以情悕趣入。」

扼要地指出在五濁之世,末法無佛之時,三學六度之教法漸次難行難證;唯有仰蒙彌陀之救度而往生安樂之淨土教法,方能趣入菩提。亦即淨土法門才是五濁惡世之時,一生造惡之機的成佛之道,故是「時」與「機」相應之「法」。

Namo Amituofo!

March 18, 2023

Mar 18, 2023

Pure Land Patriarch - Master Daochuo

道綽大師

The matching of “era” with “teaching” means: a practitioner who resolves to end the suffering of birth-and-death in this life and expedite the attainment of perfect enlightenment, must consider these things from the point of view of the present “era” and his own “aptitude and capacity” in selecting the appropriate teaching to cultivate.

When Master Daochuo was born, the Dharma-Ending Era had commenced. The book (“the Collection of Peace and Joy”) advocates a teaching which is suitable for the people in this era to practice, and that matches their own aptitudes and capacities.

This is rebirth in the Land of Peace and joy through the exclusive recitation of Amitabha Buddha’s Name. The book (“the Collection of Peace and Joy”) says in the beginning of the first chapter: “Taking the era and the aptitude of people into consideration, I urge them to return to the Pure Land.” He indicated that it is easy to practice and understand because the teaching is aligned with the aptitudes in that era; but, it is difficult to follow and practice if the teaching is inappropriate for the aptitudes in that era.

So, when we cultivate the Way, we should observe the time we live in and our aptitude first, with reference to the trustworthy words in the Sutra of Mindfulness of the Proper Dharma, and the Sutra of the Great Collection of the Moon Store below.

(to be continued tomorrow)

時教相應說:對一個志在今生速出生死,速得菩提的行者來講,在他選擇修行的「教法」時,必定會站在當今「時代」和自己「根機」的立場上來考量。而道綽大師誕生之時,正是所謂初入「末法時期」。本書(《安樂集》)主張適合「末法」之「根機」的「教法」即是「稱名念佛,往生安樂」。

本書(《安樂集》)於第一大門第一章〈教相章〉即開門見山的說:「約時蒙所以修道必先觀察機宜,並引用《正法念處經》及《大集月藏經》為聖言量以證誠此說。

Namo Amituofo!

March 17, 2023

Mar 17, 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

(continued)

Thus, Master Fazhao says, There is no need to practice various virtues to become a Buddha once we have arrived in the Pure Land. We just simply recite Amitabha’s Name while sitting properly on the lotus platform. That is to say, upon arrival in the Land of Bliss, we are not required to labor in practicing the Six Paramitas for three great eons. We need only to sit properly within a lotus flower and recite Namo Amituofo. That’s All!

Why is it so easy? What is the rationale behind this? Upon watching a star at dawn, Shakyamuni Buddha was thoroughly and totally enlightened, thus becoming a Buddha. When we are reborn in the Land Bliss, our six sense organs (roots) capture the six scenes (dusts), enabling us to be thoroughly and fully enlightened. The perfect beauty of all of the scenes enables us to also become Buddhas.

因此,法照大師說:「成佛不勞諸善業,華台端坐念彌陀。」也就是說,到了極樂世界要成就佛果,不必勞煩我們再用三大阿僧祇劫的期間去廣修六度苦行,只要端坐在蓮花上念「南無阿彌陀佛」就可以了。

為什麼這麼容易,道理何在?釋迦牟尼佛夜睹明星大徹大悟而成佛,我們到極樂世界六根門頭對極樂世界的六境,因情境皆殊勝,同樣也都能夠大徹大悟, 都能夠成佛的。

Namo Amituofo!