May 27, 2023

May 27, 2023

Common Knowledge in Pure Land Teaching

淨土小常識

To Enable All Beings to become Like the Buddha

The Sutra of Equal Enlightenment says, “To free people from the cycle of birth and death, which is the primary source of continuous suffering, and enable them to become like the Buddha.”

“To free people from the cycle of birth and death” means to relieve them from suffering. To “enable them to become like the Buddha” means to grant them happiness. The ultimate relief from suffering is to enable them to exit the endless cycle of reincarnation within the Six Realms after this lifetime. Then the deepest happiness is achieved by helping them to realize the fruition of Buddhahood quickly.

Among the 84,000 teachings in the Dharma-Ending Age, the only teaching that enables people to fully relieve their suffering and enjoy complete happiness is Amitabha Buddha’s teaching of deliverance.

悉令如佛

《平等覺經》言: 拔人勤苦,生死根本,悉令如佛。

「拔人勤苦」就是「拔苦」;「悉令如佛」就是「與樂」。真正的拔苦必須是讓他今生今世脫離六道輪迴;真正的與樂,是能夠讓他速證佛果。在佛教八萬四千法門當中,末法時代,真正能「拔苦與樂」的,唯阿彌陀佛救度的法門。

Namo Amituofo!

May 26, 2023

May 26, 2023

A Verse sharing 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

The adornments of the Land of Bliss are beyond those of the Three Realms. A multitude of human, celestial, and other sentient beings are equally born in this unconditioned realm.

Dharmakara Bodhisattva made an infinitely great vow to cultivate the Bodhisattva practices in his causal ground. With his accomplishment of, “When I attain Buddhahood”, the manifested scenes in the Land of Bliss are rare and splendid.

Sometimes, birds that can speak the Dharma manifest; and, at other times Dharmas that are uninvited exactly match what the audience would like to hear.

Sometimes wondrous sounds are produced by different subtle waves; and, at other times, the trees in the woods praise the virtues of compassion.

On certain occasions light and breeze move in response to each other; and, on others, Indra’s net in the sky recites poems and verses.

All of the adornments are full of a variety of different sounds that spontaneously create celestial music.

The purpose of these wonders is to attract all ordinary and sacred beings to come. That is why the Buddha manifests all of these inconceivable things.

Upon hearing the descriptions of the Pure Land, we feel so excited that our hair stands on end; and we thank our true Teacher Amitabha with full acceptance.

Once we accept the exclusive practice of Amitabha’s Name, we must not hesitate; but,continuously recite it until we are transported to Amitabha’s Pure Land.

極樂莊嚴出三界,人天雜類等無為;

法藏行因廣弘願,設我得佛現稀奇。

或現鳥身能說法,或現無請能應機;

或使微波出妙響,或使林樹讚慈悲;

或使風光相應動,或令羅網說音辭。

一切莊嚴聲遍滿,恒沙天樂自依時;

為引他方凡聖類,故佛現此不思議。

我等聞之身毛豎,碎骨慚謝阿彌師;

一受專精不惜命,須臾即到豈為遲。

Namo Amituofo!

May 25, 2023

May 25, 2023

General sources of Confusion and Misunderstandings by Amitabha-Reciters seeking Rebirth in the Pure Land by Master Jingzong

淨宗法師談念佛人的糊塗認識

#1 – “By reciting Amitabha vocally with a distracted mind, it is fruitless even if you damage your throat by intensive recitation.” Isn’t it?

Comment: (continued)

You should know that deluded thinking is the original state of ordinary beings. Their minds contain nothing but false thoughts. Even near the end-of-life, one is still just an ordinary being full of false thoughts. (No matter how much you clean a statue made of mud , the statue is still muddy inside. No matter how you scratch charcoal, it is still black inside.) We are simply ordinary beings. No matter how clean or scratched, we are still full of false thoughts, from inside to outside. We are neither clean nor pure.

Knowing and accepting these truths, we joyfully recite Amitabha’s name, and know we will be received by him. We are transported on a lotus platform to the Pure Land, where our false thoughts are transformed into an enlightened mind. Amitabha-recitation that is done by foolish beings like us, is still like a lotus flower that grows in the mud without being contaminated. So, our rebirth is assured, and should not be doubted. Don’t despise your abundant false thoughts, only regret your shallowness of faith.

淨宗法師 - 念佛人的糊塗認識

其一 – “口念彌陀心散亂,喊破喉嚨也枉然”, 是嗎?!

答 (續上):

須知妄念原是凡夫本體,妄念之外,別無心也。直至臨終,猶是一向妄念凡夫(泥人不管怎麼去洗它,裏面都是泥的;黑炭不管怎麼去刮它,裏邊都是黑的。我們這個凡夫,你怎麼洗、怎麼刮,你都是妄念,徹徹底底、內內外外全是妄念,洗不乾淨的)。

知此念佛。即蒙來迎。乘蓮台時,能翻妄念,成為覺心。從妄念中,所出念佛,猶如蓮花,不染污泥,決定往生,不可有疑。莫厭妄念多,應歎信心淺,故以深信心,常稱彌陀名。

Namo Amituofo!

May 24, 2023

May 24, 2023

Frequent sources of Confusion and Misunderstandings by Amitabha-Reciters seeking Rebirth by Master Jingzong

淨宗法師談念佛人的糊塗認識

#1 – “Vocally reciting Amitabha’s Name with a distracted mind is fruitless, even if you damage your throat by intensive recitation.” Isn’t that true?

Comment:

This is an interpretation from the Chan School, not the Pure Land School. They think of Amitabha recitation as a means of clearing false thoughts, focusing a scattered mind, and thus attaining enlightenment. They view mindfulness of the Buddha as a skillful means to pacify their minds, which they see as the source of enlightenment.

This does not coincide with the views of our Pure Land School in terms of our aptitudes and capacities. So, there are shortcomings in their interpretation with respect to the aptitudes of practitioners.

It is similar to the saying by Master Yinguang – they use this teaching of horizontal transcendence as their longitudinal means of exiting the Six Realms. Their approach is through “self-power”, not the “other-power” teaching of Amitabha Buddha’s deliverance. If you believe this interpretation, you will lose your aspiration and confidence in rebirth.

“ Single-mindedly without confusion”, as said in the Amitabha Sutra, means the exclusive practice of Amitabha-recitation with no confusion or dilution by mixing in other practices”. It doesn’t matter if your mind is concentrated or distracted. All that matters is the genuineness of your faith, aspiration and practice. This mind is like the water in the Yangtze River, and the various miscellaneous thoughts are like the waves on the water’s surface. Rebirth is like the river running to the sea. How can the waves disappear or block the river, while the river is running to the sea?

(to be continued tomorrow)

淨宗法師 - 念佛人的糊塗認識

其一, “口念彌陀心散亂,喊破喉嚨也枉然”, 是嗎?!

答:這是禪宗的解釋而不是淨土宗的解釋。他念阿彌陀佛,是為了掃除妄想雜念,是為了開悟,以念佛作為一個方便手段,讓他的心能夠悟得本源心地。

他沒有完全站在我們淨土宗的立場上,沒有站在凡夫根機的立場上來說話,所以,在契理和契機這方面略有欠缺。這就是印光大師所講的“拿橫超法門,作豎出之用。”還是自力的法門,帶有自力的因素,不是阿彌陀佛佛力救度的法門。這樣你聽信了,你覺得往生沒有把握,就打退堂鼓了。

《阿彌陀經》裏的“一心不亂”是“專修念佛不雜亂”的意思。念佛無論一心、散心,就怕信願三者發心不真。此心如長江水,種種雜念如水上波。往生如同江流入海。豈有江流入海之時,波不消散,而反能阻礙長流乎?

(再續)

Namo Amituofo!

May 23, 2023

May 23, 2023

The Patriarchal Lineage of the Pure Land Teaching - Master Shandao

善導大師

The Pure Land School originates from Amitabha Buddha’s 48 vows, especially the 18th Vow. The one whose explanation is most authoritative, most easily understood, and inspires people to joyfully entrust Amitabha, is Master Shandao.

Master Shandao was an incarnation of Amitabha. Because of this, his explanation of the 18th Vow is equivalent to Amitabha Buddha himself explaining his Fundamental Vow. This makes it the most authoritative and reliable. In response, we should time and again return to Master Shandao’s teachings.

我們這一個法門的根源,是來自阿彌陀佛的四十八願,尤其是根本願第十八願。解釋第十八願最有權威的,而且最能夠讓一般人一看就懂,當下就肯定,當下就增長信心,增長法喜的,就是善導大師的解釋。

善導大師是彌陀的示現,以彌陀示現的善導大師來解釋第十八願,等同彌陀自己來解釋祂所發的根本願,所以是最權威可靠,因此我們要回歸善導大師。

Namo Amituofo!

May 22, 2023

May 22, 2023

Master Huijing’s Short Dharma Teaching about Classification of Teachings – the Two Paths (of Importance and the Great Vow)

要弘二門判

From the passage separating the teachings into the Path of Importance and the Path of the Great Vow, we learn that the aim of the Contemplation Sutra is to explain the deliverance of Amitabha’s Fundamental Vow. It clearly indicates that, all those who wish to be reborn in the Pure Land of Bliss, must entrust themselves to the deliverance of Amitabha’s Fundamental Vow.

All those who entrust in the deliverance of Amitabha’s Fundamental Vow, regardless whether they are good or evil, will enter the supreme and wonderful reward land, a realm of unconditioned Nirvana. There they will realize the ultimate fruits of infinite light and life, the same as Amitabha.

This is actually the objective of the 18th Vow, the King of the Vow among Amitabha’s 48 Vows. It is like water flowing through various streams and returning to the ocean, the moon’s light descending without detaching from the sky. If they depart from Amitabha’s Fundamental Vow, sentient beings in the ten directions would have no way to enter the Pure Land and become Buddhas. In this teaching Master Shandao completely reveals the meaning of Amitabha’s Fundamental Vow and Shakyamuni’s original intent.

由「要弘二門判」之文便可窺知《觀經》目的在於闡揚彌陀本願之救度,明示凡欲往生極樂淨土者,都必須乘託彌陀本願之救度,無一例外。

凡乘託彌陀本願之救度者,不論善人惡人,皆入彌陀無為涅槃之高妙報土,皆與彌陀同證光壽無量之最上極果。

此即是《大經》阿彌陀佛四十八願之中本願王──第十八願的宗旨。猶如水流原歸海,月落不離天;遠離彌陀本願大海,十方眾生即無歸處。彌陀本願,釋尊本懷,善導大師在此予以顯露無遺。

Namo Amituofo!

May 21, 2023

May 21, 2023

Common Knowledge in Pure Land Teaching

淨土小常識

“Nirvana is beyond comparison”

(continued)

“ Its people will be wonderful and unexcelled. The seat of Enlightenment shall be supreme. My land, being like Nirvana itself, Shall be beyond comparison.” - In the Pure Land, there are the Buddha and Bodhisattvas (Buddha is the master and bodhisattvas are companions) enjoying the same Pure Land. It is the foremost because Amitabha Buddha is the foremost among all Buddhas, and the sacred beings from the ten directions, who are reborn in the Land of Bliss, are also the foremost.

What is the wonder, the excellence and the uniqueness of the Land of Bliss? It enables ordinary beings, bearing greed, hatred, and delusion, to be reborn in the Pure Land without subduing these qualities. Moreover, they can quickly ascend to the Buddha assembly and attain the ultimate fruit of Buddhahood. Just as Amitabha vowed - “My land, being like Nirvana itself, shall be beyond comparison”.

泥洹無雙 (續)

「其眾奇妙,道場超絕;國如泥洹,而無等雙」,淨土裏面有佛、有菩薩(佛是主人,菩薩是伴),同時有淨土的境界。既然極樂世界國土是第一,表示主人 —— 阿彌陀佛是十方諸佛之第一;往生到極樂世界的聖眾,也是十方聖眾之第一。

極樂世界之奇妙、之超絕、之無等雙在哪裡?在使我們貪瞋癡的凡夫,於貪 瞋癡沒有降伏的情況下,能夠往生淨土,同時能夠快速、超越地坐道場、成佛果,這才是「國如泥洹,而無等雙」。

Namo Amituofo!