February 23, 2025

Feb. 23, 2025

A Discussion on Excerpts from the Scriptures of the Pure Land School

淨土宗精要法語討論

17. The Infinite Life Sutra - Strive to Escape and Reach the Way

You should each make a great effort to attain it. Strive to escape from Samsara and be born in the Land of Peace and Joy.

Then, the causes of the five evil realms having been destroyed, they will naturally cease to be.

So, you will progress unhindered in your pursuit of the Way. The Pure Land is so easy to reach that no one is unable to go there.

This Land has no violations to Dharma Nature, and all are naturally governed.

Question 17.01: Are the virtuous fruits of humans and heavenly beings, which arise from the Five Precepts and Ten Good Deeds, also considered "evil"?

Answer: From the perspective of the worldly Dharma, doing good is certainly a hundred or even a thousand times better than committing evil. However, from the perspective of the transcendental Dharma, while worldly goodness can bring about favorable karmic rewards, it cannot lead to liberation from the cycle of birth and death (Samsara). Therefore, when compared to transcendental virtuous practices, worldly goodness still contains aspects of "evil."

Master Yinguang said in his Expanded Collection of Letters, "Worldly good deeds do not transcend Samsara. When compared to the Pure Land practices of faith, vow and practice for rebirth, such good deeds are still considered flawed."

17. 《無量壽經》超絕橫截

宜各勤精進,努力自求之。必得超絕去,往生安樂國;橫截五惡道,惡道自然閉。升道無窮極,易往而無人;其國不逆違,自然之所牽。

17.1 問:人天善果來自五戒十善,難道也說為惡?

答:就世間法而言,行善當然勝過為惡百千倍;就出世間法而言,世善雖能感招善果,但無法出離輪迴,所以,比之出世間善法,仍說為惡。印光大師《增廣文鈔》:「世間善業,不出輪迴,若對信願具足之往生淨業,則彼善業仍屬惡業。」

Namo Amituofo!

February 18, 2025

Feb.18, 2025

Master Huijing’s Short Dharma Teaching about the Grace of Deliverance

慧淨法師之無常法語

The dreadful karma for past evil deeds must be faced today;

Even one who was once a peerless hero in the world, where is he now?

生前惡業可畏,此日方知;夙昔蓋世英雄,而今安在。

Namo Amituofo!

February 22, 2025

Feb. 22, 2025

Clarifying Doubts About the Pure Land (I)

淨土釋疑(一)

Question 2: May I ask the Master? Many people care deeply about determinant faith. What defines determinant faith and assures rebirth?

Answer:(continued)

“You can attain assured(determinant) rebirth through exclusive Amitabha-recitation.” You can continue to recite for the rest of your life or just once before death. In doing so we are one hundred percent certain to be reborn!

It is an other-powered teaching. Amitabha Buddha joins his palms while standing in front of us, before we even know about aspiring to be reborn. Amitabha has been calling out to us for ten eons, offering to save us from our world of suffering, and deliver us to his Land of Bliss. Through the exclusive recitation of Namo Amitabha Buddha: we nourish our faith, renounce the Land of Saha, and aspire to rebirth in the Land of Bliss. These are the natural functional capacities of the Name.

At this point, we need not differentiate self-power and other-power, belief and doubt. They are all “Naturally” included in Namo Amitabha Buddha. So, in the end, it is “always exclusively reciting Amitabha’s Name.”

“Always’ is emphasized because it also means “exclusive”. As Master Honen says, “The one single Name of Amitabha Buddha is naturally replete with the “Three States of Mind”. Though you may not always be aware of it , it is naturally complete with the three states of mind. Why? Because the Name “Namo Amituofo” has this functional capacity.

續答:

不過,你如果能夠肯定「專稱佛名必定往生」而一生念佛下去,百分之百往生,必定往生!

因為這個法門是他力法門,我們不知道求往生的時候,阿彌陀佛都在我們面前合掌,十劫以來都在要求我們了,何況我們有厭離娑婆、欣生極樂的心而稱名號?自自然然這句名號的功能就在運作,使我們往生極樂世界。

所以,從這一點來講,已經拋開自力他力,已經拋開是信是疑了,自自然然地信就在裏面。自自然然——這就是一種彌陀的運作,就是一種他力。因此,到最後善導大師就說:一向專稱彌陀佛名。

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 Amituofo!

February 21, 2025

Feb. 21, 2025

Clarifying Doubts About the Pure Land (I)

淨土釋疑(一)

Question 2: May I ask the Master? Many people care very deeply about determinant faith. What defines determinant faith and assures rebirth?

Answer:

If a person has not accepted Amitabha’s compassionate deliverance, his faith is not considered determinant or single-minded. Thus, he may have many other thoughts popping up in his mind. He may think, “I should practice this teaching or that. Apart from reciting Amitabha’s Name, maybe I should recite the names of a few other Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, or other Dharani...”, etc.?

Thus, before a person can receive Amitabha’s compassionate deliverance, he should realize that he has to leave all other practices aside, and exclusively recite Amitabha’s Name as often as he can.

At the same time, we also have to realize what our aptitudes and capacities are, and what teaching is most appropriate for us. Ultimately, we must accept Amitabha Buddha’s great compassion deep in our hearts.

(to be continued tomorrow)

2問:請問師父,很多人都非常關心信心決定的問題,那麼,怎樣才算信心決定,或者怎樣才算往生決定呢?

答:

如果沒有體悟到阿彌陀佛的慈悲救度,那就是信心還沒有決定性,還沒有統一性,所以就會有二心、三心,種種心都出來了,就會想:「我應該修這個法,應該修那個法,除了念佛以外,還要念好幾個佛菩薩名號,還要念幾個咒語......」二心、三心等等心都會出來。

那麼,在還沒有體悟彌陀救度之前,應該先肯定:往生極樂世界就是要像善導大師所講的,要捨掉其他的行門,而專稱這句名號。今天有一分鐘,就以這一分鐘的時間稱念名號,有一個鐘頭、兩個鐘頭、十個鐘頭,就以這個時間去稱念這句名號。

同時,去體會什麼是機、什麼是法,因為在體會機、體會法當中,阿彌陀佛的悲心,會在某種情形之下納入我們的心中。

Namo Amituofo!

February 20, 2025

Feb. 20, 2025

Q and A about Practicing Amitabha-Recitation

Part Three - Assisted-Recitation near the End-of-Life

第三部分 有關臨終助念

Question 35: As Amitabha-recitation is the karma of assurance, any person who recites the Buddha’s Name will be reborn. Why do we always talk about assisted recitation at the time of death?

Answer:

As said by Master Yinguang, “This method of assisted recitation at the time of death was initiated by Master Shandao of the Tang Dynasty. It is said that even those who did not chant the Buddha's name during their lifetimes can attain rebirth in the Pure Land through this method of assisted recitation.

It is evident that the practice of assisted recitation at the time of death is primarily aimed at those who did not ordinarily recite Amitabha Buddha's Name. Since they neither recited the Buddha's Name during their lifetimes nor at the time of death, they risk remaining entrapped in the cycle of rebirth.

At this critical moment, good friends are needed to guide and assist them, leading them in reciting Amitabha Buddha's Name together or for them. By following this practice, they too can attain rebirth in the Pure Land. If assisted recitation at the time of death can enable rebirth, then those who regularly recite Amitabha Buddha's Name are even more certain to achieve it.

This clearly demonstrates that reciting Amitabha Buddha's Name is the right and certain practice for rebirth. Among all who recite, all will succeed!

35問:既然念佛是正定業,任何人念佛都能往生,那為什麼還有臨終助念一說呢?

答:

如印光大師說:「此(臨終助念)法乃唐善導和尚所發明,謂平日不念佛者,依此法助念,亦可往生。」可知臨終助念主要是針對平日不念佛的人。

因為平日既不念佛,臨終再不念佛就要墮落輪迴了,所以這時就需要善友來開導幫助,帶領他一道念佛。他這時能隨著念佛,同樣往生。臨終助念都能往生,平時念佛的人就更能往生了。這也正說明念佛是往生正定業,萬修萬人去啊!

Namo Amituofo!

February 19, 2025

Feb. 19, 2025

Master Huijing’s Short Dharma Teaching about the Grace of Deliverance

慧淨法師之救恩法語(一)之愛的心語

Love is the bridge that connects human nature to Buddha-nature.

Love can harmonize society, dissolve hatred, and turn enemies into friends.

愛是人性通往佛性的橋。愛能和諧社會,愛能消弭仇恨,愛能化敵為友。

Namo Amituofo!

February 17, 2025

Feb.17, 2025

Wonderful Metaphors in the Pure Land School

淨土宗妙喻

Metaphor 26: Amitabha’s Deliverance is Like a Large Mirror that Reflects All Equally

Amitabha’s deliverance is like a large mirror. It does not exclude any of the things being reflected in it. The images of all things in front of it, whether beautiful or ugly, good or evil, wise or foolish, virtuous or immoral, are mirrored equally, without repulsion or rejection.

26. 如鏡不拒喻

彌陀救度如同大鏡,鏡子沒有分別心。白來白現,黑來黑現。不管美麗、醜陋,不管善人、惡人,智、愚、賢、不肖,這面鏡子都在同一時間照出他們,毫不嫌棄他們,也不會拒絕他們。

Namo Amituofo!