May 29, 2025

May 29, 2025

Basic Knowledge in the Pure Land Teaching

淨土小常識

155. The Relationship Between Amitabha Buddha’s Light and Life (1/6)

Amitabha Buddha inherently possesses infinite virtues; but, the World-Honored One (Shakyamuni Buddha) summarized them entirely in just two ways - "Infinite Light" and "Infinite Life."

“Infinite Light” refers to delivering sentient beings in all worlds. “Infinite Life” refers to delivering sentient beings throughout all time, into the limitless future.

The virtue of Infinite Life is the fundamental basis upon which all other virtues rely. If life were to end, then all virtues would be lost. Therefore, for Light to be truly infinite, Life must also be infinite. If the light that shines throughout the ten directions were to cease after one kalpa (eon), then it would be limited — bound by time. Moreover, life is the energy of existence. If life is infinite, then that vitality

must naturally pervade and operate throughout all Dharma Realms, manifesting as Infinite Light.

Life is the essence; Light is its function — the two are inseparable. Just as a person's life is the foundation of all their activities, all activities reflect the vitality of that life. Wherever the Light of Amitabha shines, Life is present with it. Whenever that Life continues, Light radiates with it. In this way, throughout the ten directions and the endless future, all beings are embraced within the all-encompassing net of Amitabha’s Infinite Light and Life.

With these two immeasurables (Light and Life) Amitabha Buddha can universally and perpetually save all sentient beings without exception.

(to be continued tomorrow)

155 阿彌陀佛光壽關係 (1/6)

阿彌陀佛本身具有無量的功德，但世尊用「光明無量」和「壽命無量」兩種 就完全概括了：光明無量，空間上救度任何世界的眾生；壽命無量，時間上救 度盡未來際的眾生。

壽命之德是一切功德依存的根本，壽命消失，則一切皆失。所以光明無量 ，必然要求壽命無量。又，照十方國的光明，如果一段時劫之後就沒有了，那 就是有量，時間上有限量。又壽命為生命之能量，壽命無量，則其生命力必然 遍存活動於法界，而成光明無量。

壽命為體，光明為用，二者不分。好像人以壽命為體，而有種種的運動作 為；種種運動作為，才反映出他的生命力。光明所照之處，壽必隨之；壽命延 續之時，光必隨之。如此遍十方、盡未來，盡在彼佛無量光壽攝取網中；阿彌 陀佛即以此光壽二無量，遍十方、盡未來地救度任何眾生，無一遺漏。

Namo Amituofo!

May 28, 2025

May 28, 2025

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

淨土宗精要法語討論

24. The Adornment Sutra - “Like Buddha Upon Rebirth”

When I attain Perfect Enlightenment, my Buddha name will be Amitayus. All sentient beings who hear this name can come to my land. Their bodies will be gold in color just like mine, and all of their forms will be splendid, perfect, and complete. Moreover, they will benefit a variety of sentient beings with their great compassionate minds.

24.1 Question:

A Bodhisattva cultivates blessings and wisdom for three Asamkhyeya kalpas and sows the marks of excellence for a hundred kalpas." It is said that before becoming a Buddha, a Bodhisattva must practice for a hundred kalpas to attain such magnificent physical features. Why is it that ordinary beings, by reciting Amitabha Buddha's Name for as few as ten recitations at the point of death or for just one lifetime, can be reborn in the Pure Land, and immediately attain 'perfect and wondrous features'?

Answer:

This is entirely due to the great vows made by Amitabha Buddha while in his causal stage, and the meritorious virtues he accomplished upon attaining Buddhahood. Even the fact that those who were reborn in the Pure Land, return to the Saha World to widely save sentient beings, is sustained by the power of Amitabha Buddha’s Original Vow.

24. 《莊嚴經》往生如佛

我若成正覺，立名無量壽，眾生聞此號，俱來我剎中；如佛金色身，妙相悉圓 滿，亦以大悲心，利益諸群品。

24.1 問：「三祇修福慧，百劫種相好」，菩薩成佛前修行一百劫才得相好莊嚴， 何以凡夫眾生一生念佛，往生即得「妙相悉圓滿」？

答：此皆由阿彌陀佛因地大願、果地功德所惠賜，乃至往生人還入娑婆廣 度眾生，也是由阿彌陀佛本願力住持的緣故。

Namo Amituofo!

May 27, 2025

May 27, 2025

Clarifying Doubts About the Pure Land (I)

淨土釋疑(一)

Question # 9:

Master, may I ask—what kind of person truly accepts and trusts in Amitabha’s deliverance?

Answer:

A person who truly accepts and trusts in Amitabha’s salvation naturally has faith and reverence toward Amitabha. Such a person also has a conscience, a sense of shame within themselves, with love and tolerance toward others. Why? Because they feel Amitabha Buddha’s love for them, and have experienced his compassion

and forgiveness. When one truly feels the great love of Amitabha, they feel ashamed of their own sins, and develop a stronger sense of conscience and self-reflection. Whenever they say or do something wrong, they immediately feel the reproach of their own conscience, and their introspection becomes even deeper than before.

Amitabha’s love and forgiveness for us are vast and immeasurable. Frankly speaking, we are deeply sinful beings who have committed endless offenses over countless lifetimes. Even in this present life, if we honestly reflect on ourselves, we’ll see that we constantly, knowingly or unknowingly, offend others. Therefore, it’s not just that we should tolerate or forgive others; but rather, we should ask others to forgive us. If they were to tear us limb from limb, it still wouldn’t be enough to repay our wrongdoings.

We are the kind of people who are truly beyond forgiveness—yet Amitabha Buddha forgives us! It is this great compassion that moves us. Being touched by Amitabha’s boundless forgiveness, we should in turn develop a forgiving heart toward all beings. So, Amitabha’s life becomes a presence within us, watching over us, our inner guide and master. As a result, our ability for self-reflection becomes sharper and more sensitive.

9問：請問師父，信受彌陀救度的人，到底是什麼樣的呢？

答：信受彌陀救度的人，他當然是對彌陀有信心、有恭敬心，對自己有良 心、有慚愧心，對別人有愛心、有包容心。為什麼？因為他體會到阿彌陀佛對 他的愛心，體會到阿彌陀佛對他的包容心。當他體會到阿彌陀佛的大愛的時 候，就慚愧自己是一個罪惡的人，因此對自己有良心、有慚愧心，一旦有什麼 言語行為上的過失，立刻會受自己良心的譴責，反省比以前更加深刻。

阿彌陀佛對我們的愛心，對我們的寬諒，可以說非常的廣大，論我們的話 ，我們是罪惡深重的人，累生累劫造了無窮無盡的罪業，今生今世反省自己， 自己無時無刻有意無意都在得罪他人，所以，不是我們去忍耐別人、寬諒別 人，而是要請別人來寬諒我們。不寬諒我們的話，被他碎身萬段也不足以償 還。

我們是這種不能被寬諒的人，而阿彌陀佛來寬諒我們！我們被阿彌陀佛 的大寬諒所感動，對眾生也會有寬諒的心。所以，彌陀的生命在我們裏面作 為我們的主人，監視著我們，我們的反省力就會更加的敏銳。

Namo Amituofo!

May 26, 2025

May 26, 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 42. When offering assisted recitation and comfort to a dying person, what should we pay attention to and avoid?

Answer:

1. To avoid confusion, make it simple. Focus only on reciting Namo Amituofo. All other things should be avoided.

2. Please avoid increasing the psychological burden on the dying person. For example, if we say, “Mr. XYZ, you have recited the Buddha’s Name for your entire life and you wish to be reborn. This time is critical, so you should be mindful of the Buddha. If you fail to do this , what you did in the past was in vain.” Saying this is a bit negative, and incurs stress on the dying person. It is because he cannot master and control himself that he needs someone to comfort him, so that he feels safe and peaceful.

One ought to say, “Mr. XYZ, you recited the Buddha’s Name for your entire life, and you wish to be reborn. Amitabha Buddha sees this and knows it. Your efforts have not been in vain. Amitabha Buddha will certainly save you. Though you do not see Amitabha Buddha right now, he will certainly appear when the final moment arrives. As you are already a member of Amitabha Buddha’s Lotus family, he will naturally come to receive you at the right time.

Please try to be patient. You can join us in reciting Amitabha’s Name. If you cannot recite it, you can simply listen and wait for Amitabha Buddha to welcome you!”

42問：助念、開示，最要注意避免的是什麼？

答：一是避免雜。除了一句阿彌陀佛，其他一切皆免。

二是避免增加病亡者的心理負擔。比如說：「某某人，你一輩子念佛修 行，求的就是往生，現在是關鍵時刻，你一定要努力把握正念，如果這時 候不能把握，一輩子修行就會前功盡棄。」這樣的話都有負面信息在當 中，勢必增加臨終人的壓力，因為人在這個時候不是自己勉強就能做主 的，最需要助念的人善巧安慰，讓他的心平安和順。

應當說：「某某人，你一輩子念佛修行，願意往生，阿彌陀佛早都看到、 知道，功不唐捐！阿彌陀佛救你是救定了！現在雖然還沒看見阿彌陀佛 現身接引，是因為你的壽辰還沒到，但你早已是阿彌陀佛的人了，阿彌 陀佛自然會不早不晚來接你的，所以請你不用著急，能跟我們念佛就跟 我們一道念佛，如果力有不及，我們念佛你聽著也是一樣，你就安心地 躺在這裏，等待阿彌陀佛來迎吧。」

Namo Amituofo!

May 25, 2025

May 25, 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 must be given without expecting anything in return for it to be completely noble and pure.

Only this kind of selfless love can bring happiness to both the giver and the receiver.

愛必須在無所求的情況下施與，才更顯得它的高貴純潔。

唯有這種無我的愛，才能帶給施愛者與被愛者雙方的幸福感。

Namo Amituofo!

May 24, 2025

May 24, 2025

Master Huijing’s Short Dharma Teaching about “What does life look like?” 

慧淨法師之「人生像什麼」

Life is just like a lonely person wandering alone in a boundless wilderness.

人生如處在無盡寂寞荒野的孤獨人。

Namo Amituofo!

May 23, 2025

May 23, 2025

Wonderful Metaphors in the Pure Land School

淨土宗妙喻

Metaphor 33: The One Who Jumps into the Sea

When I am drowning in the sea, people on the bank call out to me: “Swim for your life! Come up here! Come up here!”

There is, however, only one person who jumps into the sea and rescues me and gets me safely ashore.

Those on the bank are practitioners of non-Pure Land Dharma paths. The only person who jumps into the sea for me is Amitabha Buddha.

They holler at us and urge us to swim for our lives. They are aspirants of the Sacred Path, who rely on their self-power to practice arduous miscellaneous paths for enlightenment.

The only person who jumps into the sea for me is Amitabha Buddha. He embraces and carries me to the shore. His deliverance is the Pure Land Path — an easy path which brings peace and joy.

33. 躬身入海喻

我溺大海，岸上眾人皆大呼：「努力往上游！爬上來！爬上來！」 唯有一人，躬身入海，救我於岸。

岸上眾人者，其他諸行也；躬身入海者，彌陀一佛也。

岸上眾人大聲叫我們努力游泳、往上爬的，是指聖道門，自力、雜行、苦行。 只有一人躬身入海、抱我上岸的，是指淨土門彌陀救度的他力、易行、安樂。

Namo Amituofo!