July 21, 2026

July 21, 2026

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 74: Who are the people who are less likely to depart this life peacefully and at ease? 

Answer: 

1. Those who practice a mixture of different paths (miscellaneous practitioners). 

2. Those who are lax and negligent in their practice. 

3. Those who harbor doubts. 

4. Those who are arrogant and conceited. 

5. Those who are attached to fame and worldly gain. 

6. Those with stubborn and inflexible temperaments. 

7. Those who have committed many evil deeds.

Unless people of these seven types possess exceptionally deep roots of virtue accumulated from past lives, it will be difficult for them to leave this world peacefully, freely, and with ease at the end of life. 

74問：什麼樣的人走時較不自在？ 

答：

一、雜行人。

二、懈怠人。

三、疑心人。

四、貢高我慢人。

五、好求名利人。 

六、性格剛強人。

七、造多惡業人。 

此七種人除非宿世有大善根，否則要想走時自在就難了。 

Namo Amituofo! 

July 20, 2026

July 20, 2026

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

慧淨法師之救恩法語(二)之愛的心語

“I shall open the Dharma Treasury for the multitudes, and offer meritorious treasures in abundance. He sought the pure, undefiled Dharma in order to benefit sentient beings. He solemnly completed all undertakings, enabling sentient beings to accumulate merit”. (The Infinite Life Sutra) 

為眾開法藏，廣施功德寶。專求清白之法，以惠利群生。令諸眾生，功德成 就。《無量壽經》 

Namo Amituofo!

July 19, 2026

July 19, 2026

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

慧淨法師之「人生之實相」 

How can we free ourselves from this suffering and distress? This is life's most important and deepest question. 

此苦惱，如何得解脫，此是最大之問題，深刻之問題。

Namo Amituofo!

July 18, 2026

July 18, 2026

Wonderful Metaphors in the Pure Land School 

淨土宗妙喻 

Metaphor 65: A Fire without Smoke

[Master Tanluan says,] “If a person wishes to be reborn in the Pure Land simply out of a desire for the peace and happiness there, it would be like seeking waterless ice or smokeless fire. How could that be possible?” 

This means that, if a person doubts the teaching of Shakyamuni Buddha regarding Amitabha’s deliverance to the Pure Land; but, still desires to be reborn in that land for the pleasure of its peace and joy, his efforts will be in vain. This is because what he seeks is nonexistent, such as ice without water or a fire that doesn’t produce smoke. 

So, what do the two metaphors of waterless ice and smokeless fire illustrate? They illustrate the idea that seeking rebirth in the Pure Land without believing in Amitabha’s deliverance is futile. Just as ice cannot exist without water and fire cannot burn without producing smoke, rebirth in the Pure Land cannot be attained without believing in Amitabha’s salvation. 

Logically, if one wishes to be reborn in the Land of Bliss, one must first believe in the Pure Land and in Amitabha’s deliverance. Without such belief, who would you rely on for salvation, and where could you go for rebirth? A desire for rebirth that is merely driven by personal satisfaction, rather than the faithful acceptance of Amitabha’s deliverance, is akin to seeking something that doesn’t exist. 

This is why Master Tanluan says, “How could a fool who slanders Shakyamuni Buddha’s teaching possibly aspire to be reborn in Amitabha Buddha’s land?” 

65. 無煙之火喻 

「假使但貪彼土安樂，而願生者，亦如求非水之冰，無煙之火，豈有得理」： 意思是說，你既然不信有極樂世界，不信有阿彌陀佛的救度，不相信佛所說， 可是卻因貪受安樂而想要到那種安樂的地方去，也是不可能的，就像「求非水 之冰，無煙之火」。 

什麼叫「求非水之冰，無煙之火」呢？也就是說你若要求生極樂世界，你就要相信有極樂世界、有阿彌陀佛呀！如果不相信的話，那麼你要念什麼、 求生何處呢？因為你沒有所念的對象，沒有所去的地方啊！同樣的，沒有水哪有冰呢？你不肯定有水而想求冰，那是不可能的；同樣的，火必定有煙，沒 有煙的火也是不存在的。也就是說，他內心不認為有極樂、有彌陀的救度，那 麼，他貪彼土安樂，只是概念性的心情而已，並非出自內心的信受。所以，曇 鸞大師說「此愚癡人，既生誹謗，安有願生佛土之理！」 

Namo Amituofo! 

July 17, 2026

July 17, 2026

Important Knowledge in the Pure Land Teaching 

淨土小常識 

Karmic Force, Self-Power, The Power of the Way, and The Power of the Buddha (5 /5) 

Regarding "Karmic Force," ordinary beings are completely filled with it; life after life, we are driven by nothing but this karmic force. 

Regarding "Self-Power," the cultivation power of ordinary beings is far too weak. Regarding "The Power of the Way," ordinary beings absolutely do not possess it. 

As ordinary beings we are fully weighed down by karmic force. If we try to cultivate precepts, meditative concentration, and wisdom, our self-power is too weak to overcome our karma; nor can it lead us to the liberation attained through the Power of the Way. Therefore, we must rely on the Power of the Buddha. 

Amitabha Buddha’s vows and practices are perfected, and all His merits are infused into his Name. We only need to have faith, make vows, and exclusively recite Namo Amitabha Buddha. This will enable us to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. 

Once we rely on Amitabha Buddha’s Power, we need not envy the "Power of the Way" possessed by Arhats, nor the meditative power of those sitting in meditation in mountain caves. Without relying on the Buddha’s power, even if one’s

meditative power is profound enough to reach the "Heaven of Neither Perception nor Non-Perception," one is still within the Three Realms and has not yet escaped them. However, the power of Amitabha Buddha can enable us to transcend the Three Realms, attain rebirth in the West, and become Buddhas. 

186 業力、自力、道力、佛力 (5 / 5) 

就「業力」來說，凡夫通身都是滿滿的業力，生生世世都是業力來的。 就「自力」來說，凡夫的修持力太微弱了。 

就「道力」來說，凡夫絕對沒有道力。 

我們是業力凡夫，通身業力，想修持戒定慧，靠自力很微弱，不能夠克服 我們的業力，也不能夠達到道力解脫，所以我們就要靠佛力。 

阿彌陀佛願行圓滿，功德凝聚在這句名號裡邊。我們只要信願持名，仰靠 這句「南無阿彌陀佛」救度的力量，就能往生西方極樂世界。 

我們靠上了阿彌陀佛的佛力，就不用羡慕阿羅漢的道力，也不用羡慕人 家山洞裡面打坐的禪定力。如果不靠佛力，就算禪定力深，達到非想非非想 天，還在三界之內，沒有出離。而阿彌陀佛的力量，能讓我們出離三界，往生西方成佛。 

Namo Amituofo! 

July 16, 2026

July 16, 2026

Important Knowledge in the Pure Land Teaching 

淨土小常識 

186. Karmic Force, Self-Power, the Power of the Way, the Power of the Buddha (4 /5) 

The Power of the Buddha 

"The Power of the Buddha" refers to "Amitabha’s power of salvation—through vows, practices, and fulfillment"—the power of Amitabha Buddha’s perfected vows and practices to save beings. 

During His causal stage, Amitabha Buddha contemplated for five eons and made forty-eight great vows. He then underwent an inconceivably long period of practice spanning immeasurable eons. Having perfected His vows and practices, He created the six-character name of infinite light, "Namo Amituofo," through which he can save sentient beings. Although we are filled with karmic burdens and do not possess a shred of the Power of the Way, if we rely on the Power of Amitabha Buddha, we can be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. 

(to be continued tomorrow) 

186 業力、自力、道力、佛力 (4 / 5) 

佛力 

「佛力」是指「願、行、滿——救度力」，阿彌陀佛願行圓滿救度的力量。 阿彌陀佛在因地五劫思惟，發四十八大願，又經過了兆載永劫不可思議 長時間的修行，願行圓滿，而成為南無阿彌陀佛六字光明名號救度眾生，這 是佛力。我們雖然是滿身的業力，一點道力也沒有，但是，如果 我們有佛 力的話，就可以往生西方極樂世界。

Namo Amituofo! 

July 15, 2026

July 15, 2026

Important Knowledge in the Pure Land Teaching 

淨土小常識 

186. Karmic Force, Self-Power, the Power of the Way, and the Power of the Buddha 

(3 /5) 

The Power of the Way 

"The Power of the Way" refers to the "power of liberation—through subduing, eradicating, and purifying." 

The first step is to “subdue greed, anger, and ignorance” through the practice of precepts, meditative concentration, and wisdom. The second step is to "eradicate greed, anger, and ignorance"; and the third step is to have "greed, anger, and

ignorance completely eradicated." Once all three steps are achieved, one can attain liberation. Only in this way can one obtain the Way, becoming a sage rather than a worldly being. This is called "The Power of the Way." 

"The Power of the Way" refers to the power that sages possess when they have completely severed all afflictions, thereby achieving liberation from the cycle of birth and death. If ordinary, worldly beings possessed this Power of the Way, they would be able to subdue, eradicate, and eliminate afflictions, and thus be liberated from birth and death. However, ordinary beings only possess "karmic force" and lack "The Power of the Way." Therefore, ordinary beings must rely on "the power of Amitabha". If one lacks the Power of the Way and refuses to rely on the power of Amitabha Buddha, one is left with only karmic force, and can only fall into the various hells. 

(to be continued tomorrow) 

186 業力、自力、道力、佛力 (3 / 5) 

道力 

「道力」是指「伏、斷、淨——解脫力」。 

通過修行戒定慧，第一步「伏住了貪瞋癡」，第二步「斷除了貪瞋癡」，第三 步「貪瞋癡斷除乾淨了」，這三步都做到了，就能解脫了。這樣才能夠得道，這 個就是聖者了，不是凡夫了——這個叫「道力」。 

「道力」是指聖者斷盡煩惱，得到解脫生死輪迴的力量。如果凡夫有道力， 就能夠伏煩惱、斷煩惱、除煩惱，可以解脫生死輪迴。但凡夫只有業力，沒有 道力。所以，凡夫要靠佛力了。道力沒有，佛力再不靠，只有業力，就只能下地獄了。

Namo Amituofo!