May 11, 2024

May 11, 2024

A Verse sharing Compassionate Advice and Cautions quoted from ‘In Praise of Pratyutpanna’ by Master Shandao

善導大師《般舟讚》慈悲勸誡

Being open to a good advisor who teaches us about rebirth,

We can hear the name of Amitabha and his Pure Land.

遇值往生善知識,得聞淨土彌陀名。

Namo Amituofo!

May 10, 2024

May 10, 2024

Q and A about Practicing Amitabha-Recitation

Part One - Benefits in the Present Life

第一部分 有關現世利益

Question 6. There is a “True Word (Dharani) for Eradication of Definitive Karma” by Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha. Though we recite Amitabha’s Name, we should also recite Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha’s “True Word,” if we wish to eradicate karmic obstructions. Is this correct?

Answer: That is incorrect! Reciting Namo Amitabha Buddha can also eradicate karmic obstructions. For factual evidence, please read the Third Collection of the Accounts of benefits obtained through Amitabha-Recitation. All the names of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have merit and virtues that can eradicate karmic offenses.

The merits and virtues of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva are inconceivable; however, as compared with those of Amitabha Buddha, the latter contains a million billion times more. A treatise says, “To recite Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva’s name for one great eon is not equal to one recitation of Namo Amitabha Buddha.”

The Infinite Life Sutra says, “Amitabha Buddha’s merit and virtues are unsurpassed and foremost in light. They cannot be exceeded by the Buddhas in the ten directions. Reciting Namo Amitabha Buddha is like sunlight clearing darkness, while reciting other Buddha’s and Bodhisattva’s names is more like moonlight clearing darkness.

6問:地藏菩薩有滅定業真言。雖修念佛,欲求消業必須念地藏菩薩,對嗎?

答:不對!念阿彌陀佛同樣消業。《念佛感應錄》第三集〈念佛消業〉之各篇皆為實證。佛菩薩名號皆有功德,有功德所以能消罪業。

地藏菩薩功德實是不可思議,但較之阿彌陀佛,仍不可為比千萬億倍。《群疑論》說:「一大劫念地藏菩薩,不如一聲念阿彌陀佛。」《無量壽經》說,阿彌陀佛功德無上,光明第一,十方諸佛所不能及。念阿彌陀佛消業,如日光消暗;念地藏等其他佛菩薩消業,如月光消暗。

Namo Amituofo!

May 9, 2024

May 9, 2024

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

慧淨法師之救恩法語(一)

It is the self-nature of a rock to sink in water.

It is the self-nature of an afflicted ordinary being to fall into hell.

People cannot depart from reincarnation through their own power.

By the sole reliance on Amitabha’s deliverance, people do not only leave the cycle of reincarnation; but, they are also expedited in their achievement of Buddhahood.

如石必沈是其自性。煩惱具足的凡夫,必墮地獄是自性。

人靠自己的努力,不能脫離輪迴;唯靠彌陀救度,不但能離輪迴,而且速成佛道。

Namo Amituofo!

May 8, 2024

May 8, 2024

Master Huijing’s Short Dharma Teaching about Impermanence

慧淨法師之無常法語

Prosperity is only a dream at the end of the day.

Wealth will turn to frost in September.

Who can take on your suffering of birth, illness, aging and death?

All bitter and sweet tastes are ours to bear.

榮華終是三更夢,富貴還同九月霜;

老病死生誰替得,酸甜苦辣自承當。

Namo Amituofo!

May 7, 2024

May 7, 2024

Wonderful Metaphors of the Pure Land School

淨土宗妙喻

6B. An Imperial Order Versus the Produce of a Local Farmer

Some people feel it is too dull and insipid to only practice recitation of the six-character name (“Namo Amitabha Buddha”.) They become worried and doubtful and wonder “Can I really gain rebirth in the Land of Bliss by simply reciting Amitabha’s name? For instance, if I had practiced generosity or freeing captured animals, etc. wouldn’t I have accumulated more virtuous roots and meritorious deeds? Such practices are obvious for all to see. Aren’t they more reliable for my rebirth there?”

Imagine a civilian is summoned to have an audience with the king. He is so excited, anticipating that he will receive an appointment and be rewarded. However, he becomes doubtful about his legitimate right to the emperor’s favor since he is poor and has made no contributions to the country. With a flash of insight, he comes up with an idea. “I can offer some homegrown specialties, like tomatoes or sweet potatoes, as my tribute to his Majesty!”

He laboriously carries the heavy load of farm produce to the palace, sweating all over, only to be stopped by the guards at the gate because he forgot to bring the imperial edict with him. He didn’t think the decree, containing just a few words, was as important as his hard labor in the farming of his homegrown produce. Of course, without his copy of the edict, he is refused entrance to the palace.

All the merits and virtues we may have accumulated by practicing the Five Precepts and Ten Good Actions, in comparison with the six-character name, are no more valuable than a sweet potato. The six-syllable name is the bestowal of Amitabha Buddha, we must take it as both his imperial order and command to Amitabha-reciters. By reciting “Namo Amitabha Buddha”, we are assured of rebirth in the Land of Bliss with no barriers or hindrances.

As the following verse puts it,

“Be not surprised that a single recitation should surpass

The ten stages of cultivation on the path of the Bodhisattvas.

We should know that the six characters encompass

The merits of the practices of the Three Vehicles by a Sravaka, Pratyekabuddha and Bodhisattva.”

Now we see that every single recitation of “Namo Amitabha Buddha” enables us to surpass the merits of the cultivation of the ten stages on the path of Bodhisattvas. This is because all of the virtuous roots and

meritorious blessings of the Sravakas, Pratyekabuddhas and Bodhisattvas are embodied in the six-character name.

6B. 念佛即是多善根妙喻之二 - 聖旨對土特產喻

有人覺得,只念「南無阿彌陀佛」六字空空蕩蕩的,乾乾巴巴的,苦苦惱惱的,於是懷疑:這樣就能往生嗎?如果行佈施、放生......善根功德清清楚楚,實實在在,依靠這些往生不是更有把握嗎?

如老百姓蒙受皇上召見,要去封官加賞,高興至極,但轉念一想:「自己一無所有,對國家毫無貢獻,怎麼可以封官加賞呢?」他又一想:「有好辦法了,家裏有土特產,帶一 點家裏種的地瓜、土豆去上貢。」他辛辛苦苦把地瓜、土豆挑到宮門,挑得滿頭大汗;但衛兵卻把他攔住,不讓進宮,因為他忘了帶聖旨。他覺得聖旨不過幾個字,輕飄飄的,也不是自己的貢獻,應該不重要。結果他進不了宮門。

我們所修行的五戒十善,一切的功德,只如一個地瓜而已;而這六字名號是阿彌陀佛賜給我們的聖旨和號令,念「南無阿彌陀佛」就能到達極樂世界,暢通無阻。

「莫訝一稱超十地,當知六字括三乘」,念一聲南無阿彌陀佛,就可超越十地菩薩,因為聲聞、緣覺、菩薩的善根福德都包含在六字名號裏。

Namo Amituofo!

May 6, 2024

May 6, 2024

Wonderful Metaphors of the Pure Land School

淨土宗妙喻

6A. Amitabha’s Name is like an Imperial Title

Our social status is determined by our station in life. Ordinary citizens, when compared with government officials, have less political clout. In the hierarchy of the state machinery, the higher the position a person occupies, the more power he has at his disposal. We normally consider those with great authority as people having great blessings. The legitimacy of the position carries authority, which the incumbent must exercise for the benefit of the people.

The infinite perfect roots of virtue and meritorious blessings of Amitabha are embodied in the six-character name “Namo Amitabha Buddha”. The power of these six characters is amazing! Only with the great merits and capabilities necessary for achieving Buddhahood could Amitabha create his name of unsurpassed enlightenment.

Historically, Imperial China has always had successive swings between unification and separation. During a period of great conflicts among warlords and vassals of warring states struggling for power, whoever managed to put down the revolts and unify the various states was the one who created a new dynasty in a new capital. He then became the emperor and was given his imperial title. That title represented his achievements, military or otherwise. It did not come easily. In short, a monarch’s title signified the political and martial feats he accomplished in order to establish his Regime.

Dharmakara Bodhisattva vowed to save all suffering beings and, for five kalpas he reflected deeply and decided on the practices needed to establish his Buddha realm. He then cultivated those practices over inconceivable, countless eons. With all of his afflictions eliminated and infinite merits and virtues cultivated, he accomplished the six-character name “Namo Amitabha Buddha”. Hard-won as it was, the name embodies the ultimate, complete merits and virtues of Amitabha Buddha. These achievements were based on the aspirations he made while in his causal-ground, and his final attainment of perfect enlightenment. It follows that no single practice of bodhisattvas or arhats can ever be comparable toa single recitation of the six-syllable name.

In short, as a verse aptly puts it: “Practitioners can hardly leave the Three Wretched Realms by practicing the Five Precepts and Ten Good Actions. The same applies to Sravakas and Pratyekabuddhas who are not followers of the Greater Vehicle teachings. Even Bodhisattvas with a myriad of virtuous deeds only achieve imperfect enlightenment. In contrast to the recitation of the six-character-name, all other practices are incomplete and have less merits and virtues for achieving Buddhahood.”

6A. 念佛即是多善根妙喻之一 - 名片與帝號喻

普通市民,福報、威勢不如市長大,市長福報、威勢不如省長大。省長把名片拿出來,就顯示「我是省長」,「省長」這個名稱就代表了他的福報、威勢。而省長的福報、威勢也遠不及國家主席大。國家主席的福報、威勢大,就在於他是「國家主席」,有了這個名義,就能依法治國,福蔭百姓,所謂名正言順,在其位,謀其政。

阿彌陀佛的善根福德無量無邊,徹底圓滿,就體現在「南無阿彌陀佛」六字中。這六個字不簡單!有成佛的德能,才能有成佛的名號。

縱觀中國歷史,向來是分久必合,合久必分。天下大亂之時,諸侯混戰,最後降服各路諸侯、平定各地叛亂、一統天下的人,就能建都稱 帝。可見這個帝號是來之不易的,經過幾十年的文治武功,南征北伐,天下平定,大功告成,才有了帝王稱號。帝號代表了他一切的文治武功、一統江山的功績與威勢。

法藏菩薩為了拯救一切苦難眾生,經過五劫思惟、兆載修行,剿滅 一切煩惱敵,累積無量功德,直至功德徹底究竟圓滿,才成就「南無阿彌陀佛」六字名號。這個名號是來之不易的,代表了阿彌陀佛從因地發心,直到果上正覺的圓滿功德。一切菩薩、阿羅漢的修行跟六字名號相比, 那簡直是無法相比,正是:「五戒十善滯三界,聲聞緣覺非大乘,菩薩萬行未圓滿,較之六字皆少德。」

Namo Amituofo!

May 5, 2024

May 5, 2024

Wonderful Metaphors in the Pure Land School

淨土宗妙喻

Six Metaphors revealing that Amitabha-Recitation is Abundant in

Virtuous Roots (by Master Jingzong)

(continued)

In his “Essential Explanation of the Amitabha Sutra” Master Ouyi says, “Whoever recites Amitabha’s name becomes rich in virtuous roots and meritorious blessings, that are on a par with those of Buddhas.

Therefore, each recitation of the Buddha’s name bestows an abundance of virtuous roots and meritorious blessings.” Amitabha-reciters have the same abundant roots and blessings as the Buddhas. They are naturally rich in virtuous roots.

Master Shandao says in his “In Praise of Dharma Practices”, “The Land of Bliss is a realm of unconditioned nirvana; it’s hard to be reborn there by practicing assorted virtues according to circumstances.The Tathagata selected the key method and teaches us to recite Amitabha’s name with two-fold exclusivity.”

He also says in his “Commentary on the Contemplation Sutra”, “No other practices, however virtuous they may be, are comparable to

Amitabha-recitation.”

As shown in the above scriptures and patriarchs’ explanatory comments, “Namo Amitabha Buddha” is the incomparable name that contains unsurpassed virtues. Since Amitabha-recitation is rich in virtuous roots, the exclusive practice of Amitabha-recitation assures the rebirth of Amitabha-reciters in the Land of Bliss. There they will be able to meet a variety of sacred beings of supreme virtue. Below are a few metaphors demonstrating that exclusive Amitabha-recitation bestows abundant virtuous roots.

►蕅益大師《彌陀要解》說:「持佛名者,善根福德同佛無異。則一一聲,悉具多善根福德也。」可見稱念佛名的人,善根福德與佛平等,當然就是多善根。

►善導大師《法事讚》說:「極樂無為涅槃界,隨緣雜善恐難生,故使如來選要法,教念彌陀專複專。」《觀經疏》說:「自餘眾行,雖名是善,若比念佛者,全非比較也。」

以上經文和祖師的解釋都在明示:南無阿彌陀佛即是萬德洪名,具足無上功德;而念佛即是多善根,專修念佛即得往生極樂世界,與諸上善人俱會一處。下面以幾則譬喻來說明念佛即是多善根。

Namo Amituofo!