September 17, 2025

Sept. 17, 2025 

Clarifying Doubts About the Pure Land (I) 

淨土釋疑(一) 

17.Question: Master, please explain the “Three Selections among the Four Verses” (continued 2 /6)

Verse 1: 

"If one wishes to quickly escape birth and death..." - This refers to the aspiration to swiftly leave the cycle of rebirth in the six realms. Remaining in Samsara leads to the accumulation of karma and the entanglement in suffering life after life. 

"Among the two superior paths..." - To achieve liberation, one must rely on Buddhadharma. While many religions exist, only the Buddhist teachings explain the causes and solutions to the cycle of birth and death in the six realms. Within Buddhism, there are two broad approaches: the Sacred Path and the Pure Land Path. 

"Set aside the Sacred Path and choose the Pure Land Path." One should set aside the Sacred Path, which is difficult to practice in this degenerate age, and instead choose the easier Pure Land path that suits ordinary beings. 

(to be continued tomorrow) 

17問：請師父解釋一下「四偈三選」。 續答 (2/ 6) 

第一首： 

「欲速離生死」：就是發心想快速離開六道生死輪迴，以免生生世世都在造 罪造業，彼此結怨仇。 

「二種勝法中」：他必須依靠佛法才能達到目的。所以，要離開六道生死輪 迴，在這個宇宙當中，在這個世間當中，宗教雖多，只有佛法才能達到我們離 開生死的目的，只有佛教才談到六道生死輪迴的因果，以及脫離六道生死輪 迴的因果。佛教裏面又有聖道與淨土，所以說「二種勝法中，且擱聖道門」。 

「且擱聖道門」：我們要把聖道門暫時擱在一邊，不要去修聖道門，因為聖 道門是難行道。 

「選入淨土門」：因為淨土門是易行道，因此我們要捨難行道、入易行道。

Namo Amituofo! 

September 16, 2025

Sept. 16, 2025 

Clarifying Doubts About the Pure Land (I) 

淨土釋疑(一) 

17.Question: Master, please explain the “Three Selections among the Four Verses”. 

Answer: 

Master Honen said at the end of his Collection on the Selection of Amitabha-Recitation (Nembutsu): 

If one wishes to quickly escape birth and death, 

Between the two superior paths, set aside the Sacred Path and choose the Pure Land Gate. 

If one wishes to enter the Pure Land Gate, 

Among the right and miscellaneous practices, abandon the miscellaneous and choose the right practice. 

If one wishes to cultivate the right practice, 

Among the main and auxiliary practices, again set aside the auxiliary and choose to focus on the true practice of right mindfulness. 

The practice of right mindfulness is the exclusive recitation of Amitabha Buddha’s Name.

When one recites the Name, one is assured of rebirth — because it relies on the Buddha’s Fundamental Vow. 

These four verses serve as a summary of the Collection on the Selection of Amitabha-Recitation (Nembutsu), encapsulating the key messages from each chapter. 

(to be continued tomorrow) 

17問：請師父解釋一下「四偈三選」。 

答 (1/ 6)： 

法然上人《選擇集》最後說： 

欲速離生死，二種勝法中，且擱聖道門，選入淨土門。 

欲入淨土門，正雜二行中，且拋諸雜行，選應歸正行。 

欲修於正行，正助二業中，猶傍於助業，選應專正定。 

正定之業者，即是稱佛名，稱名必得生，依佛本願故。

 

這四首偈，等於是《選擇集》的一個總結，《選擇集》各章的含義都在裏面。 

Namo Amituofo!

September 14, 2025

Sept. 14, 2025 

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

救恩法語(二)之愛的心語 

The Infinite Life Sutra says: “He shoulders all sentient beings—taking on their heavy burdens.” 

The Buddha comes to save people, to free them from their bonds and liberate them from the cycle of birth and death. He does not come to judge or condemn them. 

The Buddha saves us not based on OUR deeds or practices ; but, based on HIS compassionate vow and perfected merit—merit that was fully accomplished ten kalpas ago.

《無量壽經》說：「荷負群生，為之重擔。」 

佛來是要救人，是要解除綑綁，使人解脫生死輪迴，不是來審判，不是來定 罪。 

佛救我們，不是按我們的行為或修行，乃是按他的悲心與功德，這功德在十 劫之前，以經完成。 

Namo Amituofo! 

September 15, 2025

Sept. 15, 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 

50. Question: If family members recite Amitabha Buddha’s Name for a dying person, is the benefit greater than that from non-family recitation helpers? 

Answer: Generally speaking, yes—because family members have a close karmic bond, and their recitation tends to be more sincere, making it easier to resonate with them and connect spiritually. However, if done perfunctorily, it may be less effective than that by non-family recitation helpers who are focused and devout. 

The best outcome is when family members wholeheartedly join the visiting recitation group—mutually inspiring one another, deepening sincerity, and enhancing the effect through shared devotion. 

50問：家人為他念佛，利益是否超過一般助念者？ 

答：一般來說是這樣，因家人之間緣分親，念佛心誠，易於感通。但如果只 是敷衍，反而不如外來助念人虔誠專注，則其利益效果也差。如有蓮友來助念，家人竭誠參加，相互感動，輾轉增上，效果最好。 

Namo Amituofo! 

September 14, 2025

Sept. 14, 2025 

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

救恩法語(二)之愛的心語 

The Infinite Life Sutra says: “He shoulders all sentient beings—taking on their heavy burdens.” 

The Buddha comes to save people, to free them from their bonds and liberate them from the cycle of birth and death. He does not come to judge or condemn them. 

The Buddha saves us not based on OUR deeds or practices ; but, based on HIS compassionate vow and perfected merit—merit that was fully accomplished ten kalpas ago.

《無量壽經》說：「荷負群生，為之重擔。」 

佛來是要救人，是要解除綑綁，使人解脫生死輪迴，不是來審判，不是來定 罪。 

佛救我們，不是按我們的行為或修行，乃是按他的悲心與功德，這功德在十 劫之前，以經完成。 

Namo Amituofo! 

September 13, 2025

Sept. 13, 2025 

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

慧淨法師之「人生像什麼」 

Our lives are like those of gravely ill patients under anesthesia. 

人生如被麻醉的嚴重病人。 

Namo Amituofo!

September 12, 2025

Sept. 12, 2025 

Wonderful Metaphors in the Pure Land School 

淨土宗妙喻 

Metaphor 41: Just as Carbon Can Change into a Diamond - Ordinary Beings can be Transformed into Sacred Beings by Amitabha-Recitation 

There is a saying, “A drop of an alchemic elixir can change iron into gold.” Like the magic liquid that can transmute iron into gold, the special power of the six-character name, “Namo Amituofo,” can transform ordinary beings into sacred beings. Just as rubble can be turned into gold, ordinary beings can undergo complete changes to become Buddhas, if they recite Amitabha’s Name. 

Let us look at another metaphor known as the “Cause and Condition for the Change of Carbon” in the Collection of Lectures by Master Huijing (Part One, Page 209). Carbon is the element that produces both charcoal and diamonds. The outcomes are drastically and incomparably different, all because of their forming conditions. Normally, charcoal comes from burnt wood, which requires no more than the usual conditions of heat and air pressure needed for a fire to burn. But when the temperature and pressure have risen so high, for instance, to 2000 degrees Celsius and 55000 ATM (i.e., the unit of standard atmospheric pressure), the same carbon element crystallizes into diamonds. 

We are iniquitous ordinary beings. If we only follow whatever Dharma teachings we come across in various circumstances, we cannot be freed from the cycle of birth and death. 

In contrast, we will gain both rebirth and Buddhahood in the Pure Land if we accept the practice of Amitabha-recitation, which Amitabha Buddha has chosen specially for us. Our becoming aware of Amitabha Buddha and reciting his Name are the causes, and rebirth in the Pure Land and attaining perfect enlightenment are the effects. 

41. 碳素喻：念佛一法轉凡成聖 

可是，只要念佛，就能夠「令瓦礫變成金」。這可以說是天差地別的。有一 句話說：「靈丹一粒，點鐵成金。」阿彌陀佛六字名號，就好像靈丹一樣；「靈丹 一粒，點鐵成金；念佛一法，轉凡成聖」。 

如果要譬喻的話，可以用《講演集》第一集209頁「碳素因緣」的譬喻。碳素 是因，如果接受的緣是一般的溫度、一般的壓力，它就是一般的「碳」；如果接 受二千度的溫度、五萬五千氣壓的話，就會變成「鑽」。緣不同，果就不同，而 且天差地別，無法相比。 

我們是罪惡生死凡夫，如果依照我們各自所接觸的雜緣去學的話，還是 不離生死；如果接受阿彌陀佛為我們所選擇的稱名念佛的話，我們就能夠往 生成佛。所以，憶佛、念佛是因，往生成佛是果。 

Namo Amituofo!