November 21, 2025

Nov. 21, 2025 

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 

Those who commit sins such as killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, corruption, fraud, deceit, or slander— even these Amitabha Buddha can still save. 

But, if someone does not believe in Amitabha Buddha, then the Buddha cannot save him. This is because, without faith in Amitabha Buddha, one does not accept the grace of his salvation. This is the most tragic sin. 

Amitabha Buddha’s compassionate 18th vow enables all beings to be saved, not allowing even one to fall into ruin. Whoever believes will be saved; whoever does not believe will sink into delusion. 

Those who have no conditions for liberation are the very ones who most need to be saved. This is the true meaning of Amitabha Buddha’s compassion.

When you are most helpless and afflicted, do you realize that Amitabha is always by your side? 

Faith means fully relying upon and entrusting in Amitabha. If you still rely upon yourself, it shows that you do not yet fully believe in Amitabha Buddha. 

Entrust yourself to Amitabha, abandon human self-effort, rely upon him completely, become one with him, and within him enjoy all abundance. 

犯了殺人、偷盜、姦淫、貪污、舞弊、欺詐、誹謗這些罪，佛可以救。 如果不信佛，佛不能救。因為根本不信佛，不接受這救度之恩，這是最大的罪。 

佛的悲願是要一切眾生得救，不願一人沉淪。誰相信誰得救，誰不相信誰沉 淪。 

無出離之緣的人，才更加該救。難救的才更應救，這才是佛的慈悲。 當你最無助苦惱的時候，可知彌陀永在你身邊？ 

信──依靠、交託，若還依靠自己，表示還沒有相信佛。

 

交託給彌陀，放棄人的努力，完全依靠彌陀，與他合而為一，在他裏面享受一 切的豐盛。 

Namo Amituofo!

November 25, 2025

Nov. 25, 2025 

Master Huijing’s Short Teaching about the Pure Land (I) 

淨土短文 (一) 

There are three criteria for selecting the patriarchs of a school: (1) Whether they have written authoritative works; 

(2) Whether their teachings are complete and definitive; 

(3) Whether they possess the ability to elucidate and reveal the Dharma. 

Through his great merit Nagarjuna classified the Two Paths; 

Through his deep merit Vasubandhu proclaimed the Singleness of Mind; Through his powerful merit Tanluan revealed the reliance on Other-Power; Through the merit of his deep understanding, Daochuo established and abolished the Two Gates; 

Through his deeply realized merit Shandao revealed the all-time definitive model for interpreting the core of Pure Land teaching. 

Our Fundamental Teacher, the Great Bodhisattva Nagarjuna, 

Humbly received the Honored One’s teaching on the Stage of Joy. Returning to Amitabha, he was reborn in the Land of Peace and Bliss. 

In this world becoming a sage is difficult, because of two “reasons” and one “verification”. 

淨土宗祖師選擇之標準有三：（一）著作之有無，（二）所說之了否，（三）開顯之 釋功。

二道鴻判龍樹功，宣布一心天親功，顯示他力曇鸞功，二門廢立道綽功，古今 楷定善導功。 本師龍樹摩訶薩，伏承尊語歡喜地；歸阿彌陀生安樂。 此土入 聖難，二由一證。 

Namo Amituofo!

November 24, 2025

Nov. 24, 2025 

Clarifying Doubts About the Pure Land (I) 

淨土釋疑(一) 

Question 23 (see yesterday’s post ) 

Answer continued: 

We are ordinary beings and at times will inevitably give rise to arrogance. What should we do then? We should continue exclusively reciting Namo Amitabha Buddha, and “with every recitation, always repent.” 

Some people, when writing their own names, will add “Always Repenting So-and-so,” or “Always Ashamed So-and-so,” or simply “Ashamed So-and-so.” But to be honest, we are not even truly capable of feeling deep shame or remorse. To be worthy of being called “Always Ashamed,” Master Yinguang certainly qualified, he had the roots of a patriarch; but, we do not. Therefore, we must have this self-awareness. Otherwise, we will confuse the ordinary with the saintly, and carelessly call ordinary beings saints. 

23問： 

續答：

我們是凡夫，難免會有驕慢的心，這個時候怎麼辦呢？還是念佛，所謂 「念念稱名常懺悔」。 

有的人在寫自己名字的時候，都寫上「常懺悔」、「常慚愧某某」，或者是 「慚愧某某」，認真說起來，我們其實連慚愧都沒有，能夠稱為「常慚愧」的，印 光大師他就夠格，印光大師是祖師的根性。而我們是沒有的，所以我們要有 這一種認知。不然的話，就會以凡濫聖，把凡夫隨便稱為聖人。 

Namo Amituofo!

November 23, 2025

Nov. 23, 2025 

Clarifying Doubts About the Pure Land (I) 

淨土釋疑(一) 

Question 23 : Master, since we are now embraced by Amitabha Buddha’s deliverance, are we ordinary or sagely beings at present? 

Answer: 

Right now, we are still ordinary beings; but, it can be said that we are ordinary beings who hold the status of bodhisattvas. The ancient masters called this the “status of a bodhisattva in the form of an ordinary being” (凡夫菩薩格). 

Although we have accepted Amitābha’s deliverance, we still possess the poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, and may have selfish or inferior thoughts. Yet, we are no longer subject to the cycle of rebirth within the six realms. We have already become part of the community of the Pure Land. This is why it is said that we have “entered the assembly of those assured of Enlightenment” (入正定聚). Here, “assembly” refers to the assembly of sacred beings in the Land of Bliss. 

We have definitely entered this assembly of sacred beings, which means we are assured of Buddhahood. The beings of the Pure Land are those certain to become Buddhas. Thus, being in the “assembly of assured Enlightenment” means we too are certain to become Buddhas. In this sense, our status is no longer that of ordinary beings. 

However, as long as our consciousness resides in a physical body, our existence as ordinary beings also continues. Therefore, we must not arrogantly claim: “I am already a bodhisattva.” We are still ordinary beings, and should not speak otherwise. 

23問：請問師父，既然我們現在蒙阿彌陀佛救度，那我們現在到底是凡夫還是 聖人？ 

答： 

我們現在還是凡夫。只是說，凡夫而具有菩薩的格位，古德說是「凡夫 菩薩格」。 

因為我們雖是信受了彌陀的救度，但是還有貪瞋癡的習氣，甚至還會有 自私自利的劣想。可是，這種眾生已經不是六道輪迴的眾生，已經是極樂世 界的一分子了，所以說是「正定聚」，這個「聚」就是極樂聖眾。我們已經必定 地進入聖眾裏面，所以說「即入正定聚」；極樂聖眾就是必定成佛，所以正定聚

也是必定成佛。這種眾生叫做正定聚的眾生，所以在格位上來講，我們不是 凡夫。 

可是肉體存在的一天，就是凡夫存在的一天。因此我們不能驕慢地說： 「我是菩薩。」我們是凡夫，不能這樣講。 

Namo Amituofo!

November 22, 2025

Nov. 22, 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 56 : At the time of death, will demons come and disguise themselves as Amitabha Buddha? 

Answer: No, they will not! Because the time of death is not a moment that attracts demons. Moreover, when a person who recites Namo Amitabha Buddha is at the end of life, Amitabha, together with Avalokitesvara and Mahasthamaprapta, and many great bodhisattvas, will protect them with their light and divine power. No external demon can draw near. It is like standing under the midday sun—there can be no shadow. 

56問：臨終時會有魔來變作阿彌陀佛嗎？ 

答：不會！因為臨終非招魔之時，況且念佛人臨終有阿彌陀佛、觀音勢 至諸大菩薩光明神力加護，一切外魔不得靠近。如正當午日之下，不可 能存有陰影。 

Namo Amituofo! 

November 20, 2025

Nov. 20, 2025 

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

慧淨法師之「人生像什麼」

Life is like a play, unreal; 

like a dream, insubstantial; 

like a song, it must come to an end; 

like a banquet, it must eventually disperse. 

人生如戲不真，如夢不實，如曲必終，如宴必散。

Namo Amituofo!

November 19, 2025

Nov. 19, 2025 

Wonderful Metaphors in the Pure Land School 

淨土宗妙喻 

Metaphor 47: The Jivajivaka (The Two-Headed Bird) 

The two heads of a Jivajivaka bird share the same body, which is nourished by food in the same stomach. The Amitabha Sutra refers to the “Jivajivaka bird” as a mystical creature with two heads that share one body. The two heads have separate lives and different consciousness, yet their karmic rewards are the same.

This shows that Amitabha Buddha not only treats us like himself, but also loves us the same way he loves his parents. As the Infinite Life Sutra puts it, “[Amitabha Buddha] sees us as part of himself,” and he is like “a dutiful son who loves and respects his parents.” 

The two-headed bird will always thrive as long as one of its heads is fully functional. If it is, the other head survives even if it is mediocre. Why? 

Because it can absorb the nutrients its partner takes in. However, if both of them are weak and useless, they will perish together. In essence, the two heads of the mystical bird either thrive together or die together. They are a unity of two lives. The so-called “ shared-life existence”, “the shared-life bird”. 

47. 共命鳥喻 

≈ 如共命鳥，互同腹食 ≈ 

《阿彌陀經》提到「共命鳥」，就是「一身兩命，識別報同」，一個身體、兩個生 命，神識各別，可是卻同用一個身體 —— 兩個生命在一個身體裏面。 

這就表示阿彌陀佛把我們看成他自己，如同《無量壽經》所講的「於諸眾生 ，視若自己」，而且把我們當成父母來孝敬，所以如「純孝之子，愛敬父母」。 「共命之鳥」，兩個頭、一個身體，只要其中一個生命優秀、能幹，即使另外 一個生命拙劣、無能，也沒關係，也必定能夠存活。為什麼？

因為對方所吸取 的養分，牠同樣能獲得滋養。但是如果自己無能、對方也無能，那就只有同歸 於盡了。所以，「共命之鳥」生則同生，死則同死，生命是一體的，所謂「生命共 同體」，「共命之鳥」是最恰當的形容。

Namo Amituofo!