Clarifying Doubts About the Pure Land (I)
淨土釋疑(一)
Question 32: Master, my husband and I practice together. However, he simply cannot give up eating meat. Will this affect his rebirth in the Pure Land? Also, what is meant by the “Precepts for the Netherworld”?
Answer: Eating meat or not eating meat is not a condition for rebirth. There is no rule that one must eat meat or must be vegetarian in order to attain rebirth. Sentient beings of the ten directions each have different capacities and circumstances. If you are not able to eat meat, then do not eat it. But, if due to circumstances one cannot avoid eating meat, then one eats as one must.
However, eating meat should not be with the attitude: “Ah, wonderful! I have Amitabha Buddha’s salvation, so I can indulge freely.” It is not like that. In one’s heart, there will naturally arise a sense of shame and remorse.
Since Amitabha Buddha seeks to deliver all beings of the ten directions, then the piece of meat placed on the table now—was it not also one of those beings whom Amitabha intends to save? Indeed it was. Yet we have killed and eaten it.
Therefore, a sense of remorse will arise in us. It is not that we deliberately wish to kill and eat; rather, our circumstances do not permit otherwise. There is a feeling of shame. If one truly cannot avoid eating meat, then one can only recite Namo Amitabha Buddha —“with sincere mind and joyful faith, aspiring to be born in my land.” Continue with the recitation described as “even up to ten times” Otherwise, what can one do?
(to be continued tomorrow)
32問：請問師父，我和我丈夫同修，但是他就是斷不了葷腥，這樣影響不影響 往生？順便再問一下，什麼叫幽冥戒？
答：吃肉和不吃肉都不是往生的條件，往生沒有規定你要吃肉或者要吃素， 這個都沒有規定。十方眾生各各機緣不一樣，你能夠不吃肉的話，那就不吃， 但是非吃肉不可的話，那就吃。但是你的吃肉並不是說：「哎呀，好啊！我有 阿彌陀佛救度啦，所以可以盡情地吃啊」，不是這樣的，心中自然會有慚愧。
因為阿彌陀佛是要救度十方眾生，那麼，現在桌上擺的這塊肉，是不是阿 彌陀佛救度的十方眾生之一？是啊！而我們卻把它加以殺、吃，所以，我們 就會有慚愧心。我們不是故意要去殺它、吃它，是我們的環境不許可，有一種 慚愧的心。如果還是非吃不可，那只有念佛——「至心信樂，欲生我國」，之後 就是延續的「乃至十念」的念佛，不然怎麼辦？
Namo Amituofo!
