January 31, 2026

Jan. 31, 2026

Important Knowledge in the Pure Land Teaching

淨土小常識

174 - The Classification of Cause and Effect (2/11)

Generosity is divided into three categories: Material giving,Dharma giving, and Giving fearlessness.

1.Material giving is the giving of wealth. Its result is the acquisition of wealth.

2.Dharma giving : when one shares the Dharma, it leads to gaining the Dharma. This can also be called gaining wisdom. Attaining the Dharma relies on wisdom, and various conditions will arise that allow one to encounter the Buddhadharma. When a person shares the Dharma with others, the corresponding result is that the Dharma will, in turn, benefit the person who is sharing. 

3. Giving fearlessness - suppose a little mouse suddenly runs to my feet. A mouse crossing the street is something everyone wants to kill. I wrap it gently in my clothing. Someone asks me, “Is the mouse there?” I say, “No.” At the same time, I softly comfort the mouse: “You need not worry or be afraid.” Another example is protecting and comforting someone who is suffering greatly and in urgent need of reassurance.

174 因果的分類 (續 2 /11)

       布施分三種：財布施、法布施、無畏布施。

       財布施是施捨錢財，果就是獲得財富。

       法布施，有這個因，就會得法，也可以說是智慧，得法也靠智慧，就會有各種各樣的因緣，讓他得到佛法。他布施佛法，那反過來，就會有果報，法就會來找到他。

       無畏布施，比如有一隻小老鼠，突然跑到我腳底下，老鼠過街，人人喊打。我就用衣服一裹，別人問我：「老鼠在不在？」我就說：「不在。」還很溫和地安慰老鼠：「別抖了，別害怕。」再比如，在一個人很痛苦、很需要安慰的時候，去保護他、安慰他。

Namo Amituofo!

January 30, 2026

Jan. 30, 2026

Important Knowledge in the Pure Land Teaching

淨土小常識

174 - The Classification of Cause and Effect (1/11)

I. Worldly Cause and Effect and Transcendent Cause and Effect

Cause and effect can be classified in many ways, because different perspectives lead to different classifications. From the perspective of Buddhist practice, there are worldly causes and effects and transcendent (supramundane) causes and effects.

Worldly causes and effects refer to matters in ordinary daily life. Transcendent causes and effects refer to a person’s aspiration to end birth and death, to transcend the Six Realms, or to attain Buddhahood. It concerns practices directed specifically toward liberation.

If attaining Buddhahood is the result. What then, is the cause? The Bodhi mind is the cause and Buddhahood is the result. Even the practice of exclusively reciting Namo Amitabha Buddha cannot be separated from the Bodhi mind. This is because the exclusive recitation of Namo Amitabha Buddha already contains the Bodhi mind and is why it leads to Buddhahood.

The Three Learnings and the Six Paramitas all fall within the scope of cause and effect. If we take generosity as the cause—what is its result?

174 因果的分類

一、世間因果與出世間因果      

       因果有很多種類，這是因為角度不同。如果從修持佛法的角度來分，有世間因果和出世間因果。世間因果，無非就是日常生活等；出世間因果，就是一個人要了生脫死，要出六道或者要成佛，要去修行，就專一講修行。

       成佛是果報，什麼是成佛的因？菩提心為因，成佛為果，即便是念佛，也離不開菩提心，是因為念佛本身具足了菩提心，才成佛的。

       三學六度都是因果的內容，布施為因，什麼為果？

Namo Amituofo!

January 29, 2026

Jan. 29, 2026

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

淨土短文 (一) 

Where does the Buddha abide? In the Ever-Quiescent Light. 

Where is the Ever-Quiescent Light? Throughout the entire expanse of space.

After attaining Buddhahood, the Buddha’s spiritual presence undergoes a great transformation, abiding together with the Dharma-realm.

The Buddha’s Dharma Body is equal to space itself. It fills the Dharma-realm, extending everywhere in all directions, with no limit in time or place.

There is no moment when it is absent, no place where it does not reach, and has no obstruction whatsoever.

It is before me, within my mind— in accord with the world, both saving and liberating all sentient beings.

佛住何處？常寂光中。常寂光何處？整個虛空。

成佛之後，其精神皆融入大化之中，與法界同在。

佛之法身，等於虛空，充滿法界，橫遍豎窮。無時不在，無處不在，無有障礙。

在我前，在我心，隨順世間，救度眾生。

Namo Amituofo!

January 28, 2026

Jan. 28, 2026 

Clarifying Doubts About the Pure Land (I) 

淨土釋疑(一) 

Q28 (see post dated Jan. 16, 2026) 

Answer (continued 3 /3) 

Both Amitabha’s vow and dedication, and our own responsive vow and dedication, are entirely contained within the Six-Character Sentence. Therefore, faith, vow, and practice are all complete within it. There is no need for us to add an additional dedication of merit. 

Even if we speak of dedication and vow, it is not the same as the dedication practiced by ordinarily. 

Ordinarily, people think: “I recite the Buddha’s Name, accumulate a certain number of recitations or a certain level of effort, and then dedicate that merit to Amitabha Buddha.” Another view is, “I accumulate other good deeds and merits and dedicate them all toward rebirth in the Pure Land.”

If one practices in this way, it is called self-power. It shows that one does not understand the principle of the Name, nor comprehend Amitābha’s compassion. It is like taking a knife and plunging it into Amitābha’s chest, causing him sorrow. 

Why? Because with such an attitude, rebirth becomes difficult—it seems to depend on whether one has successfully dedicated enough merit. Moreover, one fails to understand Amitābha’s compassion, and thus recites the Name without true resonance or communion with Amitābha. 

Then should we still recite the Dedication Verse? Yes, we still recite it. During morning and evening services, at the end we recite: 

May the merit of this be equally shared with all, 

So that together we awaken perfect Enlightenment, 

And are reborn in the Land of Peace and Joy. 

This verse was composed by Master Shandao, and its purpose is to proclaim and spread Amitabha’s dedication of merit, not to assert self-powered dedication.

 

28問： 

答 ( 續 3/ 3)： 

：一般人的迴向發願是：自己去念佛，累積念佛的數目、功夫，迴向給阿彌陀 佛，或者是累積其他的善行、功德，通通迴向到極樂世界去。如果是這樣的話 ，就是自力的，是不曉得這句名號的原理，不懂得彌陀的慈悲，等於是拿一把 刀插在彌陀的胸膛上，讓彌陀傷心。因為你這樣做的話，要往生就困難了，就 必須迴向才能往生。而且，不懂得彌陀的慈悲，來念這句名號，跟彌陀就不相 感通。 

那麼，我們還念《迴向偈》嗎？還念《迴向偈》。那是早晚做功課的時候，最後 念：

願以此功德，平等施一切， 

同發菩提心，往生安樂國。 

這首偈子是善導大師所寫的，意思是在傳播彌陀的迴向。 

Namo Amituofo!

January 27, 2026

Jan. 27, 2026 

Clarifying Doubts About the Pure Land (I) 

淨土釋疑(一) 

Q 28: (See post dated Jan. 26, 2026) 

Answer (continued 2 /3) 

From the Buddha’s Side 

From Amitabha Buddha’s perspective, at a time when we were: still completely unaware, committing offenses, creating karma, and not knowing which realm of rebirth we would enter; Amitabha took the initiative to make vows on our behalf. He vowed to create a Land of Ultimate Bliss and to share it with us. This is like parents in this world who vow to accomplish things for their children. 

Thus, Amitabha Buddha made his Forty-Eight Great Vows, fulfilled the Land of Bliss, gathered all virtues and merits into the Six-Character Sentence, and transferred these to us. This “transfer of merit” is an act of pure grace and unattached giving.

We ourselves have no pure: goodness, cultivation, or merit. Amitabha Buddha transfers the merit of the Six-Character Sentence to us. Invisibly, we then possess great goodness, great practice, and great merit. 

Therefore, from Amitābha’s side, it is Amitabha who makes the vow and shares the Six-Character Sentence with us. 

From Our Side 

From our side, it is a matter of receiving Amitabha’s deliverance, complying with Amitābha’s guidance, and aspiring to rebirth in the Land of Bliss. This state of compliance and aspiration is what appears, from our side, as a vow and dedication. 

But all of these functions are already fully contained within the Six-Character Sentence. 

(to be continued tomorrow) 

28問： 

答 ( 續 2/ 3)： 

從佛那一邊來講是：阿彌陀佛在我們都不知道，甚至還在造罪造業、不曉 得輪迴到哪裡去的那個時候，就主動為我們發願，要為我們成就一個極樂世 界，把極樂世界送給我們。好像世間父母親發願，要為兒女完成什麼什麼事 情。所以，阿彌陀佛是在為我們發四十八大願，完成極樂世界，同時，把所有 功德納入六字名號當中，然後將這句名號迴向給我們，作為我們的功德。這 個「迴向」，就是恩賜，就是「給」的意思。 

我們沒有善、沒有修行、沒有功德，阿彌陀佛將六字名號功德迴向給我們 ，使我們有了這個功德，無形中就有了大善、大修行、大功德，所以，從彌陀 來講，是彌陀將六字名號發願迴向給我們。

從我們這一邊來講，是我們蒙受彌陀的救度，隨順彌陀，願生極樂，這一 種隨順願生的狀態。從我們這一邊來講，是我們這裏的迴向發願，這種功能 通通具足在六字名號裏面。 

彌陀的發願迴向與我們的發願迴向通通具足在六字名號裏邊，所以，信 願行通通在裏邊了，我們不必另外再迴向。 即使迴向發願，與一般人的迴向 發願也不一樣。

Namo Amituofo! 

January 26, 2026

Jan. 26, 2026 

Clarifying Doubts About the Pure Land (I) 

淨土釋疑(一) 

Question 28: Some people, based on the passage in the Amitabha Sutra that says “those who have already made the vow, are now making the vow, or will make the

vow”, think that when reciting the Buddha’s Name they should first: make a vow, then perform a dedication of merit, and even dedicate it to beings such as devas, nāgas, the Eightfold Assembly, or leaders of various countries. Is this necessary? 

Answer to Q28 (1 /3): 

Actually, there is no need to do this. 

The purpose of our recitation of Namo Amitabha Buddha is rebirth in the Land of Bliss. Moreover, the Six-Character Sentence (Namo Amitabha Buddha) already fully contains faith, vow, and practice. There is no need to deliberately add a separate vow. 

The passage in the Amitabha Sutra that says, “If there are persons who have already made the vow, are now making the vow, or will make the vow,” is meant to explain the principle that those who aspire to rebirth and exclusively recite Namo Amitabha Buddha will certainly attain rebirth. It is not saying that one must first make a vow before reciting, and then make another vow while reciting. That is not its meaning. 

The making of vows and the dedication of merit can be understood from the Buddha’s side and from our side. 

(to be continued tomorrow) 

28 問：有人依據《阿彌陀經》「已發願，今發願，當發願」這段經文，在念佛的時 候先發願，之後迴向，並且還給天龍八部、各國領導人等迴向…… 

答 (1/ 3)： 

其實，不必這樣，我們念佛的目的，就是為了往生極樂世界，同時，這六字名 號就已經具足了信願行，不必另外再刻意地去發願。《阿彌陀經》裏面所說的 「若有人已發願，今發願，當發願」，這是說明願往生、稱名號的人必定往生的

道理，並不是要你現在念佛就先發個願，等一下念佛又要發個願，不是這樣 的。 

發願迴向，有從佛那一邊來講，有從我們這一邊來講的。

Namo Amituofo! 

January 25, 2026

Jan. 25, 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 61: If a person did not recite Namo Amitabha Buddha during his/her life , can they attain rebirth through assisted recitation after death? 

Answer to Q61: Yes! Although the physical body has decayed, the consciousness does not perish. On the contrary, it becomes even more aware than in ordinary life. As long as one follows the guidance given, recites Namo Amitabha Buddha , and willingly accepts rebirth, there is no one who will not attain rebirth. 

This is confirmed by cases such as Zhang Wangmian (p. 346), Shen Songliang (p. 348), and Zhu Bifa (p. 366) in Records of Responses to Buddha-Recitation, Volume Three. 

61問：生前不曾念佛，死後助念能往生嗎？ 

答：能！肉體雖壞，神識不死，比平時更靈敏，只要隨開示念佛、願意往生 ，無不往生。《念佛感應錄》第三集第346頁張王免、第348頁沈松亮、第366 頁朱必發等，皆是其證。 

Namo Amituofo!