March 29

Mar 29, 2017
慧淨上人法語
信受彌陀救度
(continued)

Second, some people do exclusively recite Amitabha’s name for the whole life; but they do not know the “other-power” deliverance by Amitabha, and do not understand the reasoning of the Fundamental Vow. Will these people be born inside the bud, or born by instant manifestation? As far as the Name is concerned, the Name IS Amitabha himself. So, no matter what mentality those people have, if and only if they exclusively practice Amitabha-recitation, they will be reborn in the Pure Land, and can see the Buddha with flowers blossomed.

The doubtful mind is a mental state that exists when our body is still in the Saha World. For a person who exclusively recites Amitabha’s name, his doubts will be cleared immediately upon seeing the Buddha at the time close to the end of his life. It doesn’t matter whether he has doubt or not, or his doubt is deep or shallow. That is to say, all those who exclusively recite Amitabha’s name will be reborn by manifestation, and they will not stay inside the buds. That is the reason why Bodhisattva Nagarjuna says, “For persons who cultivate the root of virtues, their [lotus] flowers do not blossom if they have doubts”.  He uses “root of virtues”, but not “name-recitation” for explanation of faith and doubt.

第二，有人也是一生專念彌陀名號而求往生，可是他們並不知道彌陀他力的救度，也不了解本願的道理，這樣的人往生後是在花苞中還是當下化生呢？就名號來講，名號是阿彌陀佛的本身，只要專一稱念這句彌陀名號，不管他的心境怎樣，到淨土都是花開見佛的。

疑心是肉體還在娑婆世界而存在的意識狀態，一個專稱彌陀名號的人，不管有疑、無疑，所疑是深或淺，在臨終見佛的當下，他的疑心就消除了。也就是說，專稱彌陀名號的人往生都是化生，而不在花苞裡面，所以龍樹菩薩言「若人種善根，疑則花不開」，是以「善根」來說明信與疑，而不以「稱名」來說信與疑。

Namo Amitabha!