April 7

Apr 7, 2017
慧淨上人法語
信受彌陀救度

In Pure Land Buddhism, faith is referred to the faith in “attaining assured rebirth by reciting [the name of Amitabha Buddha] as many as we can—up to the end of one’s life, or as few as just one time or one thought”. Thereafter our faith is determined, we will naturally exclusively recite Amitabha’s name all the time in our life. Master Shandao says, “to recite Amitabha’s name without intermittence / interruption”,  “to recite without forsaking”, and “always repent when we recite Amitabha’s name without forsaking.” So, we should always recite Amitabha’s name.

The Fundamental Vow says, “even ten times”; the Accomplishment Text says “even one thought”. So, how can a person not be reborn if he recite ten times or one thought at a time near to the end of his life? So, people who recite Amitabha’s name for their whole life will certainly be assured of rebirth. Some ignorant people attach their faith to 'single recitation [for rebirth]', and abandon the practice of name-recitation for their whole life. Subsequently, their faith is not the faith, and their practice is not the practice [by the above definition]. That is not Pure Land teaching at all.

淨土法門之信乃信「上盡一形，下至一聲一念亦必往生」，既信之後，自必一生一向專稱彌陀佛名。善導大師言「彌陀名號相續念」，又言「念念不捨」，又言「念念稱名常懺悔」，是故應常稱佛名。

本願文言「乃至十念」，成就文言「乃至一念」；臨終十念一念亦得往生，則何人不得往生？是故一生念佛，更必往生。無知之人，執一念之信心，捨一生之稱名，則信既非信，行亦無行，全非淨土法門。

Namo Amitabha!