July 8 2017

Jul 8, 2017
慧淨上人法語
凡夫入報

The Infinite Life Sutra says that when Bodhisattva Dharmakara cultivated the bodhisattva practices, he made 48 great vows in front of Buddha Lokeshvararaja. Each and every vow pronounces that sentient beings in the ten directions are merely required to recite my name, and aspire to be reborn in my Land of Bliss. For those doing so in the present life, they persist for the rest of their lives; for those near the end-of-life, they can recite as little as ten times. If I fail to enable them to achieve rebirth, I will not attain Buddhahood.

Amitabha Buddha has been a Buddha now, so we know he is a reward Buddha having fulfilled his casual vow. The Pure Land that he has accomplished is the reward of his vows and his practices in the causal ground, so it is also a reward land.

Master Shandao raised this causal vow—the vow and practices in causal ground—for revealing that he is a Buddha at present. Being a Buddha at present, he is, of course, a Buddha rewarded by his vow and practices in the causal ground. So, he is called a reward Buddha, and his pure land a reward land.

《無量壽經》說，法藏菩薩在世自在王佛的面前 行菩薩道的時候，發下四十八大願，每一願每一願都說：十方眾生只要稱我名號，願生我的極樂國土。平生之機，上盡一形；臨終之機，下至十念。這樣的話，如果不能往生，祂就不成佛。現在阿彌陀佛已經成佛，可知這一尊佛是「酬因之身」所得到的「果報佛」，當然就是報佛，所成就的淨土也是祂因地願行成就而有的「果報土」，當然就是報土。

善導大師就是舉出這個「因願」－－因地的願行，來顯現出現在成佛，以及現在成佛，當然是因地願行成就所獲得的果報的佛，所以叫作報佛；土也是果報的土，所以叫作報土。

Namo Amitabha!