Oct 25

Oct 25, 2017
慧淨上人法語
淨土宗宗風真諦

The primary texts on which the Pure Land School specially relies are “the three sutras and one treatise” (i.e. Infinite Life Sutra, Contemplation of Infinite Life Sutra, Amitabha Sutra, and Treatise on Rebirth in the Pure Land). Secondary texts include other two hundred classical texts in which Shakyamuni Buddha mentions about Amitabha and the Land of Bliss in various occasions throughout his life. It is said that all the thousand sutras and ten thousand treatises point to [the destination], and all the saints and sages of the past approached toward [the texts]”. Certainly, there are rich scholastic learning resources in this school.

Hence, the tenet “don’t pursue pure learning, do develop faith” does not oppose learning but “pure learning”. Why? Given that we don’t pursue pure learning but develop faith, our learning is to facilitate nurturing of faith and not scholastic pursuit. We do learn but our goal is not for learning itself. Learning should eventually direct us to the faith. The purpose is faith, not academic. No matter we have academic learning or not, faith is our final ending.

(continued tomorrow)

淨土法門的正依經論就是「三經一論」，至於旁依的經典，釋迦牟尼佛一生之間，講經說法，有關阿彌陀佛以及極樂世界的經典，就有兩百多部，所謂「千經萬論，處處指歸；往聖前賢，人人趨向」，可見這個法門的學術是很豐富的。

因此，「不學術而信仰化」，並不是反對「學術」，而是反對「學術化」。為什麼？既然不學術而信仰化，就表示是要信仰化，而不是要學術化，有學術而不以學術化為目的，它始終是要導歸於信仰。所以它不是以學術為目的，而是要以信仰為目的，不管我們有沒有學術，始終都要歸於信仰。

Namo Amitabha!