Nov 8

Nov 8, 2017
慧淨上人法語
正依經典

(continued)

The first in the lineage of the Pure Land teaching is Nagarjuna Bodhisattva. Nagarjuna Bodhisattva wrote a book entitled “The Discourse on the Ten Stages”, in which a chapter is on “the Easy Path”. This chapter mainly expounds on the 18th Vow of the Infinite Life Sutra – the pro-active, equal, and unconditional deliverance of Amitabha Buddha.

Next in the lineage is Vasubandhu Bodhisattva, who succeeded the thought of Nagarjuna Bodhisattva and wrote the book “The Treatise of Rebirth”. Based on Nagarjuna’s concepts, he expands and discusses the objectives of the three Pure Land sutras.

Both Nagarjuna Bodhisattva and Vasubandhu Bodhisattva are Indians, bodhisattvas in India. In China, the one who continued this lineage were Master Tanluan in the Northern and Southern dynasties (420-589 AD), Master Daochuo in the Sui Dynasty (581-619 AD), and Master Shandao in the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). The one who compiled all the teachings of all patriarchs is Master Shandao in Tang Dynasty.

These are the three patriarchs in China who succeeded the thought of Nagarjuna and Vasubandhu, and expounded on the important meanings of the three Pure Land sutras.

傳承淨土法門最有名的祖師，第一位就是龍樹菩薩。龍樹菩薩寫了一部《十住毗婆沙論》，裏面有一章叫做《易行品》。《易行品》的目的在於宣說《無量壽經》的第十八願——阿彌陀佛主動、平等、無條件的救度。

接下來是天親菩薩，天親菩薩繼承龍樹菩薩的思想，寫了一部《往生論》，是以龍樹菩薩的思想為基礎，來看淨土三部經的宗旨，而加以發揮。

龍樹菩薩跟天親菩薩都是印度人，印度的菩薩；那麼，在我們中國，傳承這一思想的祖師，就是南北朝時代的曇鸞祖師，以及隋朝時代的道綽大師，集其大成者，就是唐朝的善導大師。我們中國有這三位祖師繼承龍樹、天親的思想，發揮淨土三部經的要義。

Namo Amitabha!