March 18

Mar 18, 2018
慧淨上人法語
專稱彌陀佛名

Quite often, patriarchs of various sects and groups eventually turn towards the Pure Land. Master Zhizhe of the Tientai Sect was a typical example. Many awakened patriarchs in the Chan Sect finally turn towards the Pure Land.

It is just like driving a car to a freeway. At the beginning, everyone starts a journey from his own spot and firstly takes the village’s roads, and then the county’s roads, the provincial highway, and eventually reach the freeway via an interchange. Once he is driving down the freeway, he will keep the route without diverging into some others. The situation is similar to many ordinary practitioners who eventually turn towards the Pure Land.

However, if he goes straight to the practice of exclusive recitation of Amitabha’s name, he can avoid wasting time and effort in going by the round-about route, similar to driving straight into a freeway by using overpasses.

各宗各派的祖師，到最後往往都是歸向淨土的，天臺宗智者大師是最典型的例子。禪宗很多開悟的祖師，最後也都歸向淨土。
就好像開車要上高速公路，一開始每個人都從自己的地方先上鄉村的道路、縣市的道路、省道，然後才通過交流道上高速公路。一旦上了高速公路，就專了，就不會雜了。一般修行人，最終歸向淨土大多這樣。
可是，他若能直接專稱彌陀佛名，等同跨越其他道路而直接上高速公路一樣，不用費時費力，繞很多圈子。

Namo Amitabha!