Sep 4, 2019
Master Huijing’s Short Dharma Teachings about the Contemplation Sutra
《佛說觀無量壽經》
(continued)
The Threefold Analogy of the Lotus Flower is the analogy of the blossoming process of the lotus flower - “flower bud formed for the sake of lotus seed”, “lotus sprouted while flower blossoms”, and “lotus matured when flower withers.” This analogy is used to express “the expedient teaching built (or formed) for the sake of the real teaching”, “the expedient teaching revealed while the real teaching appears”, and “the real teaching established when the expedient teachings are abandoned”.
The Contemplation Sutra is also unfolded in this manner. That is to say, because of the revelation of the Name being the main or proper cause of rebirth, the Sutra talks about the meditative and non-meditative virtues first, so these virtues are shown to be expedient means, rather than the aim of the Sutra.
(to be continued tomorrow)
「蓮花三喻」是蓮花開展過程的三種比喻,也就是以「為蓮故花、花開蓮現、花落蓮成」,來比喻《法華經》的「為實施權、開權顯實、廢權立實」。
《觀經》也同樣有這樣的施設開展,也就是說,為了顯示這一句往生正因的名號,而來講定善跟散善;因此定善跟散善可說是一種引導,而不是目的。
Namo Amituofo!
