Mar 20, 2020
Master Huijing’s Short Dharma Teachings about Faith in Pure Land Buddhism
淨土信仰
Our first impression of the teaching of Amitabha-recitation is that it is not like a teaching of cultivation. Yet, despite that, it contains unsurpassed merits and virtues.
Let’s examine this. Who can do Amitabha-recitation? Whoever, whenever, wherever, under any circumstances, one can recite Amitabha’s Name without any taboos or obstructions. Even for birds, cats and dogs, just turn on an Amitabha-recitation device, and let them hear it. Once the sound of Amitabha’s Name enters their Alaya Consciousness, they can be liberated when the proper causal conditions appear.
So, although Amitabha-recitation cannot be regarded as cultivation, its merits and virtues are transcendent, and are even greater than those attained through cultivation. It is said, even a householder who can attain rebirth through Amitabha-recitation, has achieved far more than a monastic who pursues self-power cultivation.
初看念佛法門似非一般印象中的修行法門,可是卻具有無上的功德。想想看: 念佛,誰不能念?無論何人、何時、何處、何緣,都能夠念佛,都沒有忌諱, 也沒有障礙,甚至鳥、貓、狗......,播放念佛機給牠們聽,只要聽到,就進入阿賴耶識,因緣一到就能夠解脫。
所以念佛雖然不能說是修行,但其功德卻比大修行還要高超。因此可以說,一個學佛者,只要他念佛往生,在家勝過出家;如果不曉得念佛往生,那麼出家輸給在家。
Namo Amituofo!
