Master Huijing’s Short Dharma Teachings - Encouraging the practice of Amitabha-Recitation
念佛警策
Upon hearing the call of Amitabha, if it is referred to as a special kind of feeling, or an unusually deep experience, this is considered a deviation. This is because our minds and emotions are impermanent, Therefore, our emotions come when certain conditions come; but, they change when those conditions are gone.
It is because we are ordinary beings; full of greed, hatred, delusion, arrogance and doubt. So, when afflictions come, our previous feelings change and disappear.
The principle of Amitabha Buddha’s deliverance is unchanging; but, our feelings change. So, do not rely on feelings as the benchmark of faith, and do not regard feelings as the condition for rebirth. Simply speaking, where is Amitabha’s calling? It is not within our feelings; but, within Amitabha’s NAME.
若是要聽到彌陀的呼喚，那是指自己要有某一種感受，某一種深刻的體驗，如果這樣想，往往就會偏差。因為人的心是無常的，有時候在某一種環境因緣之下，有了激動的感受，但是，所謂遇緣則現，事過境就遷了，心的感受會轉變的。因為我們都還是凡夫，是個貪瞋癡慢疑的凡夫，煩惱來的時候，以前的感受就沒有了，就變化了。
所以不變的是阿彌陀佛救度的道理，會變的是我們的感受，因此不要以我們的感受作為信心的標準，也不要以我們的感受作為往生的條件。簡而言之，彌陀的呼喚在哪裏？不在自己的感受當中，而在這一句彌陀名號。
Namo Amituofo!
