Master Huijing’s Short Dharma Teachings about Faith in Pure Land Buddhism
淨土信仰
Master Shoku was one of the leading disciples of Master Honen, who developed the dogma of “aptitude and teaching are one entity (body)”. Aptitude refers to sentient beings who recite Amitabha’s Name, and teaching refers to Amitabha Buddha. We are Amitabha-reciters who become one with Amitabha Buddha.
“one-body not apart” and “one-body in non-duality” are a bit different. For example, the whole sandwich is one body; however, it is a body formed by slices of food one on top of the other, so it is known as “one-body not apart”. However, with respect to “one-body in non-duality”, it is just like the way water and milk are miscible and can form one body when mixed together.
However, water and oil are immiscible, and do not form one body. This is because water remains at the bottom and oil at the top in two layers. The three karmas, though separate, are not apart. Thus, sentient beings’ karma and Amitabha Buddha’s karma are intimate- not apart.
法然上人之後有證空上人的門派,就發展為「機法一體」的教義。「機」指眾生、念佛者,「法」指阿彌陀佛,我們念佛眾生跟阿彌陀佛是一體的。
「一體不離」跟「一體不二」的意義有一點點不同。比如說,三明治整個是一體的,可是卻是一片一片疊在一起的一體,這是「一體不離」;而「一體不二」,是融合在一起成為一體,比如水和乳,水乳交融,就成為一體。
而水跟油在一起就不是一體,因為水在底下,油在上面。「彼此三業一體不離」就是說眾生的三業,跟阿彌陀佛的三業,彼此的三業是一體不離,一體不離就是親。
Namo Amituofo!
