Master Yinguang’s Short Teaching about “entirely dependent on the Buddha’s power” (analogy of sailing on board)
印光大師「全是佛力」之文(坐船過海之喻)
Among Buddhist teachings, there are an immeasurable number of paths, such as the Great Vehicle and Small Vehicle, and the Expedient and Real Teachings. In all of the teachings, a practitioner is required to cut off greed, hatred and delusion through the precepts, meditation and wisdom. In so doing they are completely purified, in order to be liberated from the cycle of birth-and-death.
For most of us, this is as difficult as ascending to heaven, and is beyond the capacity of mundane people like us to fulfil. However, if we truly believe and earnestly aspire to rebirth in Amitabha’s Pure Land, and recite Amitabha’s Name, we can be reborn with recourse to Amitabha’s compassionate power, despite our lack of capacity and meritorious virtues.
In the analogy of sailing on a ship to cross the sea of suffering, in order to reach the other shore of the Pure Land, we must want to board the ship and realize we are powerless to reach the shore without it. This is because it is the power of the ship, not ours, that makes it all possible. It is the same for rebirth in the Land of Bliss through Amitabha-recitation with faith and aspiration. All of it is entirely dependent on the Buddha’s power.
佛法法門無量,無論大小權實,一切法門,均須以戒定慧,斷貪瞋癡,令其淨盡無餘,方可了生脫死。此則難如登天,非吾輩具縛凡夫所能希冀。
若以真信切願、念佛求生西方,則無論功夫深淺、功德大小,皆可仗佛慈力, 往生西方。
此如坐火輪船過海,但肯上船,即可到於彼岸;乃屬船力,非自己本事。
信願念佛、求生西方亦然,完全是「佛力」,不是自己「道力」。
Namo Amituofo!
