Master Huijing’s Short Dharma Teaching about Faith in Pure Land Buddhism
淨土信仰
If a person is earnest in his aspiration for rebirth, he will naturally want to recite Amitabha’s Name without being encouraged or urged by others. It is because he knows this world is virtual, inverted and unreal. Only the Land of Bliss and Amitabha Buddha are real, worthy of pursuit, and deserving of remembrance in every thought.
Understanding these truths, he will naturally want to repeatedly recite Amitabha’s Name. It is because he knows the most valuable thing in life is not to be successful in a career, earn a lot of money, acquire a high position, or to have a happy family. It is rebirth in the Land of Bliss through Amitabha-recitation.
It is because all of the prosperity and wealth in the mundane world are the result of individual karma under the Law of Causation. All happiness and suffering is temporary. The end of joy is the beginning of suffering. So, the nature of joy is ultimately suffering.
Learning this, he decides to leave worldly suffering and attain permanent joy. Specifically, it means to ultimately renounce all suffering in the Saha Land, and totally admire the joy in the Land of Bliss. In response, he will naturally want to recite Namo Amituofo, the main cause of rebirth, throughout his life. In this way he is assured of rebirth.
若是往生極樂世界的心很懇切的話,不需要別人的鼓勵鞭策,他自然而然會想要念佛。因為他知道世間是虛假的,是顛倒的,不是真實的。唯有極樂世界才是真實的,阿彌陀佛才是真實的,才是值得追求的,才是值得心心念念去思慕的。在此情況下,他的心心念念自然會想要念阿彌陀佛。
因為,他知道盡其一生之中,最有價值的不是事業有成就賺大錢、地位崇高、家庭美滿,而是念佛往生極樂世界。
因為世間的一切榮華富貴,全都只是各人的因緣果報而已,而且苦樂禍福都只是暫時的。更何況,其實娑婆世界是唯苦無樂,樂盡苦至,樂的本質即是苦。
所以,他決定要徹底離苦得樂,究竟厭捨娑婆之苦,完全欣慕極樂之樂,他會有這樣的觀念。既然有這樣的觀念,他的心心念念自然會念南無阿彌陀佛,因為念佛是往生的正因,如果是這樣,他就是一個決定往生的人。
Namo Amituofo!
