Common Knowledge in Pure Land Teaching
淨土小常識
Oneness in Name and Body
“Name” means “Namo Amituofo”, the great six-syllable name. “Body” means Amitabha Buddha himself. Amitabha’s six-syllable name and Amitabha’s Buddha-body are one-in-two and two-in-one. They are together, just two sides of the same coin. This is referred to as “oneness”.
That is to say, Amitabha’s name contains Amitabha Buddha himself. Amitabha Buddha is his Name, like a piece of paper with a front side and a back side. Without the front side, there could be no back side, and vice versa. Thus, it is called “Oneness in Name and Body”
名體一如
「名」是指「南無阿彌陀佛」六字洪名,「體」是指阿彌陀佛本身;彌陀六字名號跟阿彌陀佛的佛體、佛身是一而二、二而一,是在一起的,是一體的兩面,所以叫作「一如」。
也就是名號的本身就是阿彌陀佛的本身,而阿彌陀佛的本身也就是名號,好像一張紙,有正面,有反面,離開了正面沒有反面,離開了反面沒有正面,這叫「名體一如」。
Namo Amituofo!
