Common Knowledge in Pure Land Teaching
淨土小常識
The Dharma that Must be Spoken
Amitabha Buddha’s 17th Vow says, “If, when I attain Buddhahood, innumerable Buddhas in the lands of the ten quarters should not all praise and glorify my Name, may I not attain perfect Enlightenment.”
The Infinite Life Sutra says, “All Buddhas and Tathagatas in the ten directions, as numerous as the sands of the River Ganges, praise the inconceivable, supernal virtues [and unfathomable merits] of Amitayus.
In the passage that explains his original intent for appearing in the world, Shakyamuni Buddha says, “As the Tathagata, I regard all beings in the three worlds with boundless great compassion. The reason for my appearance in the world is to reveal teachings of the Way and save multitudes of beings by endowing them with true benefits.”
All Buddhas come from different worlds in the ten directions, and share immeasurable, boundless teachings with sentient beings of differing aptitudes. However, the teaching of Amitabha's deliverance is the one that all Buddhas in the ten directions share. It is the teaching that all Buddhas never omit.
必說之法
阿彌陀佛第十七願言：「設我得佛，十方世界無量諸佛，不悉咨嗟稱我名者，不取正覺。」
《無量壽經》言：「十方恆沙諸佛如來，皆共讚歎無量壽佛，威神功德不可思議！」
釋迦牟尼佛 • 出世本懷文 • 言：「如來以無盡大悲，矜哀三界，所以出興於世，光闡道教，欲拯濟群萌，惠以真實之利。」
十方諸佛在各自不同的世界，對各種根機的眾生宣說的法門無量無邊，但彌陀救度的法門，卻是十方諸佛都必定要宣說、沒有一尊佛不宣說的法門。
Namo Amituofo!
