Common Knowledge in Pure Land Teaching
淨土小常識
The Three Domains are like a Burning House
The Lotus Sutra says, “There is no peace in the Three Domains. It is like a burning house, full of all kinds of countless horrible sufferings!”
The Three Domains are the Desire Realm, Form Realm and Formless Realm. “Like a burning house” means the entire great cosmos is like a house on fire with flames burning all over. Because the flames are all over the house, nothing is more painful than being inside the house. So, it says, “full of all kinds of countless horrible suffering”
What about the Land of Bliss? The Amitabha Sutra says, “The beings in that land suffer no pain; but, only enjoy pleasures of various kinds. That is why it is called the Land of Bliss.”
(to be continued tomorrow)
三界如火宅
《法華經》言:三界無安,猶如火宅, 眾苦充滿,甚可怖畏。
「三界」就是欲界、色界、無色界。「猶如火宅」,整個三千大千世界,就像燃燒的房子,充滿了大火;既然充滿了大火,沒有比被火燒更苦的了,所以說:「眾苦充滿,甚可怖畏」。
而極樂世界怎麼樣呢?《阿彌陀經》說:彼土何故名為極樂? 其國眾生,無有眾苦,但受諸樂,故名極樂。
Namo Amituofo!
