The 31 Verses Explaining the Amitabha Sutra from the “Praise of Dharma Practices” by Master Shandao
善導大師《法事讚》 轉《阿彌陀經》31偈語
29. A verse Praising the Virtues Each Other
Wish to be reborn. Wish to be reborn.
The World Honored One earnestly teaches his chief disciple, Sariputra, that the great compassion of all Buddhas is the same.
They praise each other without any differences in their minds. Each of them expediently plays different roles, in response to the aptitudes of their students and the timing of their deliverance.
All Tathagatas of the six directions praise Shakyamuni, whose appearance was an extremely rare occurrence.
It was an extremely fortunate period when Shakyamuni taught sentient beings in the world of Five Kinds of Turbidity, because their ignorance was extremely severe and very hard to eliminate.
Because turbidity increases with the passage of time, people’s bodies become smaller. The wickedness of the turbidity in sentient beings is like snakes and dragons.
The turbidity of afflictions is everywhere, exceeding the number of grains of dust in the world. Love and hatred, adversity and fortune, are piled as high as Mount Yue.
The turbidity of views is like a tree with spines and thorns. The turbidity of life results in sudden premature death.
The direct and circumstantial rewards are extinguished simultaneously. People turn their backs on the orthodox, follow heretics, and blame each other with no good reason.
All ninety-five kinds of heterodox teachings spoil the world. The Buddhist teaching is the only one that is pure and relaxed.
The aspiration of Buddhas to share Perfect Enlightenment extends boundlessly. They return to the burning house to deliver human and celestial beings.
The multitude unanimously admires them and aspires to be reborn. Let’s hold fragrant flowers in our hands, and always offer them to the Buddhas.
29. 互相讚德偈
願往生 願往生
世尊殷勤告身子 表知諸佛大悲同
互相讚德心無異 巧應時機各有功
六方如來皆讚歎 釋迦出現甚難逢
正治五濁時興盛 無明頑硬似高峰
劫濁時移身漸小 眾生濁惡等蛇龍
惱濁遍滿過塵數 愛憎違順若岳山
見濁叢林如棘刺 命濁中夭剎那間
依正二報同時滅 背正歸邪橫起怨
九十五種皆污世 唯佛一道獨清閑
出到菩提心無盡 還來火宅度人天
眾等迴心皆願往 手執香華常供養
Namo Amituofo!
