Common Knowledge in Pure Land Teaching
淨土小常識
To Enable All Beings to become Like the Buddha
The Sutra of Equal Enlightenment says, “To free people from the cycle of birth and death, which is the primary source of continuous suffering, and enable them to become like the Buddha.”
“To free people from the cycle of birth and death” means to relieve them from suffering. To “enable them to become like the Buddha” means to grant them happiness. The ultimate relief from suffering is to enable them to exit the endless cycle of reincarnation within the Six Realms after this lifetime. Then the deepest happiness is achieved by helping them to realize the fruition of Buddhahood quickly.
Among the 84,000 teachings in the Dharma-Ending Age, the only teaching that enables people to fully relieve their suffering and enjoy complete happiness is Amitabha Buddha’s teaching of deliverance.
悉令如佛
《平等覺經》言: 拔人勤苦,生死根本,悉令如佛。
「拔人勤苦」就是「拔苦」;「悉令如佛」就是「與樂」。真正的拔苦必須是讓他今生今世脫離六道輪迴;真正的與樂,是能夠讓他速證佛果。在佛教八萬四千法門當中,末法時代,真正能「拔苦與樂」的,唯阿彌陀佛救度的法門。
Namo Amituofo!
