Master Huijing’s Short Dharma Teaching about Classification of Teachings – the Two Paths (of Importance and the Great Vow)
要弘二門判
There are two aspects of Amitabha-recitation practice, explicit and implicit. “Explicit” refers to the non-meditative and meditative virtues. “Implicit” refers to “neither meditative nor non-meditative virtues”. Why does “explicit” refer to meditative virtues and non-meditative virtues? It is because the merit and virtues contained in a single recitation of Amitabha’s Name contain all of the merit and virtues attained through meditative and non-meditative virtues.
That is, the merit and virtues contained in a single recitation of Amitabha’s Name is the same as that of the myriad of practices of the Six Paramitas. It is called “a myriad of practices in one.”
From the text of the Contemplation Sutra, it seems Amitabha-recitation is equal to the meditative and non-meditative virtues. However, if we look at it further, and from the perspective of the end of the Contemplation Sutra , the merit and virtues of Amitabha-recitation transcend that of the meditative and non-meditative virtues, and the merit and virtues of the Three Meritorious Deeds in the Nine Levels. So, they are said to be “neither meditative nor non-meditative virtues”.
念佛有顯、有隱,「顯」是指「散善」或「定善」;「隱」是指「非定非散」。
為什麼說「顯」是指「定善」跟「散善」呢?就是把這一句彌陀名號的功德當作是定善的功德或散善的功德,也就將這一句名號的功德看成與六度萬行是相同的,這叫「萬行隨一」。
從《觀經》的字面來看,念佛似乎和定善、散善是同等的,可是如果進一步從《觀經》最後的宗旨來看,《觀經》所講的念佛功德是超越定、散,也就是超越三福九品的功德,所以說「非定非散」。
Namo Amituofo!
