Common Knowledge in Pure Land Teaching
淨土小常識
To Joyfully Become a Buddha in this Life (continued)
Nagarjuna Bodhisattva, the de facto founder of the Eight Schools of Buddhism says, “There are numerous Buddhist ways to teach people to become Buddhas. They can be divided into two groups - the Difficult Path and the Easy Path.He asked, how can people understand “difficult” and “easy”? To answer he used an analogy - " to reach a distant land on foot is painful, but sailing on a ship is joyful”.
Walking and sailing were the two means of transport in ancient times. The former is hard, slow, and risky. As said by the poet Libei, “the Land route is difficult, the land route is difficult. Many wrong ways, where am I now?” The latter is easy, speedy and safe. As said by the poet Libei, “ Say farewell to the city in the morning and sail a thousand miles in a day. While hearing the monkeys’ voices along the shores, ten thousand mountains have passed.”
Nagarjuna Bodhisattva says: the Pure Land teaching is an Easy Path, and all other teachings belong to the Difficult Path. It is difficult because a practitioner has to bear all the burdens, and handle all the circumstances along the path with his own power. It is hard, slow and risky. On the Difficult Path, a practitioner has to rely on his own power all the way through. However, ordinary beings are aggregates of greed, hatred, and delusion, particularly in the Dharma-Ending Age. They commit serious karmic offenses, and have no power to cultivate.
On the Easy Path, it is easy because all of the burdens are loaded on board. The practitioner makes use of other means and other power, which makes it easy, effective and safe. On the Easy Path, a practitioner relies on Amitabha’s power all the way through. With his great compassion and great vow power, the Buddha assures every Amitabha-reciter of rebirth in this life. Once reborn, they are assured of becoming Buddhas. If you ask Libei to ascend to the roof of a 100 story building, do you think he would choose to walk up the stairs?
一生輕鬆成佛 (續)
八宗之祖的龍樹菩薩說:佛法中有無量的法門教人成佛,但總體來說只有兩大類:難行道和易行道。這難和易到底是怎樣的體驗呢?龍樹菩薩打了個比喻:「陸道步行則苦,水道乘船則樂。」古代常用的交通方式,一是陸路,二是水路。
前者艱辛、緩慢、兇險。像李白說的:「行路難,行路難,多歧路,今安在?」後者輕鬆、快速、安全。如李白的詩:「朝辭白帝彩雲間,千里江陵一日還;兩岸猿聲啼不住,輕舟已過萬重山。」
龍樹菩薩說:淨土法門就是這樣的易行道,淨土法門之外的法門統統屬於難行道。所謂難行,難在自己要背負所有重擔,靠一己之力應對各種路況,所以艱辛、緩慢、兇險;難行道從頭到尾靠的是凡夫自己的力量。人是貪瞋癡的集合體,尤其是末法時代的眾生,造業兇猛,修行無力。
所謂易行,易在把自身及所背負的重量都放在船上,借物力、憑他力,所以輕鬆、高效、安穩。淨土法門,從頭到尾靠的都是阿彌陀佛的力量,佛以其大慈大悲、大願大力,保證每一個念佛眾生當生就能往生,往生必然成佛。如果讓李大詩人今天登頂一百層的大樓,你覺得他會選擇爬樓梯嗎?
Namo Amituofo!
