Common Knowledge in Pure Land Teaching
淨土小常識
Diamond-like Faith
Grasping what Master Shandao says about the two kinds of deep minds, in both “aptitude” and “teaching” is known as having “determinant faith” and “diamond-like faith”, which never change. If it does change, it lacks either the deep mind of “aptitude” or “teaching”. If a person does not have the deep mind in terms of aptitude, he will also lack the deep mind in terms of teaching, and vice versa. The two kinds of deep mind are one entity. Having the deep mind of aptitude is also having the deep mind of teaching.
To understand the content of the two kinds of deep mind is nothing more than awakening to the fact that there is no karmic condition that will enable us to leave the cycle of birth-and-death through one’s own power. Among the 84,000 Buddhist teachings, only the teaching of “name-recitation” (as designated in Amitabha’s Fundamental Vow) is the condition that enables sentient beings to leave the cycle of birth-and-death, and quickly become Buddhas.
Having the two kinds of deep minds (in aptitude and teaching) is having diamond-like faith. It doesn’t matter whether we believe it is deep or not, and it is not based on how we feel, it is still regarded as the deep mind.
金剛信
有了善導大師所說的「機法兩種深信」,就是「信心決定」,就是「金剛信」,不會再改變。如果會改變,不是對機沒有深信,就是對法沒有深信。如果對機沒有深信,對法一定也沒有深信;如果對法沒有深信,對機也一定沒有深信。兩種深信是一體的,有機深信就有法深信。
理解兩種深信的內容,無非是自覺憑自力無有出離之緣,八萬四千法門當中,唯有彌陀本願所設定「稱名念佛」這個法門才能使眾生有出離之緣,而且可以快速成佛。
有機法這兩種信心,就是有金剛信,不管是深是淺,不管心的感受如何,都算是深信。
Namo Amituofo!
