Common Knowledge in Pure Land Teaching
淨土小常識
104 Amitabha-Recitation Transcends All of the Various Virtues
The power, merit, and virtues of Amitabha-recitation are transcendent. It transcends the power of the meditative, non-meditative, and all other virtues.
Master Shandao says, “The Samadhi of Amitabha-Recitation is transcendent and none of the other miscellaneous virtues can be compared.” The Contemplation Sutra mentions 13 kinds of meditative virtues in detail. It also explains 3 non-meditative virtues, their causes, functions, and effects, for those within the nine levels of practitioners.
The Contemplation Sutra talks, to a large extent, about the meditative and non-meditative virtues in the beginning of the main chapter. However, in the dissemination chapter at the end, Master Shandao explains that none of the other practices have virtues that are equal to Amitabha-recitation. This same comparison can be extended to include all of the other 84,000 Buddhist teachings.
It should be noted that, in the Contemplation Sutra, “Nianfo” refers to Amitabha-recitation, not visualizing Amitabha, or observing Amitabha’s image. Amitabha-recitation seems to be ordinary and very simple. It can be recited even by birds and children. However, its power, merit and virtues are transcendent, because it is the recitation of the Name of Amitabha Buddha, the King of all
Buddhas. It is the Name that contains the merit and virtues gained through Amitabha’s perfect Enlightenment. So, the teaching of Amitabha-recitation is easy to practice; but, its rewards are splendid.
104 念佛超越諸善萬行
「專稱彌陀佛名」的功德力用是超越的,超越定善、散善,超越諸善萬行。
善導大師說:「念佛三昧功能超絕,實非雜善得為比類。」說明念佛不是其他的善所能並肩、比類的。《觀經》用很長的文字在解說十三種觀,同時也說明三福及其功能。也就是說三福為因,九品為果(善導大師說「三福九品,名為散善」)。
亦即,從行文看,《觀經》從一開始,文文句句都是在講解十三觀(定善)與三福九品(散善);可是到了流通分,善導大師卻解釋說,念佛不是其他的雜善所可以比較的。
雜善,就是《觀經》所說的定善、散善;展開來說,就是念佛之外的八萬四千法門。這裡的念佛,當然是《觀經》付囑文所講的「持無量壽佛名」,而不是「觀無量壽佛像」的觀想或觀像。
念佛看來似乎毫不起眼,非常簡單,有嘴巴就可以念佛,甚至鳥兒也可以念佛,小孩子無知無識也可以念佛,可是功德力用卻是超絕的。因為這是佛中之王的阿彌陀佛的名號,這句名號涵蓋著阿彌陀佛的正覺功德在裡面,因此念佛之法簡易卻超勝。
Namo Amituofo!
