Common Knowledge in Pure Land Teaching
淨土小常識
109 Even
The word “even”, as mentioned in Amitabha’s 18th Vow, refers to the aspiration to be reborn in Amitabha’s Pure Land for one’s entire life, and for one thought if aspiring at the point of death.
Master Shandao says in his Commentary on the Contemplation Sutra:
It refers to “One’s entire lifetime or just one day, one hour, one thought, etc”, when one is near death.
The general meaning is: once a person aspires to rebirth, he should consistently vow to be reborn in the Pure Land without retrogression, until the end-of-life.
To put it concisely, it means covering one lifetime above( the maximum) and just one thought below(the minimum).
The general meaning is: Once I aspire to be reborn in the Land of Bliss, and aspire to exclusively recite Amitabha’s Name, I will never change my mind during my entire life, until I am reborn in the Land of Bliss at the end.
(to be continued tomorrow)
109 乃至
「乃至」者:上包一形,下包一念。
善導大師《觀經疏》言:
上盡一形,下至一日、一時、一念等。(從多向少)
或從一念十念,至一時、一日、一形。(從少向多)
大意者:一發心以後,誓畢此生,無有退轉,唯以淨土為期。
扼要來說,就是「上包一形,下包一念」。「一形」就是一輩子,「一念」就是臨終
一念。亦即「平生之機,上盡一形;臨終之機,下至一念」。
大意就是:現在發願要往生極樂世界、發願專念彌陀名號之後,盡這一輩子,
都不改變、不退轉,一直到往生極樂淨土為止。所以說「大意者:一發心以後,
誓畢此生,無有退轉,唯以淨土為期」。
Namo Amituofo!
