Wonderful Metaphors used in the Pure Land School
淨土宗妙喻
3. Eight Wonderful Metaphors related to Amitabha’s Unconditional Deliverance - by Master Huijing
Amitabha Buddha is omnipresent. His mind fills the entire universe and his light constantly permeates everywhere. He empathizes with sentient beings and understands the situation we are in. No matter when or where, anyone who thinks of Amitabha and recites his name will have the Buddha with him instantly. The Buddha’s mind immediately enters his mind and the Buddha’s light immediately shines upon him.
It says in the Contemplation of Infinite Life Sutra, “Because Buddhas and Tathagatas have Dharma bodies, they are able to enter the invoking mind of every sentient being.”
It also says in the same Sutra, “The light [of Amitabha] permeates all the worlds in the ten directions, embracing sentient beings and never forsaking them.”
The aptitudes of sentient beings are at one with the teachings of Amitabha. When anyone recites the name of Amitabha, he and the Buddha enter each other’s minds. The two will never forsake one another.
The Contemplation of Infinite Life Sutra says, “The Buddha’s mind is filled with boundless compassion. It embraces sentient beings with unconditional kindness.”
“Unconditional kindness” means unconditional love and unconditional deliverance. Amitabha saves us just the way we are.
With infinite kindness and compassion, Amitabha never forces sentient beings to act in any particular way. He has been calling out to us to return
to his Pure Land for countless eons, showering his boundless compassion and selfless love upon us. He vows to deliver us unconditionally.
(to be continued tomorrow)
3. 佛無條件救度之妙喻8則 - 釋慧淨
阿彌陀佛,心涵太虛,光照宇宙,無時不在,無處不在。以眾生之心為心,以眾生之境為境;不論何人,不論何時,不論何處,只要當下憶佛念佛,阿彌陀佛即時與他同在; 佛心入其心,佛光照其身,毫不揀擇,毫無差異。
《觀無量壽經》說:「諸佛如來是法界身,入一切眾生心想中。」又說:「光明遍照十方世界,念佛眾生攝取不捨。」
不論何人,只要念佛,佛入我心、我入佛心;我與佛、佛與我,機法一體,不相捨離。
《觀無量壽經》說:「佛心者,大慈悲是,以無緣慈攝諸眾生。」
「無緣慈」就是無條件的愛心、無條件的救度,我們是什麼樣子,阿彌陀佛就救度什麼樣子的我們。
阿彌陀佛大慈大悲,不勉強眾生做什麼,對眾生只有長劫的呼喚、不捨的關懷、無私的給予、絕對的救度。
Namo Amituofo!
