Wonderful Metaphors in the Pure Land School
淨土宗妙喻
3E. To recite Amitabha’s name is like taking medicine.
No matter how serious or chronic a disease is, it can be cured if the remedy is correct. However, for those who are plagued by karmic afflictions, taking certain medicines may not be effective.
Fortunately, Amitabha’s name is known as the Agada medicine, which is the panacea for all illnesses. Nothing can undermine its potency. It can overcome and eradicate any obstacles that hinder it. The practice of Amitabha-recitation is the antidote to the most serious diseases caused by ignorance. It liberates us from the anguish of samsara, ensuring our rebirth in the Western Land of Bliss. A patient who does not follow the directions of his prescriber for taking his medication is unlikely to recover fully despite his full knowledge of the properties of the drugs, their effectiveness, and relevant medical theories. By the same token, those who do not practice Amitabha-recitation are unlikely to achieve Buddhahood even if they are well-versed in Buddhist teachings and doctrines.
3E. 佛無條件救度妙喻之 - 吃藥喻
念佛如吃藥,無論何人,對症則靈,立起沉屙。當然,業障之人可能服藥不靈。但彌陀名號為阿伽陀藥,萬病總治,無有障礙,也不受障礙,且能化除障礙,只要稱念,便可化一切無明大病,脫離生死輪迴之大苦, 往生西方極樂世界。若不服藥,儘管掌握藥性,明瞭藥效,知曉醫理,亦不得病癒;若不念佛,縱然通曉教理,亦難成佛道。
Namo Amituofo!
