Common Knowledge in Pure Land Teaching
淨土小常識
118 Amitabha Buddha (continued)
The Cause of Becoming a Buddha
The Infinite Life Sutra mentions about 53 Buddhas who appeared in this world in the past, with each one succeeding the others. They preached and taught an immeasurable number of sentient beings, to enable them to be reborn in a higher realm. After that, a Buddha called Lokeshvararaja Buddha appeared and shared the Dharma to deliver sentient beings.
At that time, a king heard the Buddha’s Dharma, deeply and joyfully believed his teachings, and aspired to the Bodhi Mind. He surrendered his royal status and was ordained as a monk, called Dharmakara. After being ordained as Bhiksu Dharmakara, he made vows to become a Buddha, create his Western Pure Land, and deliver sentient beings who suffer in the sea of birth-and-death.
Bhiksu Dharmakara was empowered by Lokeshvararaja Buddha to perceive 21.1 billion Buddha-lands. He scrutinized all of them, and prepared a blueprint of his own Buddha-land, that contained all the essences of the other Buddha-lands. After deeply meditating for 5 eons, he set forth his forty-eight vows.
For the sake of accomplishing his great vows, Bhiksu Dharmakara vigorously practiced and accumulated all varieties of merits and virtues with his pure mind: without false thoughts or deviant views, with a pristine real mind, without any pretensions or flattery, and with a compassionate mind to benefit all sentient beings. Eventually, he fulfilled all of his great vows and became Amitabha Buddha.
(to be continued tomorrow)
118 阿彌陀佛 (續)
成佛之因
《無量壽經》提到,在過去久遠劫之前,有錠光、光遠、月光、旃檀光乃至處世等五十三尊佛次第出現於是世,教化無量眾生,令入滅度。其後又有世自在王佛出現於世,說法度生。
爾時有一國王聞佛說法,深信歡喜,發大菩提心,捨棄其國土與王位而出家為僧,號為法藏。法藏比丘因聽聞世自在王佛說法,於是發願自己成佛,復欲成就淨土,救度沉沒於生死苦海之眾生。
法藏比丘又蒙世自在王佛加持,觀見二百一十一億諸佛國土,於其中選捨粗惡,選取善妙,以之為藍本,經過五劫思惟,發下四十八大願。而法藏比丘為成就其所發之大誓願,又於不可思議兆載永劫之間,以離於妄想邪念之純清淨心、離於虛偽諂曲之純真實心、利益眾生之大慈悲心,修行種種行業,積累其功德,勇猛精進,志願無倦。最終圓滿其大誓願,成為阿彌陀佛。
Namo Amituofo!
