Common Knowledge in Pure Land Teaching
淨土小常識
118 Amitabha Buddha (continued)
The Fruition of Becoming a Buddha
The Buddha revealed to us the virtues of Amitabha Buddha’s infinite light and infinite life in the Infinite Life Sutra, and added that the majestic light of the Buddha Amitayus is the most exalted. No other Buddha's light can match his. The light of some Buddhas can extend one yojana to five yojanas; and the distance covered can increase until the light of some Buddhas illuminates one Buddha-land, a hundred or a thousand Buddha-lands, up to boundless Buddha-lands.
The light of some Buddhas illuminates a hundred Buddha-lands, and that of others a thousand Buddha-lands. Briefly, that of Amitayus illuminates the eastern Buddha-land, southern Buddha-land, western Buddha-land, and northern Buddha-land. In the same way, it illuminates the lands in each of the four intermediate quarters, above and below.
For this reason, Amitayus is also called by the following names: the Buddha of Infinite Light, the Buddha of Boundless Light, the Buddha of Unhindered Light, the Buddha of Incomparable Light, the Buddha of the Light of the King of Flame, the Buddha of Pure Light, the Buddha of the Light of Joy, the Buddha of Light of Wisdom, the Buddha of Unceasing Light, the Buddha of Inconceivable Light, the Buddha of Ineffable Light, and the Buddha of the Light Outshining the Sun and the Moon.
If sentient beings encounter his light, their three defilements are removed. They feel tenderness, joy and pleasure; and good thoughts arise. If sentient beings in the three realms of suffering see his light, they will be relieved of and freed from afflictions. At the end of their lives they will all reach emancipation.
The light of Amitayus shines brilliantly, illuminating all the Buddha-lands of the ten quarters. There is no place where it is not perceived. I am not the only one who now praises his light. All the Buddhas, sravakas, pratyekabuddhas and bodhisattvas praise and glorify it in the same way. If sentient beings, having heard of the majestic virtue of his light, glorify it continually day and night with sincerity of heart, they will be able to attain birth in his land as they wish.
Then the multitudes of bodhisattvas and sravakas will praise their excellent virtue. Later, when they attain Buddhahood, all the Buddhas and bodhisattvas in the ten quarters will praise their lights, just as I now praise the light of Amitayus. The majestic glory of the light of Amitayus could not be described properly even if I praised it continuously, day and night, for the period of one kalpa."
The Shastra of Great Wisdom also says, “There are two kinds of lights - physical light and wisdom light. Physical light illuminates matter, similar to sunlight, electric light, fire light and light emitted from the physical body of a Buddha. Wisdom light refers to the flawless infinite wisdom of a Buddha. As said in the Nirvana Sutra, his light exudes wisdom. So, Amitabha’s infinite light, in this case, is not a physical light; but, describes the Buddha’s infinite wisdom using the metaphor of light.
Life, in this case, refers to the lives of sentient beings. So, infinite lifespan means life is unlimited, the body is eternal. Sentient beings have lives that last several decades or more in the world of birth-and-death. Their bodies will change and deteriorate with time. However, Amitabha Buddha transcends the four stages of life - birth, aging, illness, and death. His life is eternal and real.
(to be continued tomorrow)
118 阿彌陀佛 (續)
成佛之果
《無量壽經》卷上在宣說阿彌陀佛之光明無量與壽命無量之德時提到,無量壽佛威神光明最尊第一,諸佛光明所不能及。或有佛光照一由旬、或照二三四五由旬,或照一佛世界、或照百佛世界、或照千佛世界;而阿彌陀佛之光明遍照無量無邊之世界,是故阿彌陀佛號為無量光佛、無邊光佛、無礙光佛、無對光佛、炎王光佛、清淨光佛、歡喜光佛、智慧光佛、不斷光佛、難思光佛、無稱
光佛、超日月光佛。
其有眾生遇斯光者,貪慾、瞋恚、愚癡之三垢消滅,身心柔軟,善心生焉。若在地獄、餓鬼、畜生三塗極苦之處,見此光明,則皆得休息,壽終之後皆蒙解脫。若有眾生聞其光明威神功德,隨意所願,得生其國。
同時,阿彌陀佛壽命長久,不可計數,譬如十方世界無量眾生皆得人身,悉令成就聲聞、緣覺,集會一處,於百千萬劫間禪思一心,竭其智力,不能計量彼佛壽命長遠之數,知其限極。誠然,彼佛壽命非算數譬喻所能知也(取意文)。
《大智度論》卷四十七言「光明有二種,一者色光,二者智慧光。」色光即物質的、有色相的光,如日光、電光、燈光及佛肉身所放之光。智慧光指佛無漏之大智,《涅槃經》言「光明名智慧」。可見,阿彌陀佛無量之光明並非色光,而是智慧光,在此是以光明無量來比喻彼佛智慧之無限。
壽命指有情之生命,壽命無量即生命無限,身體常住不變。眾生於生死之迷界雖可獲得數十、數百年之長壽,但其間歲月變遷,仍不免衰老之變化;但阿彌陀佛超越生老病死之四相,常住不滅,實際存在,這才是壽命無量。
Namo Amituofo!
