Common Knowledge in Pure Land Teaching
淨土小常識
Two Kinds of Deep Faith (continued)
Above all, deep faith in aptitude means we must discard all thoughts of self-powered practices, and deep faith in the teaching means total reliance on Amitabha’s other-power. These two kinds of faith are based on complete faith in “other-power”. They are just like the two sides of a coin, heads and tails. Looking inward at the faith in “other-power”, we can see the deep faith in aptitude. When looking at the outside surface, we can discover the aspect of Amitabha’s vow-power that people entrust with respect to the matter of rebirth.
Total abandonment of self-power implies total reliance on other-power. It is just like brightness coming when darkness is gone, and vice versa. They are two but also just one. They are mutually dependent. When one kind of deep faith is replete, the other kind of deep faith is also replete.
Master Shandao revealed the connotations of real faith in the Great Vow. He proposed the concept of settlement of mind, the commencement of practice,and the karmic act in the Rite of Rebirth, and explained that the Deep Mind of the Three States of Mind comprises “real faith”. So, we should study the two kinds of deep faith from this point of view.
Therefore, faith in the Great Vow means to abandon self-power, and to rely on other-power. (To abandon self-power through deep faith in aptitude, and to rely on other-power through the deep faith in teaching)
(to be continued tomorrow)
121 二種深信 (續)
總而言之,機深信指捨棄依靠自力修行的想法,法深信則指完全仰靠阿彌陀佛之他力。此二種深信既他力信心中所具有的兩種內涵,也是他力信心的一體兩面。這就如同硬幣的表裡兩面,若從裡面對他力信心進行觀察,可以發現的是深信自身之機而捨棄自力修行之思想,即機深信;若從表面進行觀察,則可以發現深信阿彌陀佛之願力,將往生大事完全交託於阿彌陀佛之他力,即法深信。
全捨自力的同時即意味著全托他力,全托他力的同時也意味著全捨自力,恰如暗去光來與光來暗去。曾有先哲將二種深信總結為「二種一具」,我們在先哲的基礎上更進一步,將二種深信總結為「二種互具」。「二種一具」是說二種深信之相狀於一念間即同時具足,「二種互具」是說機深信中具足法深信,法深信中也具足機深信。
善導大師提出二種深信的本意,是為了詳細揭示出弘願真實信心的內涵。善導大師在《往生禮讚》中對安心、起行、作業加以說明,在說明安心時舉出《觀經》之三心,言「二者深心,即是真實信心」,我們應該以這句話為出發點,對大師之所以提出二種深信的理由進行探討。
本來弘願之信心是指拋棄自力、投托他力,所以才要通過提出機深信顯示自力思想之應當棄捨,通過提出法深信揭示出投托他力所應具備的相狀。
Namo Amituofo!
