Wonderful Metaphors in the Pure Land School
淨土宗妙喻
Five Metaphors revealing how Amitabha-Recitation is Abundant in Virtuous
Roots (by Master Jingzong) (continued)
The Crown Prince Versus the Ministers
In the Writings of Master Yinguang, there is a metaphor that says, “When a crown prince is born, the baby is naturally of a higher rank than all of the ministers in the court.” Despite being newly born, the moment the baby prince comes into this world, he has a far higher rank than all of the court officials. Even the Prime Minister must prostrate before his Royal Highness, who is destined to ascend to the throne when he becomes a man.
Amitabha-reciters are like the newly born prince because our father is Amitabha Buddha. With our aspiration to be reborn in the Western Land of Bliss, we become newly born Buddhas-to-be like the baby prince, while Arhats and Pratyekabuddhas are just like imperial functionaries. With the practice of Amitabha-recitation, we surpass all of the sagely stages, such as Arhat and Pratyekabuddha, and go directly to the stage of Bodhisattva on our path to Buddhahood.
6C. 念佛即是多善根妙喻之三 - 太子對群臣喻
《印光法師文鈔》裏有一則比喻:「譬如太子墮地,貴壓群臣。」 這個小小的太子,才生下來,呱呱墜地,他的尊貴就超過了一切大臣,宰相也要向他禮拜,因為他長大後是要做皇帝的。
我們念佛人就好像剛墜地的太子,我們的父親是阿彌陀佛。我們願生西方極樂世界,就是佛子誕生墜地,而阿羅漢、辟支佛等就如群臣。我們念佛就超過了阿羅漢、辟支佛,直接進入菩薩的階位。
Namo Amituofo!
