Common Knowledge in Pure Land Teaching
淨土小常識
The Buddha of Infinite Life (continued)
Other masters observed that there was evidence in the scriptures showing that there are different Buddhas with the same name. In other words, the Buddha of Infinite Life in the West is different from the Infinite Life Buddha in the Land of Bliss.
In a Sutra, 63 Buddhas in the West are listed. It is noted that the 13th one is called Amitabha Tathagata in the Western Land of Bliss, while the 24th and 61st ones are called Amitabha Tathagata in the west. Obviously, the 13th one refers to Amitabha Buddha who accomplished his Fundamental Vow, while the 24th is the one mentioned in the Amitabha Sutra.This one is known as the Infinite LIfe Buddha in the passage on attestation of allBuddhas.
The name of Amitabha is always mentioned in the Amitabha Sutra, but the name of the Infinite Life Buddha is especially used in the passage on the attestation of Buddhas in the six directions. Thus, Kumarajiva deliberately translated these passages using different names in order to differentiate them.
120 無量壽佛 (續)
另外,吉谷覺壽也在《阿彌陀經講義》中說:「應該說是同名異體的。所謂同名異體,是說這兩尊佛雖然都以阿彌陀佛為名,但卻不是同一個佛體。
有關同名異體之例證,《佛說不思議功德諸佛所護念經》卷下之第三紙以下舉出總數達六十三尊的西方諸佛,其中第十三是西方極樂世界阿彌陀如來,第二十四是西方阿彌陀如來,第六十一是西方阿彌陀佛如來,這當中的第十三西方極樂世界阿彌陀如來是本願成就之阿彌陀佛,而第二十四西方阿彌陀如來則是此處證誠段的無量壽佛。
這是如何知道的呢?這之後的第二十五佛到第三十佛之六佛與《阿彌陀經》所列舉的無量相佛等六佛相同,但是很明顯這裡的西方無量壽佛並不是極樂世界的阿彌陀佛。
尤其是這部《阿彌陀經》從題號到經文都是以阿彌陀這一梵語音譯為佛名,而唯獨在證誠段中又特別舉出了無量壽這一譯名,應該說這是鳩摩羅什三藏為了將這裡的無量壽佛與極樂世界的阿彌陀佛相區別,在譯經時有意為之的。」
Namo Amituofo!
