May 4, 2024
Wonderful Metaphors in the Pure Land School
淨土宗妙喻
Five Metaphors that reveal how Amitabha-Recitation is Abundant in Virtuous Roots (by Master Jingzong)
The Land of Bliss is “a place for the assembly of a variety of sacred beings of supreme virtue”, who are great Bodhisattvas in the stage of “becoming Buddhas after one more lifetime”. The question is, how can we get to that wonderful Pure Land of Bliss? The Amitabha Sutra says, “One cannot attain birth in that land with few virtuous roots and meritorious blessings as causal conditions.”
Though the Sutra gives no definition of what “few virtuous roots” means, the text that follows says, “If a good man or woman hears of Amitabha Buddha and holds fast to his name for one day, two days, three, four, five, six or seven days, single-mindedly and without deviation; when that person approaches the point of death Amitabha Buddha and the sacred assembly will appear before him. When death comes his mind will not be confused.
He will at once gain rebirth in Amitabha Buddha’s Land of Bliss.” This indicates that whoever practices Amitabha-recitation will be reborn in the Land of Bliss, and that practitioner is a person of abundant virtuous roots.
In the Sutra on Praise of the Pure Land with Buddhas’ Protection and Reception (a different version of the Amitabha Sutra in Chinese as translated by Dharma Master Xuanzang), references are made to those “who can hear of the Buddha of Infinite Life whose name contains immeasurable, boundless, inconceivable merits and virtues”. Amitabha’s name is described as “containing immeasurable, boundless and inconceivable merits and virtues.” Is this not an affirmation of the abundance of virtuous roots? Also, the six-syllable name “Namo Amituofo” was achieved by Bhikkhu Dharmakara after making great vows in his causal ground and through countless eons of practice. The Buddha’s name is flawless, ultimate, and perfect.
(to be continued tomorrow)
6. 念佛即是多善根之妙喻5則 - 釋淨宗
極樂世界是「諸上善人俱會一處」的地方,在那裏都是「一生補處」的大菩薩。那麼,如何到達如此絕妙的極樂淨土呢?
《阿彌陀經》 說:「不可以少善根福德因緣,得生彼國。」經中沒有具體說明什麼是少善根,但經文接下說:「若有善男子、善女人,聞說阿彌陀佛,執持名號,若一日,若二日,若三日,若四日,若五日,若六日,若七日,一心不亂:其人臨命終時,阿彌陀佛與諸聖眾現在其前;是人終時,心不顛倒,即得往生阿彌陀佛極樂國土。」 這就說明念佛能往生,念佛即是多善根。
►玄奘大師翻譯的《稱讚淨土佛攝受經》(《阿彌陀經》的同本異譯) 說:「得聞如是無量壽佛無量無邊不可思議功德名號。」名號前用「無量無邊不可思議功德」來形容,這不就是多善根嗎?而且南無阿彌陀佛六字名號是法藏比丘因中發願、兆載永劫修行而成,是無漏真實的,是究竟圓滿的。
Namo Amituofo!
