Common Knowledge in Pure Land Teaching
淨土小常識
Two Kinds of Dedications
“Dedication” refers to the way Amitabha Buddha shares his Name (accomplished in his Fundamental Vow) with sentient beings in the ten directions. He allows us to share the power of his Name (Namo Amituofo in Chinese), which is the crystallization of all of his merits and virtues. He freely shares those merits and virtues with us by allowing us to recite his Name.
In his Commentary on the Treatise of Rebirth Master Tanluan explains that “All births in the Pure Land and all the acts of Bodhisattvas, celestial beings, and human beings there, result from the power of Amitabha Buddha’s Fundamental Vow. Why do we say this? If not for the power of the 18th Vow, the 48 vows would have been made in vain. We will now use three vows to prove what we mean.”
He then quoted the 18th Vow, the 11th Vow, and the 22nd Vow to illustrate that, no matter whether the dedication is for “going” or “returning”, the process is totally dependent on the power of Amitabha’s Fundamental Vow.
“All births in the Pure Land” refers to those acts that are dedicated to “going”, and “all the acts of Bodhisattvas as well as celestial and human beings there” refers to those acts that are dedicated to “returning”. Thus, through the two kinds of dedications, Master Tanluan reveals that rebirth is purely due to the teaching of “Amitabha’s Other-Power”.
The two kinds of dedications also explain Amitabha Buddha’s method for delivering sentient beings. In the dedication for “going”, it explains how all of the merit and virtues required for rebirth in the Land of Bliss are bestowed by Amitabha. In the dedication for “returning”, his power for guiding and teaching sentient beings to aspire to be reborn in the Pure Land and also, instilling the desire to return to the Land of Saha to enlighten sentient beings.
(to be continued tomorrow)
二種迴向(二)
「迴向」,是指阿彌陀佛以本願名號賜與十方眾生,將功德的結晶──「南無阿彌陀佛」六字名號施予眾生,也可以說是阿彌陀佛將自己所得之功德迴轉方向,施予眾生。
曇鸞大師在《往生論註》卷下之末,做出「覈求其本」釋,指出「凡是生彼淨土,及彼菩薩、人天所起諸行,皆緣阿彌陀如來本願力故。」
接著又引用第十八願、第十一願和第二十二願,論證若往若還,都是乘阿彌陀佛的本願力。
在這一段釋文中,「生彼淨土」就是「往相」,「彼菩薩、人天所起諸行」就是「還相」。曇鸞大師的「往相」「還相」皆緣佛之願力,指出二種迴向都是佛所迴向,藉此以顯明純他力往生的要義。
二種迴向在說明阿彌陀佛的他力迴向、阿彌陀佛救度眾生的方法。其中的「往相迴向」是說明:佛施予眾生往生極樂淨土所必須的功德,和往生後成佛所必須的功德。「還相迴向」則是說明:眾生往生淨土、成就佛果後,還來娑婆之穢土,引導、教化眾生往生淨土的能力,也同樣是由佛所迴向施予的。
Namo Amituofo!
