Common Knowledge in Pure Land Teaching
淨土小常識
Two Kinds of Dedications (continued)
Dedication means the offering of the six-character Name(Namo Amituofo) to sentient beings in the ten directions, as said in the Fundamental vow. It is the crystallization of Amitabha’s merits and virtues. It can be said that Amitabha Buddha shares his merit and virtues with sentient beings; so that, they in turn can benefit others.
They arise from the functional capacity of the Buddha who bestows the benefits of going and returning through his dedication. Going means rebirth in the Pure Land. It specifically refers to the deep belief in and the exclusive recitation of the Name (“Namo Amituofo”) upon hearing Shakyamuni’s teaching , in order to realize Nirvana upon rebirth in Amitabha’s Pure Land.
So, “going” includes the four Dharma teachings - faith, aspiration, practice, and realization; which are the cause and effect of the rebirth of sentient beings.“Returning” is the attainment of realization through rebirth in the Pure Land.
The Buddha dedicates the cause and effect of “going” or rebirth to all sentient beings, and also of “returning” to the defiled land to guide sentient beings to be reborn in the Pure Land, where they will attain pure Nirvana.
Thus, “returning” means the practice of benefiting others after realization of enlightenment. Amitabha Buddha bestows the capacity to benefit other sentient beings as well.
123 二種迴向 (一) (續)
迴向者,以本願名號賜與十方眾生也。迴向是指阿彌陀佛將功德結晶之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回轉方向,施予眾生。
其中的往相與還相指佛迴向施予眾生的利益(即所迴向之法益),迴向則是佛的作用。同時,往相也是往生淨土之相狀,具體指眾生因聽聞釋尊之說法而深信這句南無阿彌陀佛名號(行),從而得以往生淨土證大涅槃(證)。所以可以說,往相包括教、行、信、證四法,亦即包括眾生往生之因果,而往相的最終歸趣則是證大涅槃。
而佛將此往相迴向給予眾生,亦即佛將往生之因與果通通施予眾生,這便是往相迴向。而還相則是指還來穢土之相狀,具體來說就是已往生淨土並證大涅槃之人還來此穢土,教化、引導眾生往生淨土。
由此可見,所謂還相是指得證佛果以後的利他之行,而阿彌陀佛將此利他之能力施予眾生,這便是還相迴向。
Namo Amituofo!
