Wonderful Metaphors in the Pure Land School
淨土宗妙喻
8A. Amitabha-Recitation is Like a Cheque for 10 Billion Dollars
Imagine a father who wants to provide his young child with a comfortable life. He would toil away to accumulate as much wealth as possible for that purpose. He then deposits all his money in a savings account and shows the child the deposit slip: “My son, this is for you.” He wants the son to inherit his assets. This is parental love - all is intended to benefit the children. They make well thought-out plans to prepare for a secure future for their youngsters.
Before the end of his life, the father says to the son: “My child, I’m about to leave. This slip of paper is a cheque worth 10 billion dollars. It’s my savings of a lifetime, and it’s all yours now. With this, you should be able to have a comfortable life.
The son, unfortunately, is too young to appreciate his father’s words. Taking one look at the cheque, he thinks to himself: “Dad says this is worth 10 billion dollars, but to me, it’s only a piece of paper! When I’m hungry, it’s not as helpful as a sweet potato.
Failing to realize the true value of the 10-billion-dollar cheque, the child simply puts it aside totally unattended. What a pity! This is an utter failure to recognize the preciousness of a real treasure.
Amitabha Buddha is our loving father. He cultivated infinite merits and virtues through five kalpas of reflection and countless eons of practice, then deposited them all in the “bank account” known as the six-character Name. Reciting Amitabha’s Name is the way for us to withdraw abundant merits and blessings. Do not look down upon it!
8A. 念佛就如百億財產的支票
就好像父親養育兒子,兒子還小,為了讓他能夠安樂地生活,就辛辛苦苦地勞動,流血流汗,把自己所掙的一切財富,最後都放入存款單當中,說:「我的兒子,這個給你。」讓兒子能夠繼承他的財富。父母的心就是這樣,一切為了兒女,特別是兒女還小,要為他們作周詳的考慮。
爸爸臨走時說:「孩子!我要走了,這張小小的紙頭,是我一生的積蓄,上面是一百億,給你,你可以過好日子。」
這個兒子很小,把存款支票拿來看看,「父親說這是一百億,但是這只是一 張紙嘛!這張紙,我現在餓了,還不如一個地瓜能讓我飽。」他不瞭解這張支票是百億的財產,所以他很輕易地把它丟到旁邊。太可惜了。這就是有眼不識珍寶。
阿彌陀佛就是我們的慈父,他經過五劫思惟、兆載永劫的修行,把他所集聚的一切功德,濃縮在六字名號的存款單當中。這個六字名號,就好像是存款單,就好像是一張支票,你不要看不起它。
Namo Amituofo!
