Basic Knowledge in the Pure Land Teaching
淨土小常識
The Five Virtues of a Lotus
The relationship between a lotus and Buddhism is very close. The lotus is a metaphor that describes a Buddha and is considered to be the flower that represents Buddhism. This is especially true of the Pure Land School, which is also called the Lotus School. The Land of Bliss is called the World of the Lotus Treasure Store. Amitabha Buddha and a multitude of pure bodhisattvas are enthroned on lotus platforms. Whenever someone recites Amitabha’s Name in the Land of Saha, a new lotus flower is born in the Pure Land. Master Fachao said,
“Here, a person recites Amitabha’s Name,
There, in the West, a lotus flower is born.
Thus, that person will no longer retrogress after this life.
This lotus flower is sent to receive him when he is near death and transports him
to the Pure Land.”
A lotus flower is a metaphor that’s used to describe an Amitabha-reciter with faith. As the Contemplation Sutra says, “One ought to know that an Amitabha-reciter is a white lotus flower among mankind.“
Why don’t we use a cherry or chrysanthemum to represent an Amitabha-reciter with faith? It is because a lotus flower has five unique characteristics:
1. The virtue of ‘remaining uncontaminated despite growing in a muddy
pond”
2. The virtue of “having only one flower per stem”
3. The virtue of the “simultaneous production of flower and fruit”
4. The virtue of “one flower with multiple fruits”
5. The virtue of “being hollow inside, but appearing to be upright outside”
(to be continued tomorrow)
130 蓮花五德
蓮花與佛教的關係十分密切，佛經將蓮花譬喻佛，所以最能代表佛教的花，就是蓮花，尤其是淨土宗也稱「蓮宗」，極樂世界亦名「蓮花藏世界」，阿彌陀佛與清淨大海眾菩薩，也都乘坐蓮花，而且只要在娑婆世界念佛，極樂世界便開一朵蓮花。如法照大師所說：
此界一人念佛名，西方便有一蓮生；
但使一生常不退，此花還到此間迎。
蓮花也在於譬喻信心念佛人，如《觀經》說：
若念佛者，當知此人，則是人中芬陀利花。
為什麼不用櫻花、菊花譬喻信心念佛人？就是因為蓮花有其他的花所無法同時具備的五種特徵，因此以蓮花譬喻，稱為「蓮花五德」：
一、污泥不染之德
二、一莖一花之德
三、花果同時之德
四、一花多果之德
五、中虛外直之德
Namo Amituofo!
