Basic Knowledge in the Pure Land Teaching
淨土小常識
The Five Virtues of a Lotus ( continued)
2. The virtue of “having only one flower per stem”
Cherry and peach trees have many flowers on each stem; but, there is only one flower on each stem of a lotus. This characteristic is a metaphor to show that Amitabha’s deliverance is a matter for each individual and cannot be taken on by others. Whoever believes and accepts can be reborn and become a Buddha.
Whoever does not believe or accept will continue to reincarnate on the path of birth-and-death. It is like a father and son who must each climb a mountain, neither can do it for the other.
The Infinite Life Sutra says, “In the midst of worldly desires and attachments one comes and goes alone, is born alone and dies alone. After death, one goes to a painful or a pleasant state of existence. Each receives his karmic consequences and no one else can take his place.”
The Earth Store Sutra also says, “Fathers and sons love each other, but walk different paths in their lives. Thus, if they meet each other (in hell), neither can suffer for the other.”
3. The virtue of “simultaneous production of flower and fruit”
The greatest characteristic of a lotus flower is the simultaneous production of its flower and fruit. All other flowers must blossom first, then produce their fruit later; but, lotus flowers produce their flower and fruit simultaneously. What does this metaphor symbolize?
The “Blossom” represents one’s “belief and acceptance of Amitabha’s deliverance”, as said in Amitabha’s 18th Vow in the Infinite Life Sutra, “sincerely and joyfully entrust themselves to me.” “Fruit” represents “assured rebirth in the Land of Bliss without retrogression. It is attained at
the moment of “believing and accepting Amitabha’s deliverance”. One “immediately attains assured rebirth, and dwells in the state of non-retrogression.” (as said in the text on Amitabha’s accomplishment of his 18th Vow in the Infinite Life Sutra.
Master Tanluan used the following metaphor to describe it. It is “like a dark room without any light coming in for a thousand years. It will immediately be brightened as soon as a light shines in”. The “Darkness” cannot refuse to go even though it occupied the room for a thousand years! Light comes and darkness goes, they happen at the same time.
(to be continued tomorrow)
130 蓮花五德 (續)
二、一莖一花之德：
櫻花、桃花，是一枝莖條開很多朵花，而蓮花是一枝莖條只開一朵花。
蓮花一莖一花的特色，是譬喻被彌陀救度是每個人自己的事，別人不能代替。誰信受誰往生成佛，誰不信受誰依然輪迴，生死路上，如父子登山，各自努力，彼此不能相代。
如《無量壽經》說：「人在世間，愛欲之中，獨生獨死，獨去獨來；當行至趣，苦樂之地，身自當之，無有代者。」又如《地藏經》說：「父子至親，歧路各別；縱然相逢，無肯代受。」
三、花果同時之德：
同時開花，同時結果，這是蓮花最大的特色。其他種類的花都是先開花後結果，而蓮花最主要的不同就是花果同時，這譬喻著什麼？
「開花」是指信受彌陀救度，如《無量壽經》第十八願成就文所說「信心歡喜」。「結果」是譬喻信受的當下，獲得往生極樂且住不退轉的身分，如《無量壽經》第十八願成就文所說「即得往生，住不退轉。」
曇鸞大師譬喻說：「譬如千歲闇室，光若暫至，即便明朗，闇豈得言，在室千歲而不去耶？」光來闇去與闇去光來，是同時的。
Namo Amituofo!
