A Wonderful Parable of the Pure Land School
淨土宗妙喻
9. Exposition of the Parable of the Impoverished Son (continued)
We are like the poor son. Although we recite the six-character Name, “Namo Amitabha Buddha” every day, we have no idea that the merits and virtues embodied in the Name are the greatest endowment any buddha could share with us. Instead, we think, “I have recited Amitabha’s Name 20,000 times today. So, only the merits of those 20,000 recitations are mine; the merits contained in his name belong to the Buddha.”
This is exactly what the impoverished son thought when he was working in the manor. Dealing with accounts and books each day, he thought that all the wealth he helped to take care of belonged only to his master, while he himself was no more than a wage-earner. He didn’t know that his father was going to entrust the whole estate to him.
When the right time comes, Amitabha Buddha reveals his true intent: “Now that you recite my Name and accept the fact that you are my child, the entire Land of Bliss is yours.”
The Buddha gives us his whole Land of Bliss for free! Only then do we dare to accept the present with delight. To make sure that we accept his generous gift of the entire Land of Bliss,
Amitabha Buddha skillfully opens the doors of the various other Dharma practices, in order to give us time for our aptitudes to gradually evolve. As a result, we become accepting of the idea of the treasures stored within the meritorious six-character Name.
When we start to have faith in the Dharma path of Amitabha-recitation and earnestly practice it, this suggests that our aptitudes are fully developed. Like the beggar in the parable, we have already done enough toilet-cleaning and it is time for the rich elder’s “press conference”. It goes to show that we already possess abundant virtuous roots.
In contrast, those who have few virtuous roots or meritorious blessings, cannot recite Amitabha’s Name exclusively and scrupulously. They are like the pauper son whose aspirations were low and who was too afraid to accept the exceedingly generous gift of the entire manor. Terrified, he simply fled.
You may say to a person who has no spiritual faith, “Practice Amitabha-recitation and you will be reborn in the Pure Land!”
He is likely to respond with this: “No! No! I cannot believe that’s true!”
You may say to a lay Buddhist, “Practice Amitabha-recitation and you will be reborn in the Pure Land!”
He will reply, “Hold on! I am pursuing the paths leading to rebirth in the realms of human or celestial beings!”
You may say to a practitioner who is seeking liberation from samsara, “You should aspire to be reborn in the Western Land of Bliss!”
He will express doubt. “How can I possibly be qualified to gain rebirth in such a wonderful land?”
Reacting like the impoverished son, he is convinced that he is not good enough to be admitted to the splendid manor. Our father is the “king of all Buddhas, and the supreme among all lights.” Buddha Amitabha, our compassionate father, has vowed to save all sentient beings who have been endlessly wandering in the Three Wretched Realms, deluded and ungrateful.
So, let us each comply with the teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha to accord with Amitabha’s great vows, and be a filial child to our compassionate father, Amitabha.
——Excerpt from the Keynote Speeches Summarizing the Amitabha Sutra
9.1 釋窮子喻 (續)
我們也一樣，每天念這句「南無阿彌陀佛」，不知道這六字名號裏面的所有功德就是我們的，還認為：「我念了兩萬聲，這兩萬聲的數字才是我的；六字名號裏面的功德是阿彌陀佛的。」就像窮子已經進到莊園，每天在做出納、會計，他認為經手的這些財產是大富長者的，自己只拿工作的工資，不知道他的父親要把整個莊園給他。
又經過一段時間，時機成熟了，阿彌陀佛才說：「汝今念佛，本是我子，極樂世界，歸汝所有。」全部送給我們。我們這個時候才敢歡喜接受。
阿彌陀佛要把他整個極樂國土布施給我們，千方百計讓我們接受，讓我們在種種法門裏摸爬滾打，慢慢調熟我們的根器，我們才慢慢接受六字名號的功德大寶。
大家能夠相信念佛的法門，能夠老實念佛，是已經經過了除糞的工作，是已經到了大富長者開新聞發布會的時候了，根機已經成熟了，是多善根福德，非少善根福德。沒有大善根、沒有大福德的人，決定不會老實念這句名號。
就好像那個乞丐，根機還沒成熟，決定不敢接受整個莊園， 逃跑了，嚇昏了。
對世間人說：「某某人，你念佛往生吧！」
「不去不去不去。」
對學佛的人說：「你念佛往生吧！」
「慢點！我求人天福報！」
對修行解脫的人說：「你念佛往生吧！」
「我哪裡夠資格到極樂世界？」
就好像那個乞丐，認為自己沒有資格進這座莊園。我們的父親是「諸佛中之王、光明中之極尊也」，彌陀慈父，救度我們四處流浪、桀驁不馴、違逆負心的眾生。
所以，大家要隨順佛願，要孝順於佛。
Namo Amituofo!
