Wonderful Metaphors in the Pure Land School
淨土宗妙喻
10A The Mere Sight of Food Cannot End Hunger
Imagine there is a person dying of hunger, so we offer him a bun. Seeing the bun,
the hungry man cheers up at once. However, we then take back the food just
offered. Do you think that the person’s hunger has gone? Of course not. What satisfies his hunger is eating the bun, not his joy at the sight of it.
Similarly, no matter how joyful a person is when he hears of the Pure Land Dharma path, if he does not practice exclusive Amitabha-recitation afterwards, he will derive no benefit at all. It is just like a hungry man having no bun to eat. The joy at the sight of the bun doesn’t satisfy his hunger. Eating the bun is a metaphor for the exclusive recitation of the Name of Amitabha. All those who scrupulously recite the six-character Name of the Buddha are assured of rebirth in the Land of Bliss, whether they are joyful or not. Therefore, the practice of Amitabha-recitation is crucial for giving us the ultimate benefit.
Shakyamuni Buddha teaches us various Dharma paths. The joyous feeling one may feel upon hearing about Amitabha’s deliverance is an expedient way the Buddha employs to lead us to our exclusive practice of Amitabha-recitation.
10A. 關於信心與念佛妙喻之 - 見食不飽喻
一個人餓得快要死了,我們拿一個饅頭給他。他看見這個饅頭,當下信心歡喜。他歡喜之後,我們就把饅頭收起來。請問他能飽嗎?歡喜不能讓他飽肚子,饅頭才能讓他飽肚子。聞法歡喜,回去不念佛,等於饅頭沒有吃到,空歡喜一場!饅頭就代表佛號。只要吃饅頭,不歡喜也能飽肚子。老實稱念南無阿彌陀佛,雖然不歡喜,也能往生。所以,念佛很重要。
聞很多法,都是讓我們落實一向念佛的前方便。
Namo Amituofo!
