Wonderful Metaphors in the Pure Land School
淨土宗妙喻
10B A Poor Man Who Loses His Gold (continued)
This is a multifaceted metaphor. The “gold” represents the six-character Name: Na Mo A Mi Tuo Fo (i.e. Namo Amitabha Buddha). “The box containing the gold” stands for meditative and non-meditative virtues. “To open the box” refers to the guidance of a good advisor who can help us understand the merits and virtues contained in the six-character Name.
The poor man, who is wild with joy at the first sight of the gold, is analogous to anyone who rejoices upon hearing of the six-character Name for the first time in his whole life. Thinking that “I can definitely be reborn in the Pure Land by just hearing of Amitabha’s Name!”, he can’t wait to share the good news with others.
“We will surely be reborn in the Land of Bliss by having just one thought of Amitabha’s Name! We can all be delivered just like that!” Sadly, he does not practice Amitabha-recitation. Because he does not hold fast to the Name of Amitabha Buddha he is discarding the merits and virtues of Amitabha’s Name, just like the poor man who leaves the gold in the box.
Some people try to warn him that his understanding is incorrect. You still have to recite the Name of Amitabha!”
The foolish man, however, is too lazy to practice Amitabha-recitation. In addition there are those who continue to mislead him and dissuade him from reciting.
“You’ve heard of the Name of Amitabha, you understand its power to save you, and you felt joyful. With that single feeling of joyfulness, your rebirth was assured! It’s only a matter of that one thought. Rebirth or no rebirth, it all depends on that one thought, that joyful feeling. Amitabha-recitation is a practice by self-power and hard work. There’s no need to do that.”
This understanding is seriously flawed. It can harm us just like a thief who steals our invaluable treasure. We must not allow such wrong ideas to stop us from our practice. Instead, follow the teaching of Master Shandao and recite the Name of Amitabha Buddha exclusively and single-mindedly.
——Abstract from the Principles of the Pure Land Path by Master Shandao
10B. 關於信心與念佛妙喻之 - 窮人失金喻 (續)
這是一個比喻。黃金,代表南無阿彌陀佛六字名號;包裝盒,代表定善散善功德;打開包裝,就代表由善知識的開導瞭解六字名號的功德,在初聞名號的當下感到很歡喜:我真的可以往生了!然後就出去跟人家講:這樣就能往生啊,這樣就能往生啊!自己不念佛,不執持名號,等於說把六字名號的黃金功德丟在旁邊。
人家勸他說 : 你老是這樣講不行 啊,你還是要念佛啊!但是他自己懈怠不想念,同時旁邊還有人慫恿他:當你瞭解這句名號的一念之間,你就往生一定了!就是那個感覺,往生不往生,就是那一念信心歡喜的感覺。你去念佛,那是自力苦行,不必多念。
這就是一種邪知邪見,這就是一種賊,會偷掉我們的無上之寶。我們不能被這種邪見障礙了行持,應該老老實實地聽從善導大師的教導,好好念佛。
Namo Amituofo!
