Wonderful Metaphors in the Pure Land School
淨土宗妙喻
Amitabha-Recitation Generates Abundant Merits and Blessings (continued)
8E. Amitabha-Recitation Is Like an Imperial Order for Remitting Offenses
A royal name carries great political clout. For example, when the great Qing Dynasty Emperor signed his name ‘Kangxi’, that signature alone was enough to grant clemency in capital punishment cases; or to confer on a commoner an official appointment.
Amitabha’s Great Six-Character Name ‘Namo Amituofo’ contains immeasurable power, that can save us from endless reincarnations in the Three Domains and the Six Realms. An example would be a person convicted of a capital offense, who is supposed to be put to death. Despite the fact that we have committed countless negative acts, we are extremely fortunate to have the powerful Name of Amitabha Buddha to rely on. Consequently, our karmic offenses are absolved.
Amitabha Buddha, “the king of all Buddhas, and the supreme light,” compassionately grants a general amnesty to iniquitous sentient beings in the ten directions.
Look at the vow he made, “When I have become a Buddha, I shall free all sentient beings of the ten directions of their negative karma, so that they will no longer suffer from transmigration and return to my Pure Land of Bliss.”
By what means did Amitabha Buddha fulfill his promise? The answer is: his Name. “When I attain perfect enlightenment, I shall be known by the Name of ‘Infinite Life (Amitabha)’. “Whoever hears of my Name and exclusively recites it, is assured of rebirth in my Buddha-land.”
With his merits and virtues entirely embodied in the six-character Name, Amitabha Buddha can deliver all sentient beings , universally and equally granting the remission of all karmic offenses we have ever committed.
All in all, Amitabha’s Name possesses supreme virtue and infinite merits. Being rich in Amitabha’s virtues and meritorious blessings, the six-character Name is perfect, complete, and unsurpassed. (From the Lectures on the Essence of the Amitabha Sutra)
8E. 念佛即是多福德妙喻之五 - 帝王赦罪喻
像康熙大帝,他御筆一揮,「康熙」,啊!這個名裏就有他帝王的威德。犯了死刑的,可以免你的罪;平民百姓,可以提升官職。
阿彌陀佛六字名號的威德,就可以讓我們免除三界六道的輪迴,本來我們是判了死刑,要墮落地獄了,但是六字名號能消除我們的罪業。
阿彌陀佛是「佛中之王,光中極尊」,大赦十方眾生。「我成了佛了,就要普遍赦免十方眾生的罪業,讓他們不再輪迴,通通回歸我的淨土。」他憑什麼呢?
靠他的名號,「我若成正覺,立名無量壽,眾生聞此號,俱來我剎中。」六字名號含攝一切的功德,所以才可以普遍平等地救度我們,赦免我們的罪業。阿彌陀佛,名就是德,德即是名;阿彌陀佛有多少功德,名號就是多少功德,多善多福,圓滿無上。 (摘自《阿彌陀經核心講記》)
Namo Amituofo!
