Wonderful Metaphors in the Pure Land School
淨土宗妙喻
8B, Amitabha-Recitation Is Like a Powerful Bow
The fact is, we possess no merits or virtues comparable to those of the six-character Name. The best we can do is to practice the Five Precepts and Ten Good Actions. The virtuous roots and blessings accumulated from such practices are only good enough to achieve rebirth in the human and celestial realms [which are still part of samsara]. With such merits attainment of an Arhat's status (let alone Buddhahood) is beyond our reach.
Let me illustrate this by using bows and arrows as a metaphor. The power of one bow varies greatly from that of another.
Imagine the practice of the Five Precepts and the Ten Good Actions is a bow, and each of us sentient beings is an arrow notched on it. How far can this arrow be shot? The answer is: within the human and celestial realms at best. Pulled by the gravitational force of the Three Domains, [even with the most powerful bow], the arrow can go no further. It is like the physics involved in a satellite orbiting around our planet. The moon cannot escape the law of gravity and leave its orbit. The power of the bow of the Five Precepts and Ten Good Actions cannot deliver a practitioner beyond the realms of human and celestial beings. To be able to be reborn in a higher realm, such as Arhats or Pratyekabuddhas, one must be capable of perfectly practicing the Four Noble Truths or the Twelve links of Dependent Origination, which are the teachings for these Two Vehicles respectively.
Even if a practitioner can undertake such higher-level practices, he’s still far from the orbit of Bodhisattvas. To reach the realm of Bodhisattvas, the practitioner will have to use a more powerful bow. This means that he must first generate bodhicitta (the desire to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of sentient beings) and practice the most arduous Bodhisattva Way through countless lifetimes and kalpas.
8B. 念佛即是多福德妙喻之二 - 強弓喻
其實,我們是沒有資格和六字名號相比的。我們所做的,充其量只是五戒十善。五戒十善的善根福德,會讓我們獲得人天的果報。以五戒十善的善根福德,想做阿羅漢都不行,何況想去成佛呢?
就好像弓箭一樣,弓的力量各自不同。比如說五戒十善就是一張弓,我們每個眾生就是弓上的一支箭,射到哪裡呢?頂多是人道或天道。到了天道以後,沒勁了,掉下來了,你還在三界的吸引力範圍之內。好像地球的衛星一樣,還沒有脫離地球的引力,還在地球的吸引力範圍之內。五戒十善的力量,這把弓的強度只能把我們送到人天,不可能送到阿羅漢那個境界;如果要得到阿羅漢、辟支佛的境界,必須能夠修四諦、十二因緣法。但是,離菩薩的軌道還差得很遠,那必須用更大力量的強弓,發大菩提心,累世累劫修行。
Namo Amituofo!
