Basic Knowledge in the Pure Land Teaching
淨土小常識
132. The Most Honored Name of Ultimate, Perfect, and Harmonious Virtue (continued)
The following are quotations from Shakyamuni Buddha and the Pure Land patriarchs as evidence:
“All Buddhas’ names are accomplished through their vows and practices. By merely reciting Amitabha Buddha’s Name, which contains all virtues, a person can attain the Greatest Virtue that will enable us to abandon rebirth.”
“Amitabha’s Name is a consolidation of all virtues. Thus, Amitabha’s Name contains all of the merit and virtues attained through internal realization including: the Four Kinds of Wisdom, the Three Bodies, the Ten Powers, and the Four Kinds of Fearlessness. It also possesses all the merit and virtues for external functions including: the marks of goodness, light, the skills for preaching, and benefiting sentient beings.”
“With even one recitation of Amitabha’s Name, the ultimate goal of all practices is reached, because the six character Name is the root of all virtues.”
“ Amitabha’s Name is replete with all of the merits and virtues attained through all practices, without anything lacking; from one’s initial aspiration to perfect Enlightenment, and the ultimate achievement of Buddhahood. It is not just confined to Amitabha ; but, also includes all of the merits and virtues of all Buddhas in the ten directions. Within the six characters in the Name are all virtues. It is just like a Mani pearl that creates an immeasurable amount of gems though its size is small.”
(to be continued tomorrow)
132 圓融至德嘉號 (續)
引證佛言祖語如下:
•諸佛願行,成此果名;但能念號,具包眾德,故成大善,不廢往生。
──窺基大師
•名號者是萬德之所歸也。然則彌陀一佛所有四智、三身、十力、四無畏等一切內證功德,
相好、光明、說法、利生等一切外用功德,皆悉攝在阿彌陀佛名號之中。
•弘願一稱者,萬行之宗致;果號三字者,眾德之根源。
──法然上人
•彌陀名號之中,即彼如來從初發心乃至佛果,所有一切萬行萬德,皆悉具足,無有缺減。非唯彌陀一佛功德,亦攝十方諸佛功德。今此佛號文字雖少,具足眾德。如如意珠形體雖少,雨無量財。
──永觀上人《往生十因》
Namo Amituofo!
