Wonderful Metaphors in the Pure Land School
淨土宗妙喻
11. A Metaphor Regarding Arrogance and Doubts (continued)
To make my point, I will use one last metaphor. Imagine you plan to go to Beijing from Guangzhou. It is unlikely you would say: I doubt if I can get there on foot in under one hour. Such an impossible mission is not worthy of being the subject of doubt. However, if you travel by plane, then doubt about making it in an hour would make sense.
Let’s make one thing clear: before you raise a doubt about something, ask yourself if it is a valid and rational doubt. For Pure Land practitioners who have doubts [about the benefits or efficacy of the practice], the appropriate target of skepticism should be Amitabha Buddha. It would be presumptuous of us to doubt ourselves [as we’re equating ourselves with the Buddha].
“Oh no, Master!” you may say. “How could I dare to doubt Amitabha Buddha!” The wise question to ask is, is it reasonable to do so?
Let me explain. It was Amitabha Buddha who vowed to deliver us to his Pure Land. We entrust ourselves to him and believe that he can do so. Therefore, if we have any doubt, we should direct our questions to Amitabha. It is legitimate to ask, “Amitabha, do you have compassion? Does your vow have any power? Can you deliver me when I recite your name? Have you attained Buddhahood?” Naturally,for those who have faith in Amitabha Buddha, none of these questions arise.
Amitabha vowed, “Should I be unable to save you, may I not attain perfect enlightenment.” Now that he has become a Buddha, there is no room for doubting him.
Accordingly, the Pure Land school leaves us no room for doubts. It is redundant to doubt Amitabha Buddha [since he’s already attained perfect enlightenment with infinite vow power to save all sentient beings]. To doubt ourselves is presumptuous [because we have no merit or virtue to be liberated from reincarnation by our own effort]. Does that make sense?
Therefore, having faith in Amitabha means entrusting ourselves to the Buddha unreservedly, without any doubt.
Excerpts from the Lectures by Master Yinguang
(to be continued tomorrow)
比如說你從廣州要到北京去,「我懷疑我自己一個小時走不到」,這個也都沒有懷疑的資格,因為你不可能做到。如果坐飛機,那就可能懷疑了,「我今天這個航班,一個小時能不能到?我懷疑,怕不能到!」這種懷疑才是合理的。
大家要聽明白,疑,要如理,要合理地懷疑才行。我們修淨土法門,要懷疑,你懷疑阿彌陀佛,這才合理;你懷疑你自己,不合理,就是膽大包天。
「哎呀!師父,我敢懷疑阿彌陀佛嗎?你還說懷疑阿彌陀佛是合理的?」
這個,分析給你聽:因為阿彌陀佛要救度我們往生西方極樂世界。就是說:「我能不能往生,我靠你,我既然信靠阿彌陀佛了,如果要懷疑就懷疑他」,那當然,不懷疑,就是不懷疑了。「阿彌陀佛,你有沒有慈悲,你有沒有願力,你能不能救我?我念你的名號,你能不能救得了我?你有沒有成佛?」
他說:「我救不了你,我不成佛。」他成佛了,這就沒有懷疑的餘地了。所以,淨土法門我們是沒有懷疑的餘地的,你要懷疑阿彌陀佛,他已經成佛了;你懷疑你自己,你不夠資格。是不是這個道理?
所以,我們信佛,就是信靠佛,真信、不懷疑。
Namo Amituofo!
