Basic Knowledge in the Pure Land Teaching
淨土小常識
Three Kinds of Naturalness (continued)
2. The Naturalness of vow power
It refers to Amitabha’s power, expressed in his Fundamental Vow. Amitabha Buddha took 5 eons to formulate and make his 48 great vows. He further took countless eons to accumulate merits and virtues through the Bodhisattva practices that power his 48 vows.
Among them, the 18th Vow is the fundamental one. It says, “ if sentient beings recite this Name even ten times and fail to attain rebirth, I will not attain perfect Enlightenment.” This is the agreement between Amitabha Buddha and sentient beings.
Sentient beings who accept Amitabha’s offer and recite his Name “even ten times,” will attain assured rebirth with recourse to Amitabha’s vow power. Amitabha dedicated his attainment of perfect Enlightenment to Amitabha-reciters’ assured rebirth. He is now a Buddha who lives up to the promise he made in his18th Fundamental Vow. Amitabha has accomplished all that is necessary to deliver us to his Pure Land.
The 18th Vow is the source of Amitabha’s power, merits, and virtues; that benefits himself by benefiting others. As Amitabha becomes a Buddha, all sentient beings in the ten directions, including: sacred and ordinary, good and evil, wise and foolish, benevolent and unworthy ones, can be naturally reborn in the Land of Bliss with recourse to the Power of Amitabha’s Fundamental Vow.
The Infinite Life Sutra says, “By the power of that Buddha’s Fundamental Vow, those who hear his Name and wish to be reborn will All reach his land, and naturally attain the state of non-retrogression.”
This verse regarding the Fundamental Vow was specially selected by Shakyamuni Buddha. It indicates that the merits and virtues that are the source of Amitabha Buddha’s power are stored in his 18th Vow.
Because of the power of Amitabha’s 18th Vow, any sentient being who hears his Name (“Namo Amituofo”), aspires to be reborn in the Land of Bliss, and exclusively recites “Namo Amituofo”will attain assured rebirth, and infinitely dwell in the state of non-retrogression.
The Infinite Life Sutra says, “The Pure Land teaching does not go against [our will] and can be attained as a natural process.”
(to be continued tomorrow)
133 三種自然 (續)
二、願力自然(他力自然)
願力自然是指阿彌陀佛的本願力。阿彌陀佛以五劫的時間思考出四十八大願,又以兆載永劫的時間累積菩薩萬行,完成四十八願,使願願都有了功德力。
其中,又以第十八願為本願之根本,願文說:「乃至十念,若不生者,不取正覺。」這是阿彌陀佛與十方眾生的約定。
眾生以「乃至十念」的念佛之行,就能乘上彌陀願力,必定往生淨土;彌陀則以念佛眾生的必定往生為代價,酬答本願,最終成佛。也就是說,阿彌陀佛依四十八願的根本願──第十八願之力而成就救度眾生的佛身,也依第十八願之力而得以救度十方眾生。
第十八願是阿彌陀佛自利、利他的功德力之源。現在阿彌陀佛已經成佛,十方眾生不論凡聖、善惡、智愚、賢不肖,凡是得以往生極樂淨土的,都是乘彌陀本願力而自然得生。
《無量壽經》說:其佛本願力,聞名欲往生,皆悉到彼國,自致不退轉。這是本願偈之文,是世尊親自抉擇彌陀本願的願偈,也就是說,阿彌陀佛一佛的功德、力用之根本,正在第十八願。
由於阿彌陀佛第十八願的力量,當眾生聽到了這一句「南無阿彌陀佛」名號而願生極樂國土,從此專念「南無阿彌陀佛」,這樣的話,每一個人統統都能夠到極樂國土,而且從現在開始,自自然然就不退轉。《無量壽經》又說:其國不逆違,自然之所牽。
Namo Amituofo!
