Wonderful Metaphors in the Pure Land School
淨土宗妙喻
14. Metaphor of Bulldozer - The Two Buddhas Open a Very Wide Path to the Pure Land
(continued)
What are the obstacles along the path? An example is a toll booth. All vehicles must pay to get through. No one can go further without payment.
Along the easy path to Amitabha’s Pure Land, many teachers of the Sacred Path set up all types of toll booths and barricades. They imposed various conditions for anyone who wanted to get through. For example, they would ask: Is this person a saint or only an ordinary being? If it is the latter, access will be denied because, according to them, ordinary beings are not qualified to be reborn to the Pure Land. With this criterion, not that many people can get through, because sages are so few and far between. Even if ordinary beings are considered qualified, more challenging criteria await: are they virtuous or evil beings? Evil ordinary beings are out. Do the virtuous ones possess wisdom? Are they conversant in the Mahayana scriptures? Have they resolved to achieve bodhicitta? Those who fail to meet any of these criteria are all unacceptable.
Imagine - after so many rounds of stringent scrutiny, only a handful managed to reach the gate of the Pure Land. These survivors found themselves having to face a fence several meters high in front of the gate. They were asked if they were able to achieve a state of meditative concentration, or did they have right mindfulness at the end of their lives. With these criteria the supposedly very wide gate of the Pure Land barely remained open. The very tall fence made entry to the Pure Land nearly impossible.
Notwithstanding all such daunting obstructions, a few finally made it through the gate and entered their long sought-after homeland. However, a rather unpleasant surprise was in store for them: they were not in a blissful and awesome realm which was “as immense as boundless space”, a picture depicted in the sutras. Instead, they were in a rather small courtyard known as “the Realm of Cohabitation for Ordinary and Sacred Beings”.
Such obstructions abounded, including the mistaken view that Amitabha’s Pure Land was only a transformation realm. In order to “have a broad path leading to the Pure Land,” all these obstacles had to be eradicated, in accord with the guidance of Shakyamuni Buddha and the Fundamental Vow of Amitabha Buddha. Master Shandao therefore summarized the core principles of the Pure Land teaching as follows:
“Even ordinary beings can be reborn in the Pure Land of the Realm of Rewards if they recite the name of Amitabha Buddha in accord with his Fundamental Vow.”
Master Shandao’s clear pronouncement of the principles of the Pure Land teaching showed us the truth of all these obstacles and revealed the very broad path, open to ALL beings, to the Pure Land.
(to be continued tomorrow)
14. 推土機喻: 今乘二尊教,廣開淨土門
什麼是路上的障礙呢?就像現在的收費站,過這個站要交錢,沒有錢就不能過。在往生阿彌陀佛淨土門的路上,有人以聖道門觀點,設了很多收費站、障礙口。有哪些呢?比如說,來了一個人,是凡人是聖人?凡夫往生沒有分,靠邊!聖人才讓過,這樣能去幾個?就算凡夫也可以,是善人是惡人?惡人沒分,又擋掉;是善人,有沒有智慧?沒有智慧、不能誦大乘經典,沒有分;會誦大乘經典,有沒有發菩提心?沒有也不行。
非要這樣經過多少關卡,過了一 關又一關,還剩下幾個好不容易到了淨土門旁邊,一看,門檻幾丈高── 修行如果沒達到功夫成片,如果沒有清淨心,不能保證臨終正念,門就跳不過去。這又擋上了!本來是廣大的門,結果變成一條小縫,到門口又加個很高的門檻。
好不容易翻過門檻,有了清淨心,功夫成片了,臨終正念分明,終於跳進門了,但不是「究竟如虛空, 廣大無邊際」,而是給你一個小院子 ──「凡聖同居土」這麼一個小小的地方。
這種種障礙很多,甚至說極樂淨土是化土等等。這些障礙都需要排除,依釋迦牟尼佛的教導、阿彌陀佛的本願來「廣開淨土門」。善導大師的「本願稱名,凡夫入報」,把這些障礙都打開了 ──「廣開淨土門」。
Namo Amituofo!
