Q and A about Practicing Amitabha-Recitation
Part Two - Rebirth through Amitabha-Recitation
第二部分 有關念佛往生
21. Question: If our minds are not pure, with all kinds of miscellaneous thoughts flying around, while reciting Namo Amitabha Buddha, can we still be reborn?
Answer: Most definitely! See the accounts recorded in the Third Collection. Those lay people who recite Amitabha’s name, despite having all kinds of scattered thoughts, can still be reborn.
Actually, whether your mind is pure or not, and whether you have miscellaneous thoughts or not, are not related to rebirth at all. If you exclusively recite Namo Amitabha Buddha, and really wish to be reborn, nothing can obstruct Amitabha’s deliverance.
It is just like traveling on a ship, if your body is already on board, it doesn’t matter what you think, as long as you stay on the ship, you will eventually arrive on the shore.
Taking refuge in Amitabha Buddha means totally surrendering our desire to become a Buddha to Amitabha Buddha. If we exclusively recite Amitabha’s name and fully entrust in his deliverance, our being is already on Amitabha’s great ship.
We have formed one entity with Amitabha. It doesn’t matter what our conscious mind brings up, as they are just thoughts. They are impermanent virtual images without any substance. How can they obstruct Amitabha’s deliverance? How can they prevent Amitabha’s great vow ship from sailing? They can’t! Amitabha’s unimpeded light can easily save us and deliver us to the West.
Generally, we say that if a person has many false and miscellaneous thoughts, his mind is not at ease, and he suffers from numerous afflictions. So, it is better to have fewer miscellaneous thoughts. How can we do that? Try to let go of worldly matters, and recite the Buddha’s name more often. After a while, our miscellaneous thoughts will be reduced.
“The ten-recitation method” adopted by Master Yinguang is also an effective way of practicing “single-minded” Amitabha-recitation.
21問:雖念佛,心不清淨,雜念紛飛,能往生嗎?
答:能!《念佛感應錄》第三集所記往生各例,都是普普通通的念佛人,也都不免多多少少雜念,但都往生。
其實心清淨不清淨、念佛有沒有雜念,與能不能往生是絲毫也不相關的。
專修念佛,真願往生,即使是一天到晚雜念紛飛也一點點都不會障礙阿彌陀佛的救度,一點點都不會影響往生的。
好比身體已經坐上了大船,就是心裏動念想東想西,只要安心在船上而不下船,船仍然會拉著我們到彼岸,而絲毫不受影響。
歸命阿彌陀佛,把我們的解脫成佛的性命交給阿彌陀佛,而一向念阿彌陀佛的名號,安心讓阿彌陀佛救度,我們的心就已經在阿彌陀佛的大願船上,與阿彌陀佛成為一體了;即使第六意識想東想西,不過是「前塵影事」、「虛妄想像」,本身就是生滅無常、沒有體性的,能妨礙阿彌陀佛的救度嗎?
能阻擋阿彌陀佛的大願船嗎?一點點都不會!阿彌陀佛的無礙光,會很輕鬆、毫不費力地把我們救到西方。
只是說一個人的妄想雜念多,內心就不容易安定,心裏也多一些煩惱,所以念佛的人還是希望雜念少一些。那也有方法,就是儘量看淡世事,多念佛,久而久之,自然雜念就會少一些。
印光大師的「十念記數法」也是攝心念佛的好方法。
Namo Amituofo!
