Discussion on Excerpts from the Scriptures of the Pure Land School
淨土宗精要法語討論
05. Making the General Vows with the Bodhi Mind in the Infinite Life Sutra
I vow to become a Buddha
With the same sublimity as you, Dharma King.
I shall deliver beings from transmigration
And let them all attain liberation.
I vow to attain Buddhahood
And fulfill this vow universally,
Turning all of the fears [of sentient beings]
Into great peace.
When I become a Buddha,
My land will rank first.
Its inhabitants shall be wonderful,
And its cultivation sites shall be second to none.
My land shall be like nirvana,
Peerless and without equal.
Question 05.01: Dharmakara Bodhisattva made vows to establish his practices. In how many ways can the vows be divided?
Answer: There are three kinds of vows. The first are the vows related to his Dharma Body - I vow to become a Buddha, with the same sublimity as you, Dharma King. The second are the vows related to sentient beings - Turning all of the fears [of sentient beings] into great peace. The third are the vows related to the land - When I become a Buddha, my land will be the most sublime.
05.《無量壽經》 發心總願
6.
願我作佛,齊聖法王,過度生死,靡不解脫。......吾誓得佛,普行此願,一切恐懼,為作大安。......令我作佛,國土第一,其眾奇妙,道場超絕。國如泥洹,而無等雙。
05.1 問:法藏比丘發願,分為哪幾方面?
答:分為三方面,一是攝法身願——「願我作佛,齊聖法王」,二是攝眾生願——「一切恐懼,為作大安」,三是攝淨土願——「令我作佛,國土第一」。
Namo Amituofo!
