Basic Knowledge in the Pure Land Teaching
淨土小常識
Three Kinds of Naturalness (continued)
In the Rite of Praise of Rebirth, Master Shandao quotes the 18th vow, “If, when I achieve Buddhahood, sentient beings of the ten directions who wish to be reborn in my land, rely on the power of my Vow, and recite my name, even ten times, should fail to be born there, may I not attain Perfect Enlightenment.
Today Amitabha is before us, having achieved Buddhahood. We should know that his Fundamental Vow has been unequivocally fulfilled. If sentient beings recite his Name, they will certainly be reborn in the Land of Bliss.”
This means that, if Amitabha has become a Buddha, he is capable of delivering sentient beings who aspire to be reborn in the Land of Bliss by exclusively reciting “Namo Amituofo”; even if they recite ten times near the end-of-life, they will naturally be reborn with recourse to Amitabha’s great Fundamental Vow.
'Namo' means to take refuge in, which is “faith”, and to dedicate one’s merit towards rebirth is “aspiration”. Reciting 'Amitabha Buddha' is the practice. Thus, it can be said that faith, aspiration and practice are replete within the great six-character Name. So, if sentient beings exclusively recite Namo Amituofo, they are fully assured of rebirth through reliance on the power of Amitabha’s 18th Vow.
(to be continued tomorrow)
133 三種自然 (續)
善導大師在《往生禮讚》中對本願解釋說:
若我成佛,十方眾生,稱我名字,下至十聲,若不生者,不取正覺;
彼佛今現,在世成佛,當知本誓,重願不虛,眾生稱念,必得往生。
意思是,如果阿彌陀佛成佛,就能使願生極樂國土、專稱「南無阿彌陀佛」的眾生,即便臨終稱名十聲,也能仰仗本弘誓願之力自然往生。
《觀經疏》中解釋六字名號說:言「南無」者,即是歸命,亦是發願迴向之義;言「阿彌陀佛」者,即是其行:以斯義故,必得往生。
「南無」本身就是歸命,也就是「信」;「發願迴向」就是「願」;「言『阿彌陀佛』者, 即是其行」,就是「行」。可說這六字名號裡面,信、願、行統統具足,所以眾生稱念「南無阿彌陀佛」,就必定能仰賴佛的願力自然往生。
Namo Amituofo!
