Wonderful Analogies in Pure Land School
淨土宗妙喻
Metaphor 16: Building a House
Imagine that a father and mother have just built a new house for their children, with a well-designed interior, beautiful garden, and backyard. However, the children are either unable to move into the house or they are unwilling to do so. Thus, the new house will become meaningless to the parents.
Amitabha Buddha made his 48 vows for sentient beings in the ten directions to achieve Buddhahood through rebirth in his Pure Land. Of all his vows the 18th vow is particularly important, since it ensures the rebirth of all aspirants who recite the Buddha’s name. Without this vow, sentient beings could not gain rebirth in the Pure Land. Without this vow, all of Amitabha’s other vows would be rendered meaningless. That is why the 18th vow is known as the Fundamental Vow.
Master Shandao defined the 18th vow as the Fundamental Vow of Buddha Amitabha. It reveals “the underlying wish of Amitabha that sentient beings should recite his name single-mindedly.”
16. 建房喻
慧淨法師
好比說父母建設房子，房間要怎麼隔間、客廳要怎麼佈置，花園要怎麼設計，後院又要怎麼完成……，種種的構思都是為了兒子。這一切通通完成好了，可是兒子不能回來住，或者是沒有兒子來住，那就沒有意義了。
阿彌陀佛種種的願，都是為了十方眾生的往生成佛。第十八願是念佛往生之願，有此願，眾生就能念佛往生，沒有此願，眾生就不能念佛往生；不能念佛往生，其他的願就沒有存在的意義。所以，就這一點來講，這第十八願才是真正的本願 — 根本之願。
善導大師把第十八願叫做「本願」，也就是阿彌陀佛的根本願。所謂「望佛本願，意在眾生，一向專稱，彌陀佛名」。
Namo Amituofo!
